About the film

My Radio My Life is a documentary film that revisits the golden era of Radio — an era before the advent of television, mobile phones, and social media in our daily lives.

This cinematic journey takes a closer look at the significant impact of radio on the lives of a few passionate individuals, like the people behind the vintage radio museum; landmark events, like the historic  Apollo 11 Moon landing commentary by Voice of America (Tamil Service) of 1969; and important role of radio during natural disaster, such as the role of Ham Radio during the tsunami. It captures interesting stories such as how a childhood curiosity made a person a popular radio announcer, as well as the fond memories associated with the most popular radio programmes, Binaca Geetmala and Cricket commentary. It offers a comprehensive portrayal not only of personal journeys but also of the broader cultural and societal context in which their stories unfold. The film also highlights a school radio where students are taking forward the magic of radio in a new format.

Watch the trailer:

Accolades

The film has received awards and selections at over 80 film festivals and has been screened in 36 countries. It has been listed by UNESCO as part of the World Radio Day celebrations and has also been featured in radio interview programmes on various All India Radio (AIR) stations and the Vividh Bharati service.

Discussion

The documentary will be followed by a 20-minute Q&A with the filmmakers and the protagonists featured in the documentary. The audience can also share memories of their radio days.

Hosted by IHA in collaboration with Azim Premji University.

About the team

Makarand Waikar

Concept, Producer & Co-Director

Makarand Waikar is an engineer by profession and a documentary filmmaker by passion. He developed an interest in documentary filmmaking and attended courses and film discussions at FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) and NFAI (National Film Archive of India), Pune.

After studying many subjects, he decided to focus on making films that capture the essence of lives, moments, traditions and practices to preserve these for future generations.  My Radio, My Life is his first documentary film.

Simantinee Bhagwat

Research & Creative Producer

Simantinee has an interest in documentary filmmaking and has attended courses at FTII, Pune. She is the creative producer of My Radio My Life. She researched the subject for two years and explored various aspects of the radio in its golden era, and contacted several passionate people who had interesting stories to tell about radio in their lives.

Uday Kalburgi

Protagonist

Uday Kalburgi, a 61-year-old electronics engineer, is passionate about vintage radios. He built his first crystal radio and listened to Akashvani Dharwad when he was in high school. In over 45 years, Uday has collected and restored more than 260 vintage radios, of which 110 are notable for their age, technology, cost, and style. Uday’s collection preserves technological history and looks at reviving communal listening experiences. He aims to inspire younger generations to appreciate the legacy of wireless technology. In 2019, Uday established the Short Wave Radio Museum that houses his restored radios to showcase to the younger generation the history and evolution of wireless technology.

For more details click here.