Makrand Waikar, a Pune-based first-time filmmaker, has received global acclaim as UNESCO lists his documentary, ‘My Radio, My Life,’ for the upcoming World Radio Day celebrations on February 13. The film explores the profound influence of radio on individuals across various walks of life during its heyday as the primary medium of communication.
Waikar conceived the idea for the documentary in 2020, during the pandemic, driven by the desire to capture the memories of an era fading away. “With time-capped documentaries, we decided to capture a bygone era. The people that the radio had an impact on won’t be around a few years down the line. So, we decided to document them,” explains Waikar, who works in the scientific information industry.
The documentary features a diverse array of individuals, including Sunil Shastri, who reminisces about his clandestine radio usage during school hours, and Dr. V Nallathambi, an 85-year-old former Tamil language teacher turned radio announcer, who emotionally recalls announcing the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
UNESCO, recognizing the documentary’s alignment with this year’s World Radio Day theme, ‘A Century of Informing, Entertaining, and Educating,’ has listed it for global collaborations. This enables individuals and organizations worldwide to connect with Waikar and screen the documentary at their events.
Waikar, having no background in filmmaking, immersed himself in the project by collaborating with professionals for cinematography, music, editing, and other aspects. The research began in 2021, and the shooting took place in 2022, requiring a year and a half to complete the project. ‘My Radio, My Life’ has already been showcased at 70 film festivals.
While the documentary alludes to historical aspects of radio, such as J C Bose and licensing, Waikar deliberately chose not to elaborate on them. “The aim of the documentary was to capture the life that revolved around radio; the hints of history are for the audience to pick up and explore on their own,” he explains.
Among the featured personalities is Uday Kalburgi, affectionately known as ‘Radio Man,’ who has restored over 185 vintage radios. In a captivating moment, Kalburgi recounts abandoning a prospective arranged marriage to embark on a quest to retrieve a family’s discarded radio from a scrap collector, underlining the emotional connection people had with these devices.
For more information on the documentary and collaborations, interested parties can contact Makrand Waikar through [[email protected]].
