Latest news with #Kalburgi
The Hindu
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Preserving frequencies of the past
Radios might be fading into oblivion, but they seem to be still singing in the hearts of a few who hold onto their love for the old electronic device. Uday Kalburgi is the proud owner of a one-of-its-kind Short-Wave Radio Museum, which houses over 180 tube/valve radios, some of them dating back to the 1920s. Mr. Kalburgi, a retired telecom engineer, fell in love with radios when he was nine-years-old. He dreamt of collecting radios and opening a museum, which he accomplished on February 13, 2021. Always in search of rare radios across the world, Mr. Kalburgi tries to restore them to their original glory. 'Each radio has its own story,' he said as he opens up about his passion. Preserving a habit Mr. Kalburgi started the museum after being inspired by Pandu Rajan, a fellow radio lover and a conservator-restorer. 'I loved listening to Omkar Prasad Nayyar's songs on my radio when I was a child. I still have some of the records and listen to them using the radiogram,' says Mr. Rajan. The 75-year-old has managed to restore several rare radios like BX 798X and BX 735A by Philips for his personal use. 'Upgrading to newer tech is not really my cup of tea. I love listening and working on the old analogue radios,' he noted, while not hiding his disappointment at people moving away from radios for television and other devices. The secret Congress radio One of the rare exhibits at the museum is the 'Secret Congress radio', used by Usha Mehta during the Quit India Movement to spread the words of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. The museum also houses rare radios like the 'Globe', only 100 pieces of which were produced in the United Kingdom in 1946, Pilot G774B -USA made in 1936, Philips B6IF XX produced in Ireland in 1954 and many more. 'People like me who are in their 70s and 80s still affectionately listen to radio on a daily basis,' he notes, while worrying that a generation which listens to songs on loop on music streaming apps might never get to experience the serendipitous joy of music discovery on radio. Mr. Kalburgi however expresses annoyance with the presentation style of the young radio jockeys. 'Listening to Akashvani is different. They are very matter of fact and practice what they have to say two to three days in advance,' Mr. Kalburgi remarks. Inspiring youngsters In an attempt to cultivate the habit of radio listening among youngsters, Mr. Kalburgi sends invitations to schoolchildren and university students to visit the museum. 'I used to distribute pamphlets in front of schools and colleges. Students who are interested in radios will find this place very useful,' he says. What would be the future of the craft of radio restoration, though? Mr. Kalburgi is unsure. 'There are still people who approach me to restore their radios. But thanks to AI and computers, interest among people has been reducing,' he sighs. (With inputs from Vaishnav G. Edappattu)
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Theatre group to stage play highlighting threats to scholars in state
Pic: Samudaya Raichuru, an amateur theatre group will enact the play Raktha Vilap in Ballari on Sunday. A scene from this drama, which is based on Prof MM Kalburgi's assassination Ballari: Samudaya Raichuru, an amateur theatre group, is enacting its popular play 'Raktha Vilap' in Ballari at Vaidya Bhavan, BMRC, Ballari on Sunday evening. The play has already created a buzz in Karnataka for its unique theme and story. Several amateur drama artistes are devoting their time and effort to make this play popular across the state for the past year. The first show was enacted on May 19, 2024, in Raichur. In the last year, twelve shows were conducted, and the 13th show will be held in Ballari on Sunday. The show has already received an overwhelming response from the audience and theatre lovers in Raichur, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Dharwad, Vijayapura, Sindhagi, and other parts of the state. Praveen Reddy, the director of the play, told TOI that the Raktha Vilap play is based on real incidents and serious issues concerning the society. It makes the audience give serious thought to issues ranging from freedom of expression to intellectual freedom in India after watching this play. This play is based on the life of scholar and thinker Dr MM Kalburgi, who was shot dead at point-blank range at his residence in Kalyan Nagar, Dharwad, on the morning of Aug 30, 2015. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo The assassination of Prof Kalburgi shocked the nation and left the literary world in grief and shock. The play, which focuses on Prof Kalburgi's life, especially the assassination part, is conceptualised by Dr Vikram Visaji. "In the play, we have not used Prof Kalburgi's name for the character, though it is based on his life story. The characters in the play are not given any names but are known by the roles they play in the drama. For example, the person playing the advocate is referred to as the advocate in the play rather than using any names," Praveen said. As the play revolves around Prof Kalburgi's assassination, a person identified as Yuvak approaches the scholar character at his residence and gets into discussions and arguments with him over some ideological issues. Finally, the person (Yuvak) kills the scholar, he said. Praveen, who also essayed the role of the scholar representing Prof Kalburgi in the drama, said this play will throw light on how scholars face threats and lose their lives for speaking the truth. "It also aims to send a message that killing is not a solution. If there is any confusion or misunderstanding, it needs to be solved through dialogue rather than taking lives, he said. We are planning to enact this play in all universities to motivate students to take a good path rather than choosing the wrong path under the influence of fundamentalists," he said. "Prof Kalburgi's family members also watched the play and and lauded our efforts when it was enacted in Dharwad and Vijayapura," said Praveen.
