As always, I love to rewind my mind to years gone by and relive those times, especially during the post lunch session at work. Soon, with revivalist memories, I will jump back into life with renewed enthusiasm :-) This time around, my wandering mind went back to the days of DD-Metro ....

When DD-Metro was introduced, I think it was the first second channel available for the residents of 1990's Madras. It was a major sensation that between 8 and 9 in the evenings, everyone sat glued to the TV that featured a serial or some kind of 30 minute shows. This was the advent of Mega Serials - Remember Junoon? I remember this character (I forgot the name though) that was pregnant for 15 months in the serial!!!! Mega serial was a novelty, a new pick and an opportunity being explored. The next door neighbors had something beyond the third door daughter-in-law to discuss and gossip now. Their common ground of discussion was raised - another platform of familiar sharing and argument.

We in class VI-A were a bunch of Junoon followers who would avidly discuss the happenings over Geography teacher’s boring lecture. More than the serial, it was the language that caught and kept the attention. “Kudukaren Ungalukku Naa” – this form of misplaced verbs & nouns in the dubbed Hindi Junoons made it all the more enjoyable. This almost became a genre of Tamil that was followed with commitment :-)

And then the style of Metro Priya - She was the one who started compeering a Tamil TV show with more sport and added informality. The way she would make actions with her clubbed hands that looked like a handgun and shooting her youth and verve amongst the audience, she had the college going crowd fan following her. She was the first one to do this kind of compeering. Kudos!

The public either loved her or hated her, No in betweens. There was a section of the public that was scandalized by the audacity of the 16 year old girl. And then there were the rest who thought it was the next generation youth and its cheek. The last I heard, she had to stop the show because of road side romeos troubling her near her residence. No one is exempt from eve teasing and the ensuing destiny to discontinue career and interests.

Those times were followed with 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm SUN TV.. Remember? There was so much ado about it.. And then there was full time satellite channels and now there is more and more of them more than your TV could hold – and then you bought the TV with the S Band :)
Evolution? hmm!