World TV Day: Zee Entertainment presents a very “unusual” tribute

This World TV Day, Zee Entertainment would like to pay tribute to the countless memories and opportunities that TV has given us. Over the decades, through good times and bad, television has been entertaining us, opening up a window to the world – drama, movies, comedies, news, information, you name it and we’ve watched it.

Over the years, we have interviewed several renowned persons, industry experts, mavericks, geniuses, evangelists. On the occasion of World Television Day today, we feature a very special tete-a-tete with our constant companion through the years and get to know what the view looks like from the other side. Ever wondered what your television would say if it could speak? Presenting, ‘An Interview With The Television’...

Since you have here since time immemorial, what is your exact age and how have you remained timeless?

Time immemorial? I’m not God, I’m just TV. Let me tell you about how I grew up to where I am today. When I was just a toddler, I had only a few stories to share, but everyone adored me and took care of me like their most precious family member! My teen years were full of fun, my family kept growing by millions and millions each year and I kept growing with them, adding more and more stories to share. While on the one hand I lost all my baby fat, on the other, I kept adding inches to my frame. But this is just the beginning of adulting and I feel like the best days of my life are still ahead of me and it’ll be exciting to keep reinventing myself, finding more and better ways to keep my family entertained! As for my age? It’s just a number!

You seem to have fans from all age groups, geographies. What is the secret of your popularity?

If you think about it, it’s no big secret at all! Like any family to thrive, it requires a lot of communicating, sharing and understanding to keep the bond strong, and more so when your family of millions is spread across different geographies, talks different languages, has different mindsets and follows different cultures. At the end, it is just being a companion to every member of the family, young or old, in a way that makes them feel special.

Multiple eras have gone by in front of you. Tell us about your journey? What have been some of your favourite moments in your life so far?

This is just the beginning, we’re yet to add many more millions to our family. It feels like only yesterday when my family and I would have to wait all week to share new stories and look at us now – we are like Siamese twins, joint at the hip, sharing infinite new stories all day, every day.

It would be difficult to pick out favourite moments because there are just so many, from everyone singing along with SaReGaMaPa, or rooting for their favourite IPL team, or playing ‘I know this’ with every question on KBC or even arguing over who deserves to win Bigg Boss, because when with family, every moment is special.

How do you cope with the gaining popularity of the mobile phone, which streams digital content? How much bigger are you than it, and for how long will you maintain your lead?

Like in everyone’s life, family and friends have different roles to play. I know exactly what my family needs when they’re at home, but when they step out of the house, I’m glad they have someone who they can turn to whenever they miss me and my stories. As I said earlier as well, my family is huuuuge, as big as nearly a billion, but we always have room for more as we keep growing and evolving together.

There have been broadcasters, marketers, government organisations who have taken the help of you to reach out to their audience. Which iconic campaigns have been your favourite ones?

What has made my journey even more memorable are my friends who have added the spice to my stories, 30 seconds at a time. My brand friends have given us unforgettable moments like the girl who did the crazy dance on the cricket pitch to celebrate khaas moments of life to when all that we wanted was a pug to follow us around all day to now vibing with ‘aur dikhao’ because my family never gets tired of seeing more and more!

My government friends have long relied on me for ensuring our family is informed, safe, and secure, whether it is eradicating polio two drops at a time or ensuring everyone washed their hands frequently and followed social distancing in these recent months.

I’m glad I have friends who share the same passion to make people laugh, tear up, inspire them, and even change their lives for the better. With their stories and my popularity, no dream seems too big.

You have the power to bring families together, how did you manage to be such a trusted companion?

Let me share a big secret of why all the furniture in every home has been pointing towards since the day I was welcomed and why the entire family huddles together around me throughout the day. Well, the key to being their trusted companion is just to be like family – stick it out through thick and thin. We always share entertaining stories together, laughing over the funnies, crying over the drama, always making it a point to destress together after a hard day’s work and let loose on days when there’s no work at all. And even when the whole world outside had shut down, we kept each other company and untagged loneliness. And that’s how I became the center of their lives, like they have become mine.

You’ve shed some weight over the years? What’s the secret behind your svelte figure?

*Ahem* *Cough* *Ahem* From what I hear these days, this question could get us in a spot of trouble. On a side note, I like the fact I’ve become fitter and leaner, and I have had to sacrifice a lot of junk for that. And to be honest, my svelte figure often is the reason for our neighbour’s envy – they just can’t take their eyes off me!