Before the rise of streaming platforms and the irredeemable urge to constantly channel surf, a generation of music lovers grew up around the radio. In 1923, Radio Ceylon became the first radio station to broadcast in Asia. By the 1960s, it had become the channel for a younger post-Independence generation. Programmes like Binaca Geetmala brought to life Uma Pocha’s anthemic ‘Bombay meri hai’ and Usha Uthup’s jazzy numbers alongside KL Saigal, Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi. Like many of his generation, Atul Dodiya grew up familiarising himself with these names over the airwaves. His latest series, Radio Ceylon Paintings Vol. I at Chemould Prescott Road is a poignant tribute to the musicians, lyricists, and composers who shaped the Hindi film industry’s most cherished songs.

An homage in paint

Dodiya employs a masterful approach to portraiture, meticulously capturing the faces and emotions of these legends who once ruled the airwaves. His canvases serve as a gateway to the past, evoking the memory of a time when music was a unifying force, celebrated across religious and cultural divides. “Painting these figures felt like bringing back old friends,” the artist reflects, adding, “I grew up listening to these voices over the radio, and they remained my constant companions in the studio. I rediscovered the Radio Ceylon again during the pandemic, while I was painting.” He reminisces about the time of Radio Ceylon when he would wait eagerly for Ameen Sayani’s Binaca Geetmala to come on the radio.