What do you think?
Rate this book
ONCE UPON A PRIME TIME
In Once Upon A Prime Time , Ananth Mahadevan pens the memoirs of his journey on Indian television. From first hand experiences with film makers who were the founding fathers of television serials to today's consumerism driven shows, he has tasted them all. The book reads like an autobiography yet covers virtually every major player who was responsible for the nostalgia that Indian television now evokes.It incorporates exclusive moments with many celebrities and award winning directors. Join the actors on their sets as they perform for television and learn about the stories that made the shows come to life. Covering artistes and makers who impacted our world, such as Amitabh Bachchan, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Sai Paranjpye, Basu Chatterjee, Kundan Shah, Ravi Chopra, Ramesh Sippy , Farouque Shaikh, Aziz Mirza, Gulzar and Govind Nihalani.The book is in all probability, the first ever story of Indian television. Besides taking one down memory lane, this could be a throw-back for all those connected with the medium, past and present. It gives you a feeling of travelling through time and watching history being made – behind the scenes."
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2020
3 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 12, 2022
An excellent memoir of the Television right from its initial days in India to the current trend of watching on laptops mobile phones tablets. A journey well researched and presented along with his contribution to the melee of shows that came up.
We all have seen Ananth as a competent actor, in many supporting roles and also as a director of television and films but this book is a suprise to his skills as a writer.
First things to be cleared is this is not an Autobiography/Biography or his personal memoir. This is the story oh how Television entered and enthralled us Indians from Doordarshan days. Ananth has systematically divided the chapters based on the genres of shows, the production houses and their tussle, growth and decline of Doordarshan with the advent of STAR TV and other channels.
Ananth also shows his emotional side by describing his association with Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Kishore Kumar, Jairaj among other giants of Indian Cinema.
The book is basically catering to the people born before 90's as post that people may not be able to relate to the shows and the Doordarshan days.
Overall well written, researched and sprinkled with humour the book is a journey and must read for all reminiscing the past glory of television
We all have seen Ananth as a competent actor, in many supporting roles and also as a director of television and films but this book is a suprise to his skills as a writer.
First things to be cleared is this is not an Autobiography/Biography or his personal memoir. This is the story oh how Television entered and enthralled us Indians from Doordarshan days. Ananth has systematically divided the chapters based on the genres of shows, the production houses and their tussle, growth and decline of Doordarshan with the advent of STAR TV and other channels.
Ananth also shows his emotional side by describing his association with Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Kishore Kumar, Jairaj among other giants of Indian Cinema.
The book is basically catering to the people born before 90's as post that people may not be able to relate to the shows and the Doordarshan days.
Overall well written, researched and sprinkled with humour the book is a journey and must read for all reminiscing the past glory of television
Displaying 1 of 1 review