Actress
Sayantani
Ghosh,
who
is
part
of
Rahul
Kumar
Tewary’s
new
Zee
TV
show
Jagadhatri,
looks
back
at
her
childhood
memories
of
television
with
deep
fondness
and
a
sense
of
nostalgia.
“My
earliest
memory
of
television
goes
back
to
watching
Ramayan
as
a
kid.
We
didn’t
have
many
channels,
just
Doordarshan,
and
the
entire
street
in
Kolkata
would
fall
silent
when
the
show
aired.
Everyone
would
be
at
home
watching
it.
It
was
a
ritual
for
the
whole
neighbourhood,”
she
recalls.
Sayantani
says
she
has
witnessed
television
evolve
over
the
last
two
decades
of
her
career.
For
her,
the
medium
mirrors
the
changing
mindset
of
society.
“Change
is
the
biggest
constant,
and
TV
has
evolved
technically,
creatively
and
in
its
scale.
TV
is
like
a
mini
society
in
itself
–
whatever
the
collective
mood
or
thought
process
is,
reflects
in
the
kind
of
shows
being
made,”
she
says,
adding
that
OTT
has
added
variety
to
storytelling
but
hasn’t
diminished
the
power
of
TV.
“People
keep
talking
about
the
digital
boom
and
say
TV
is
losing
relevance,
but
I’ve
been
in
this
industry
for
20
years
and
I
don’t
agree.
TV
still
has
the
maximum
reach,
even
in
the
deepest
corners
of
India.
Every
big
film
still
chooses
TV
for
promotions
because
it
connects
to
the
masses,”
Sayantani
explains.
According
to
her,
OTT
may
be
growing,
but
its
market
remains
targeted,
while
TV
continues
to
be
the
true
mass
medium.
Talking
about
shorter
show
timelines
and
the
changing
viewing
habits
post-pandemic,
the
actress
believes
patience
is
the
issue.
“As
human
beings,
our
patience
levels
have
gone
down.
We
want
everything
instantly
–
whether
it’s
food
delivery
or
15-second
reels.
That’s
why
shows
are
being
pulled
off
air
in
3-4
months.
But
the
emotional
connect
with
TV
hasn’t
gone
down.
It’s
just
that
not
every
story
can
be
told
at
super-fast
speed,”
she
says.
If
she
could
bring
back
an
era
of
television,
Sayantani
chooses
her
favourite
phase
as
a
young
viewer.
“When
Hindi
GEC
channels
first
came
in,
there
were
shows
like
Banegi
Apni
Baat,
Hip
Hip
Hurray!,
Snakes
and
Ladders,
Antakshari…
The
content
was
so
honest,
so
close
to
life.
There
was
innocence,
simplicity,
and
a
no
unnecessary
glamourised
packaging.
I
would
love
for
that
era
to
return
–
I’d
love
to
be
part
of
shows
like
those,”
she
shares.
As
she
gears
up
for
Jagadhatri,
Sayantani
remains
rooted
in
her
belief
that
television
will
always
hold
a
special
place
in
Indian
households.
“TV
still
has
its
charm,
its
emotional
connect
and
its
reach.
That’s
something
no
other
medium
has
been
able
to
replace.”