Rita Kaul: The pioneer female TV artist from Srinagar

Sixty-four years ago, on September 15, 1959, Television made its formal entry in India with the launch of the first TV channel  ‘`Television India”, which started broadcasting from the studios of All India Radio, Delhi on experimental basis.  This experiment was followed by  inauguration of Television India Channel of Bombay (Now Mumbai) on October 2, 1972 and then an  exclusive third channel in Srinagar, Kashmir on January 26, 1973.  `Television India’ was replaced by “Doordarshan” in 1975.

 Television India’s Doordarshan Kendra, Srinagar, was set-up as a strategic station but unfortunately with a  very few artists available from the then conservative Kashmiri society to perform on a visual media.  Rita Kaul was the one amongst very few pioneer artists of Srinagar Television who dared to prepare herself mentally to face the camera and the lights and enact a scene to entertain the masses of Kashmir in 1973.

Interestingly, the scene was enacted in the backdrop of poems of one of the greatest intellectuals of the subcontinent, Dr. Hamidi Kashmiri, who is considered an authority on modernist and Post-modernist trends in literature of Urdu and Kashmiri.

 It was also the time when the television was preferred to be known as such instead of Doordarshan. It also begs the question ‘Was Rita Kaul displaying her talents much before Srinagar Doordarshan came into existence? Definitely, Srinagar Doordarshan may have provided a vital platform to all artists during those times when there was extreme dearth of such platforms where artists could pursue their passion for acting etc.

Rita Kaul— the trendsetter

History may have forgotten Rita Kaul but she will always be mentioned as the pioneer and a trendsetter for all female artists of Kashmir who dared to pursue their passions.

 Noted broadcaster and former Director General of All India Radio ( Akashvani), Sh Fayyaz Sheheryar  remembers Rita  Kaul  as a graded artist of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, who would sing mostly in Kashmiri.

Kashmir Rechords is reproducing a scene from “Dareecha’’, written by Dr. Hamidi Kashmiri, in which Rita Kaul had performed a leading role in February, 1973. The entire script of this programme is reproduced here.  In addition, a copy of the weekly programmes, telecast over Srinagar Television in 1973, is also published for the benefit of all, including researchers.

Introduction of Rita Kaul to TV by Dr. Hamidi Kashmiri

Prof Hamidi Kashmiri was an Urdu and Kashmiri language poet and a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Kashmir. He is credited to have encouraged many artists from Kashmir to act on Television. Rita Kaul is one amongst such few artists encouraged by Dr Kashmiri.

A recipient of the Ghalib Award and Sahitya Akademi Award (2005), Dr.Hamidi Kashmiri is credited with 50 books.  In 2010, the Government of India honoured him with `Padma Shri’. He passed away on December 27, 2018 at the age of 86.