HYDERABAD: A few visitors often visit ‘Numaish’ after an interval of two to three days, only to listen to the old Hindi songs broadcast by the exhibition radio ‘Voice of Exhibition’.
The Exhibition Radio, which is managed by Ajay Sounds, starts at 5 pm with ‘Satyanarayana Katha’ and moves to announcements. The announcer gives an update on the important announcements both for visitors and shop keepers.
Exhibition Radio consists of a team of announcers in English, Telugu and Urdu. The most popular voice among those announcers is that of Rashid Khan, a native of Masab Tank. Rashid Khan, an NRI has been lending his voice for 34 years. He arrives every year in Hyderabad to provide his services to the Exhibition Society.
His father, Hakim Ragi, also served the radio and is providing his services to continue the legacy. He says his father used to compose ghazals and slogans for the advertisements and used to perform on the spot too.
This radio not only plays old songs for the entertainment of the visitors, but also guides the shop keepers and visitors with important announcements. Rashid Khan says the important role of the Numaish Radio includes announcing for missing children and belongings of visitors.
It helps parents to locate their children who go missing in the crowd. In the morning, this radio issues important advisories of the Exhibition Society for the shopkeepers. It warns the visitors frequently and asks them to be vigilant about their children and belongings and be aware of pickpockets.
This Radio indicates to the visitor that the time had come to leave the exhibition by playing a song from the film Pakeezah i.e. ‘Chalte Chalte yunhi koi mil gaya tha …. And with the last few lines of the song ‘Chiragh bujh rahe hain’ lights at the exhibition are dimmed.
