VHS Cassette

Pic source: www.radiomuseum.org

1978-1998  was the time when Video Cassettes were very popular. We used to watch many programs recorded on VHS tape by my brother in the UK and many times we used to take the cassettes to some wealthy friend's house, play them on the massive 'National' or 'Panasonic' top loading VHS recorder decks that resembled marine barges, costing at least 75000 Rupees those days! Most of the times, it was 'Top Of The Pops', a BBC TV music show.

I still remember going to Mr. Moin Bawa's house above Ladyhill Petrol Pump to watch video cassettes at least thrice with my friend Mahaveer and couple of other friends. We also had the habit of watching our fav films on buses that used to be parked at Vrinda Service Station Lalbagh,  fitted with VHS Players

Couple of times we've even borrowed VHS players or recorders from friends.

One Mr. George from Datamatics Bangalore once lent his VHS recorder but he and his wife sat with us till we watched the two cassettes continuously from 6:00pm to 10:30pm and took back the recorder to ensure safety! We also borrowed from rentals many times.

There was hardly an evening spent without watching movies on VHS, when my brother Kamalakanth finally decided and bought a Video Cassette Player(VCP) in 1981 paying a hefty price. I guess the brand name was Weston. Weston assembled and sold Hitachi CKD those days. He bought it soon after he bought a Bush CTV following the start of Bangalore Doordarshan Kendra. For about a year we watched B/W relay from Bombay and Madras DD channels and then Asiad happened in Delhi in 1982 and colour relay started.

Kamalakanth was also member at a video library(Video Palace?) in Unity Building, JC Road Bangalore. he narrated a funny incidence that happened there when he was there to borrow a cassette.

A local rustic looking guy came and hurriedly asked the man at the counter "Paast aap peeri aithenayyaa?"(Do you have Past of Peeri?)

The man was startled, and he asked his colleague "Yeh kyaa boltabaa?"

His colleague thought for a while, scratched his head and suddenly his eyes brightened!

He said "Oh.... Fist of Fury-naa?"

"Ade ade...Yeno ondu peeri. Aithenayyaa?"

What the chap meant was 'Fist of Fury' starring Bruce Lee.

Hats off to the Video Library chap who guessed it right and that too so fast!