Hardeep Singh Chandpuri, a well-known radio broadcaster from Chandigarh, inherited his love for radios from his father, Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, after being exposed to the grandeur of the instruments as a young, impressionable kid. Today, Chandpuri is the proud owner of over 20 stunning antique radio sets, and he's showing no signs of stopping this endless quest to collect as many as he can — from bylanes in run down areas to swanky establishments, Chandpuri is leaving no stone unturned in his search. He talks to us about the evolution of the radio and the many different ways in which he sustains his hobby and passion, as well as his love for vintage records.
Q. What first drew you
to radios?
A. It was actually a long time ago; I had fallen for these wonderful wooden and plastic beauties; they were oversized and took up considerable display space. And yet, they never called out for your attention; it was if they could command it anyway.
My father, who retired as a Brigadier from the Army, was posted in Gaza (United Arab Republic) in the late 1960s along with the United Nations Emergency Force. From there, he travelled all across Europe and he picked up these two sets (Sony and Philips) during his travels and brought them to India. This was much before I was born. I spent my childhood years seeing him and my grandfather hooked on to their respective radios.
Q. Tell us about the different radios you own?
A. As of now I have around 20 such Victorian radio sets at home in my collection, including Murphy, HMV, Philips, General Electric Company (GEC), Sony, Bush, Thomas and National. Not all of them work, because the spare parts are not available now so they can't be repaired. However, I do use them. The Cathedral-style radio is propped up next to my desk and I keep it turned on the whole day.
Q. You've got well over 20 radios now. Tell us about how you managed to find them?
A. I have begged people to let me have them. From dirty bylanes of small towns to swanky homes, from dusty attics to radio repair shops, I have left no stone unturned to hunt for them. For me, each set is akin to hunting for treasure. I always keep my eye open for them. Anytime I meet anyone from a small town, I request them to hunt for them in old radio repair shops, where people send them for repair and then never pick them up. They are tough to find, but the hunt itself is such a pleasure.
Q. Which is your favourite?
A. Actually there are two, one is the Sony model that still, is in mint condition, and another one is the Cathedral style radio, which I picked up from the USA. Both of them have such a warm sound even today; it's nothing short of amazing.
Q. Do you collect anything else apart from the radios?
A. Vintage records. And when I was in school, I also collected stamps.
Q. What importance do these radios have in your life? Are you hoping to sell them for a lot of money one day?
A. They definitely have an invisible bond with me; at times, I just sit and admire them. A number of people have come to me and offered money for them but I refuse every time. I will never sell them; I want to hand over this collection to my son who is in school and has shown some interest in them. God willing, I also wish to create a one-of-a-kind radio museum someday.
For me, the transition from such huge pieces to the digital radio in our phones has been exceptional. It's just like the evolution we saw when LP records eventually morphed into MP3s.
Q. How difficult is it to maintain these antiques, especially such delicate pieces?
A. It's no doubt difficult; and expensive too. But, as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. I'll go to any extent to maintain them and look after them. Since I run a radio jockey training academy, I have displayed them for the students to see. Most of today's generation doesn't have a clue about them. So, in every batch, I take off two days and tell them about these historically cherished pieces that would still be the star attraction of any drawing room.
Q. Are there any memorable stories attached to any of these radios?
A. There was this person who ran a small radio repair shop, and he was not letting me have a piece which was in a completely run down condition. He was demanding an astronomical sum for it; it was unbelievable, actually. So I had to cook up a sob story, which finally convinced him to give it to me at an affordable price. If I had not done so, the piece would have been eaten by termites considering the condition it was in.
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/hardeep-singh-chandpuri-the-pursuit-of-happy-frequencies
