The passing of Piyush Pandey brought back memories of his most enduring contribution to Indian popular culture: the 1988 Doordarshan musical medley Mile Sur Mera Tumhara . Working as an account manager at Ogilvy & Mather, Pandey had penned lines that became a rare government broadcast, a lyrical celebration of India’s diversity escaping the usual tedium of public service messaging on State television.

Mile Sur brought together the biggest names in Indian entertainment, all humming Pandey’s words on the small screen. Two decades later, in 2010, the medley was recreated with a new roster of celebrities. But this time, barely anyone noticed.

What changed in those 20 years?

The magic of 1988

The original Mile Sur aired in 1988, reportedly at the behest of Prime Minister Rajiv

See Full Page