Jasdev Singh
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
A brief biography
In a rapidly changing India, his voice was a reassuring constant. For a generation of Indians, Jasdev Singh’s familiar tenor was like a caring friend who was always around in every moment, be it grief or glory. From vivid Republic Day parades to nervejangling Olympic hockey matches, from mournful state funerals to riveting Test cricket – the versatile radio and TV commentator, who passed away at 87 after prolonged illness on Tuesday, transmitted the mood and the moment to millions across the country.
“Jasdev Singh was the doyen of Hindi commentary. Hockey was his specialty. Many remember him for his live radio commentary in the volatile Indo-Pak hockey clashes during the 1970s. He had the rare ability to be nationalistic without being jingoistic,” recalls sports commentator Novy Kapadia, who shared the mike with him on many occasions.
Singh grew up in Jaipur and started his career with All India Radio’s Jaipur station in 1959. Equally adept in Hindi and Urdu, Singh seamlessly blended the two. His diction was perfect, the tone generally relaxed. And he was a thorough professional who would never let the occasion get the better of him. “I also did commentary during the funerals of Lal Bahadur Shastri and Rajiv Gandhi. Sometimes, it is hard to stop yourself from crying on such occasions,” Singh revealed in Guftagoo, an interview-based programme on Rajya Sabha TV, “but I think the commentator is just a camera. And cameras don’t weep. It just records what it sees. Your voice might impact the viewer but it should never be affected by what you see and speak on.”
In a career spanning over five decades, Singh covered nine Olympics, eight hockey World Cups and more than 45 Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations for All India Radio and Doordarshan. One moment which he always cherished was when he relayed the news of India’s 2-1 victory over Pakistan in the 1975 World Cup final. It remains India’s lone Cup triumph in hockey.
Another high point of Singh's career, Kapadia recalled, was his immaculate planning and training of the commentary team for the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games. Six months before the event, the entire team was taken to NIS, Patiala, to interact with the coaches and athletes where they learnt the finer details of the sports and the nuances of radio commentary. “In the evening, we would do rehearsals. And he would evaluate our progress. He shaped many of us as commentators,” he said.
For his felicity with the art he practiced, Singh received the Padma Shri (1985) and the Olympic Order (1988) for his contribution to the Olympic movement. He received the Padma Bhushan in 2008 and was bestowed with the honour of Rajasthan Ratna in 2014.
