World Radio Day: In the age of smartphones, this Odisha couple’s 50-year love affair with radio continues

In a small thatched house in Sahupada under Remuna block of Balasore district, time seems to move at its own gentle pace. There are no glowing smartphone screens competing for attention, no television noise in the background. Instead, a soft, familiar voice flows from an old radio set, a sound that has shaped love, memory and companionship for over five decades.

As the world celebrates World Radio Day, the story of Padmalochan Mahalik and his wife Rukmani Mahalik stands as a reminder of an era when radio was not just a device, but a family member.

Both now over 80, the couple has shared their lives and their listening habits with the same unwavering loyalty. Their most prized possession is an ageing radio set, carefully preserved despite the march of technology.

“The radio keeps me informed. I listen to news, songs, whatever it plays,” says Padmalochan with quiet pride, describing himself simply as a radio lover.

For Rukmani, the bond runs even deeper. “This radio has been with me since I came to this house. Earlier, we had three or four radios. We listened to Ramayan, Mahabharata, Sambalpuri songs and ancient stories from Baripada and Cuttack stations. I cannot move on from radio. I love it,” she says, her eyes lighting up with memory.

Through changing governments, seasons, harvests and festivals, the radio has remained their constant companion, broadcasting news bulletins, devotional programmes, Mann Ki Baat and agricultural updates.

Even today, whether resting at home or walking slowly through village lanes, the radio accompanies them.

In a world now ruled by smartphones and streaming platforms, their preference remains unchanged. Neighbour Shyamsundar Mahalik, who has known them since childhood, says, “They don’t prefer mobile phones or TV. Even their elder son listens to radio with them. It is heartening to see such love for radio even today.”

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For Padmalochan and Rukmani, radio is not a relic of the past. It is memory, music, information — and above all, a lifelong companion.
Because sometimes, love does not need a screen, it only needs a signal.