Ex-Doordarshan anchor dies at the age of 71

Former Doordarshan newsreader Sarla Maheshwari, one of TV's most recognised faces in the 80s and 90s who embodied a calm far removed from the clamour of televised news bulletins today, died on Thursday. She was 71.

Maheshwari was the familiar face of TV news from 1976 right up till 2005, along with Salma Sultan, Shammi Narang, Geetanjali Aiyer and others, their very names evoking nostalgia of India's broadcasting and its evolution from black and white to colour. The days when broadcasts were limited to a few hours a day and when there was only one channel to watch.  Her death - first announced by co-anchor and friend Shammi Narang — was mourned by her colleagues, friends, the Congress and just old-time viewers who recalled her quietude, poise and her distinctive 'seedha palla' sari.