Young Salma Sultan brings you Samachar

Salma Sultan, read news on Doordarshan between 1967 and 1997. But that doesn't tell much about her. In the color 80s she became known for the rose worn low in her hair and her style saris.
I remember when she used to say. 'Namaskar. Aaj ke Samachar. Is prakar...' and sitting in front of the TV set old ladies of the house would reply back to her greeting saying, 'Namaskar. Namaskar. Bless you! Urzu! (Kashmiri word for Good Health)' Watching television was something else in those days.

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Here's how Salma Sultan  started out:

Her entry into news reading too had been quite a hilarious experience. After doing her post graduation from English Literature from I. P. College, Delhi, she started working with Doordarshan as an announcer and presenter. "Those days (1967-68), they would not take young people for news reading but mature ones. Pratima Puri and Gopal Kaul were regular faces then. But Kaul never wanted to read news so once, when it was time to read news, he came entered the office with a completely-shaven head! Panic-stricken producer started looking for someone to replace him and their choice zeroed on me. I was asked to give a quick audition." Always ready to take up challenges, Salma followed, "When I came back to the control room after audition, I witnessed a pin-drop silence and everyone sitting stunned. With a chocking voice I asked what happened, and was told that I read the 15-minutes news so quickly that they could not even start the roll!" Such was her nervousness that made DD realise that they should train people for news reading too! 

- read more at a fine old article at The Hindu

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First image comes from Hindustan Times (June 7, 2009) and the second one from India Today (Anniversary Issue, July 03, 2006)