Vol. 1975No. 050The dramatic seventies
The India you were born into
Wednesday19 February1975
One way into 19 February 1975: consumer culture. Behind that everyday lens sits a year in which the Emergency transformed political life while major scientific and infrastructure projects continued.
Change dateThe Front Page
India in a changing political era
Democracy, public life and national institutions remain in focus
India’s political landscape was evolving through major debates over democracy, development and national unity.
Syed Nazir Ali, cricketer (2 Tests for India, 4 wickets), passed away.
Syed Nazir Ali, cricketer (2 Tests for India, 4 wickets), passed away.
India in Numbers
A snapshot of India when you were born.
In february 1975, a litre of petrol cost Loading… and a local phone call cost Loading….
Interpolated placeholder between benchmark years; replace with annual UN WPP estimate before publication. Not a census count. Source: current India population working dataset.
Prices from the month you were born, listed the way the kirana shop would have written them.
- The Hindu archive
- National archival records
- Press and public memory
04 · Sport
India on the field in 1975
Moment of the year · Hockey
India wins its first men's Hockey World Cup
India defeated Pakistan in the final in Kuala Lumpur.
197505 · Cinema & music
What India was watching and humming
The film everyone queued for that month, and the song that played from every cassette player that year.
SHOLAY
Year 1975
Film of the year · 1975
Sholay
Also in theatresDeewaar · Jai Santoshi Maa · Chupke Chupke · Aandhi · Mili · Julie
Song of the year · 1975
"Chingari Koi Bhadke"
Also on the radio"Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin Todenge" · "Mehbooba Mehbooba" · "Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein"
$ cat science-and-technology-1975
Satellites, television and national communications
What science and technology looked like in India in 1975.
Aryabhata launches
India's first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched on 19 April 1975.
Technology moves closer to daily life
Computing, communication and consumer electronics were gradually moving from specialist institutions toward ordinary homes, offices and public life.
Faces of 1975
Indira Gandhi
Declared a national Emergency on 25 June following an adverse Allahabad High Court verdict and rising opposition.
Jayaprakash Narayan
Led the unified political opposition before being arrested at the onset of the Emergency.
Satish Dhawan
Led ISRO during the launch of Aryabhata, India's first satellite, which was placed into orbit on 19 April.
Amitabh Bachchan
Starred in the groundbreaking cinematic blockbusters 'Deewaar' and 'Sholay'.
Sanjay Gandhi
Emerged as an influential political figure during the Emergency, spearheading controversial urbanization and family planning drives.
Dhirubhai Ambani
Scaled up Reliance's synthetic fabric market share under the 'Vimal' brand.
09 · BEYOND INDIA
Beyond India
Before the internet put the world in our pockets, news from abroad arrived through telegrams, radios, television sets and eventually phones.
Fall of Saigon
30 APR
North Vietnamese forces take Saigon, marking the end of the Vietnam War and the collapse of South Vietnam.
1975, circled in red
The year India turned 28.