Meet the Voice – Sarala

Have you ever wondered, about the voice that announces the arrival and departure of trains at the railway station? I know, I have. Though flying and driving has become my chosen mode of transportation in the past two decades, as a child, I always loved traveling by train. Watching people getting on and off trains, buying books and food from the many vendors, sitting by the window watching buildings and sceneries pass by, and listening to the announcements at various stations, was something I always looked forward to. To this day I become nostalgic every time I hear the phrases, “Yatrigan kripya dhyan de” and “Passengers, may I have your attention please”. As far as I can remember, the announcements were almost always made by a female voice, and they all sounded alike. The announcements were always crisp and clear, and the voice cool and patient. While I did make all these observations, not once did I relate the voice to a person. For me that voice was like how Siri is now on my iPhone, a faceless voice answering my questions in the exact same tone, every single day.

So imagine my surprise when I watched the first episode of Meet The Voice. There she was, in flesh and blood, the voice that I have heard so many times, Sarala Chaudhary. Of course, Sarala is no ordinary railway announcer. She is one of the first ladies ever to be hired as an announcer in the Central Railways, and the first voice to be recorded by Indian Railways, for automatic announcements, hence explaining why the voices I heard sounded so similar. There are very few instances we come across in life, that the entire country can relate to, and this first episode of Meet The Voice, is one such instance. It is really heartwarming to watch Sarala and her family, talk about her work with humility and pride.

Thank you Jai Mehta and Congratulations Disha Rindani on a fantastic job! It is not everyday that we get a chance to learn about people who knowingly or unknowingly become a part of our journey. Can’t wait to find out about the next two voices.