For generations of television viewers in the 1970s and 80s, hers was the face that launched the news each evening.
As the familiar strains of Doordarshan’s signature tune faded and the camera settled on the studio desk, Sarla Maheshwari would appear on screens across the country, delivering the day’s developments in a calm, precise voice with unhurried authority. Her understated elegance and composed demeanour made her stand apart in an era when news presentation was defined by clarity and restraint. On Thursday, Maheshwari — one of Doordarshan’s most recognisable newsreaders — died at 71, closing a chapter in Indian television journalism.
She was cremated at Nigambodh Ghat at 4pm the same day, with colleagues, former students and admirers remembering a broadcaster whose presence extended far beyond the screen.
Maheshwari joined Doordarshan in 1976 and remained a newsreader until the early 1980s, when she briefly moved to the United Kingdom after marriage. She returned for a second stint with the national broadcaster in 1988 and continued there until the early 2000s, by which time she had become a familiar and trusted presence in homes across the country.
Those who knew her before her television fame remembered how little she changed after joining Doordarshan. Deepak Parekh, whose sister studied with Maheshwari in school, said she remained as humble as ever.
“I know her from our childhood days, when she studied with my sister in school. We used to stay in Katra Kushal Rai, near the Parathe Wali Gali, where her father had a shop in Kinaari Bazaar. Sarla, despite becoming so famous, never changed and was always humble and down-to-earth. People fondly remember her for her warmth, more than anything,” he said.
Yet, the newsroom was only one of her arenas. She also taught Hindi at Delhi University, eventually serving at Hansraj College after earlier assignments as a substitute lecturer. Later in her career, she also compèred events across the city.
Anil Gami, 66, one of her students at Zakir Hussain College, where she taught for a year as a substitute lecturer, remembered Maheshwari fondly both as a teacher and newsreader. “While most people recall her as the newsreader, for me, she was a great teacher. She taught us for a year before she was made a permanent faculty member at Hansraj. Her command over Hindi was immense, despite being Gujarati,” said Gami, who attended her cremation on Thursday.
Friendships formed on Doordarshan’s newsroom floor endured for decades. Jyotsna Rai (now Mahapatra), who presented news alongside Maheshwari in the 1980s, remembered hours spent talking after work. “At the time, we had no mobile phones, but we would spend long hours speaking on the landline. At times, we would speak about the news, but mostly it was about personal matters, and our bond grew strong,” she said, adding that Maheshwari balanced contractual newsreading with teaching responsibilities with ease.
Mrinalini Singh, who presented English news at Doordarshan, remembered her by her maiden name, Sarla Zariwala. “After marriage, she left DD and moved to the UK for a few years. After she returned, she joined as Sarla Maheshwari, and that stint was even more memorable; that’s how people still remember her,” she said.
Kindness, friends said, defined her away from the camera. Producer Asha Bhatia recalled calling her during her pregnancy. “There were some complications during my pregnancy and I reached out to her. She immediately made all arrangements and got me admitted to Shyam Lal Nursing Home. I could not thank her enough later.”
Tributes poured in on Thursday. Doordarshan director general K. Satish Nambudiripad wrote, “Sarla ji was not merely an ace news presenter; she was a trusted voice in millions of Indian homes… She represented the highest standards of public service broadcasting and became synonymous with authenticity in journalism.”
Former co-anchor Shammi Narang wrote on X: “Beautiful not just in appearance but even more so at heart, she had a remarkable command over language and was a reservoir of knowledge. Her presence on the Doordarshan screen had a unique aura. She respected everyone and uplifted every space she was part of.”