Recently Prasar Bharti, the statutory autonomous body that manages All India Radio and Doordarshan, India’s public service broadcasters, had tweeted saying that it had selected the top 5 logos from the Doordarshan logo contest.
Doordarshan Logo Contest – Here are the top 5 logo designs selected out of more than 10,000 entries. pic.twitter.com/qV8Ni2Zkj8
— Prasar Bharati (@prasarbharati) May 20, 2019
The tweet stated that over 10,000 entries were received for the said contest. Media reports stated that the public broadcaster is about to change its iconic logo for Doordarshan, that had been familiar for countless Indians over the years. DD’s logo and music are often cited among the most nostalgic childhood memories by many.
Reports have stated that the 5 shortlisted logos will earn prize money of Rs 1 lakh each for their creators and as a new government takes charge, DD will probably be seen with a brand new logo.
Following the news, many Twitter users also expressed their concerns. Some were concerned over the new designs and the lack of the Sanskrit text “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” that had been a part of the DD logo since its inception.
Dear @narendramodi and @Ra_THORe,
Where is the iconic ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ line, the real identity of DD? How is this any different frm UPA tht ws hell bent on annihilating every last connection these gov orgs had with Hinduism?
P.S.- These logos r horrible. https://t.co/eKEbRtsMne
— Neta Ji (@AapGhumaKeLeLo_) May 21, 2019
That one of these will replace the legendary DD logo is such a sad feeling! Pls pls pls give us a NOTA here! #notcool https://t.co/D4v7GiIC6z
— Pritesh Jain (@8priteshj) May 22, 2019
Sad to see the heritage of DD has come to this pathetic state. The original logo of ying/yang with moon in middle was created by a NID graduate in the 80’s. It’s come to bad graphic design now. #SaveDD https://t.co/q0sEuLZuGL
— Ankit Soni (@the_ankit_soni) May 21, 2019
It is notable here that the original DD logo was designed by Debashish Bhattacharya, a former student of the National Institute of Design. The logo represented the human eye with the concept of the Chinese philosophical symbol of ‘Yin and Yang’.
Over the years, though the colour scheme and background has been modified to fit modern tastes, the basic design had remained the same. Different variations of the same logo have been used for different channels under DD.
Following the reactions on Twitter, Shashi Shekhar, the CEO of Prasar Bharti clarified that the shortlisted logos are the winners of a contest in 2017 and there is no immediate plan to change the iconic DD logo. He further added that a variant of one of the shortlisted designs was used recently for the new look of DD India, Doordarshan’s English News channel.
Thanks for all the feedback on shortlisted logos. To be clear this shortlist is merely the outcome of the contest held in 2017. There are no changes planned at this time. A variant of one of the shortlisted concepts has been piloted specifically only for @DDIndiaLive’s new look. https://t.co/M1vvhTnLQo
— Shashi Shekhar (@shashidigital) May 21, 2019
DD’s logo, its introductory music and the Sanskrit words “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” have been a part of childhood for many Indians who cherish them as fond memories. Though the onset of private channels has flooded the TV viewing experience for Indians, DD always maintains a special place. Even if DD decides to revamp its logo, people perhaps would love to see a more stylish version of the same logo that they identify with so much.
