Monday, September 19, 2005

Postage stamps on Cinema

As an Airport Official with part of the Indian Cricket Team - Shooting for a Samsung TV Ad.
Like most youngsters I too started a stamp collection and like most gave it up. Many years passed and I had entered the world of Television and Cinema as an actor and one day I came across an article in a magazine, it was either Time or Newsweek , on a stamp released by the U.S Postal Services to honour Marilynn Monroe.That caught my fancy....I started to check out on such issues honouring Film personalities and to my surprise found a large number of stamps. The world had celebrated the centenary of Cinema in 1995 and there was a huge lot waiting to be collected.This was the first step.
I then joined a local Stamp club- The South India Philatelists Association and got to know what Philately was all about. Thanks to a number of friends and classmates in the US and the internet, access to Stamp dealers was possible. I have since then been an avid collector of these Stamps on Cinema. In fact I have been responsible in a small way for the Indian Government to issue Postage Stamps honouring a few Famous Film personalities , in that I prodded the families of these great men to apply for the issue of a stamp, followed up with the authorities, helped collect data,suggest designs and in short played a supportive role, a bridge between the Government and the families of these great film makers.
I hope to get some kind of proficiency in this blogging so that I can attach pictures of some of the nice stamps that India has brought out....like Charlie Chaplin , Raj Kapoor, Shantha Ram, Guru Dutt, N T Rama Rao and many more.......yes,I was as surprised as many when I found that India has honoured the "Tramp" with a Stamp. In fact a surprising piece of information...is that After Mahatma Gandhi , who has been the single most honoured person world over.....charlie chaplin probably gets the next spot.......Yes , Princess Di, Marilynn Monroe happen to decorate a number of stamps but a large number of these are from countries like Tajekistan, Krygystan,Fujeira, a number small islands in the caribbean which do not have great Philatelic Value..... Most of these countries are using Philately as a means of raising foreign currency...it is not actually postally used......indeed , many of these countries probably have lesser number of Post Offices than some of the smaller towns in India. The Judges at most Philatelic exhibitions frown at these country's stamps.
I wish there were more collectors on this subject for me to exchange information , stamps and learn.

7 Comments:

Blogger madhukar said...

Hi Mohan

welcome to blogosphere;0)

nice posting

madhukar

9:13 PM  
Blogger Surya said...

Have not see TV serials for past so many years but I can still recognise you, came here via sambharmafia.blogspot.com.
I have read your interview in The Hindu(i think) many years back and was then surprised that you were an XLRI alumni.
Welcome to the BlogW.

12:19 PM  
Blogger Ganesh said...

Hi Mohan

Welcome to blogworld.

Looking forward to your future post.

Ganesh

12:53 PM  
Blogger b a l a j i said...

your about me column is impressive. i'm looking forward to more of ur blogs.

12:00 PM  
Blogger Bala said...

Hi Mohan,

It was a surprise to see your blog spot, since I had seen you in some TV serials. That way, you became a 'known face' for me, while all the other bloggers are 'unknown'.

Please write about your stamp experiences from time to time, as I am interested in learning about it.

Bala

9:56 AM  
Blogger Pradeep Pollachi said...

EAST OR WEST OR DOWN SOUTH ...

I N D I A is the best...

5:26 AM  
Blogger Pranavam Ravikumar said...

Nice Click!

12:25 AM  

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