New Delhi, Feb. 13 -- 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. 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, with colleagues, former students and admirers remembering a broadcaster whose presence extended 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....