Renowned radio presenter Ameen Sayani, celebrated for his legendary show Geetmala, passed away at the age of 91. The news was confirmed by his son Rajil Sayani and the veteran radio personality took his last breath at a hospital in Mumbai, due to heart failure. Sayani’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday, as the family is waiting for the arrival of relatives in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Sayani’s impressive voice and unique style resonated with listeners nationwide. His iconic greeting, ‘Namaskar bhaiyon aur behno, main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon,’ became an instantly recognisable part of Indian radio culture. Sayani played a pivotal role in popularising radio in India, as he charmed listeners with his wit, knowledge and engaging presentation. The nation mourns the loss of a true radio legend.
Who was Ameen Sayani?
Born on December 21, 1932, in Mumbai, Sayani’s mother was actively involved in running a newsletter named Rehbar. Meanwhile, his brother, Hamid Sayani, achieved success as an English broadcaster. Sayani’s journey in radio began in 1952 on Radio Ceylon, which later became Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Initially, he started as an English broadcaster, but later he took a plunge to Hindi after India’s independence. Sayani, became an iconic personality with the inception of Geetmala in December 1952, a show featuring blockbuster Bollywood hits, which broadcasted in Radio Ceylon and later on All India Radio’s Vividh Bharati. Originally, the show was just a 30 minute program, still it gained popularity and went on for decades with name changes such as Binaca Geetmala, Hit Parade and Cibaca Geetmala. Running from 1952 to 1994, the show was revived on multiple occasions, first in 2000-2001 and later, during 2001-2003.
Ameen Sayani holds the record for hosting or providing voice overs to over 54,000 radio programs. He contributed approximately 19,000 jingles as a voiceover artist, for which he also earned a recognition in the Limca Book of Records. A true legend in radio, Sayani played a pivotal role in revolutionising the industry and dedicated almost 42 years in the industry.
In addition to his career in radio, Ameen Sayani was a multi-talented artist, as he made appearances as announcer or narrator in several movies over the years. Some prominent films include Bhoot Bungla, Teen Devian, Boxer and Qatl. On the other hand, he hosted popular shows like S Kumar Ka Filmi Mukadama.
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