Golden Era of Bollywood: Ameen Sayani` - The grand old man of radio

Friday 21 December 2018

Ameen Sayani` - The grand old man of radio

His style of addressing the crowd with "Bhaiyo aur Behno " (meaning "brothers and sisters") is still treated as an announcement with a melodious touch. He achieved fame and popularity all across South Asia when he presented his Binaca Geetmala, a countdown program of Hindi hit songs over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon on every Wednesday from1952 to 1988. He remains one of the most imitated announcers of India
His mother Kulsum Sayani was a social activist, recipient of Padma Shri and a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. She edited, published and printed a fortnightly journal for neo-literates in simple language, on the instructions of Mahatma Gandhi. From his childhood, Ameen helped his mother in all the activities related to the journal, Rahber, which was published from 1940 to 1960.
In the early 1950s, All India Radio (AIR) had stopped broadcasting Hindi film music. It was a mad decision, which hit AIR very badly and Radio Ceylon, which was still finding its ground in the radio industry, came up because of that. Ameen Sayani joined All India Radio, Bombay, on a reference from his brother Hamid Sayani. There, Ameen did English programs for ten years. It was sad that AIR never recognized Ameen's talent, and he had to use Radio Ceylon all the time.
Between All India Radio (since 1951), AIR’s Commercial Service (since 1970) and various foreign stations (since 1976), Sayani has produced, compared (or spoken for) over 54,000 radio programmes and 19,000 spots/ jingles.

He was also a part of various movies throughout the years like Bhoot Bungla, Teen Devian, Boxer, and Qatl. He appeared in all of these movies in the role of an announcer in some event.

He has conferred the Padma Shri award in 2009.

In one of his interviews, the versatile presenter revealed that Amitabh Bachchan, who had wished to become a radio presenter before he tried his luck in Bollywood, visited the studios multiple times but failed to make the cut as Ameen Sayaani didn’t clear him.