Remembering Ameen Sayani: The Voice That Defined Indian Radio

The pioneering radio presenter who revolutionised and ruled over the world of radio for over four decades has passed away at the age of 91.

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 21 February 2024 11:06 pm

Veteran Radio presenter Ameen Sayani during an interview at his recording studio in Colaba on February 10, 2014 Photo: Getty Images

"Namaskar behno aur bhaiyon, main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon..."

These were the words people would eagerly wait to hear every Wednesday at 8pm as Ameen Sayani would begin his weekly countdown of the top Hindi music hits on India’s first-of-its-kind program, Binaca Geetmala.

The pioneering radio presenter who revolutionised and ruled over the world of radio for over four decades has passed away at the age of 91. The news of his passing was confirmed by his son Rajil Sayani who said he suffered a heart attack on Tuesday night and was immediately rushed to the hospital but couldn’t be saved.

Ameen Sayani was born on December 21, 1932 into a multilingual family in Mumbai. His father, Janmohammed Sayani, practised medicine, while his mother, Kulsum Sayani, served as the editor of the widely-read newspaper 'Rahber' in the 1940s. Showing an early interest in humanities, Ameen assisted his mother with her literary journal during his teenage years, becoming proficient in Hindi, English, Gujarati, and Marathi.

Ameen Sayani was introduced to the world of radio by his brother, Hamid Sayani, a broadcaster at the time. He soon became a household name through his popular radio program, Binaca Geetmala, which first aired on Radio Ceylon in 1952 and continued until 1988. After 1988, Binaca Geetmala moved to All India Radio's Vividh Bharati, where it remained at the top of the charts until 1994. Over the years, its names changed from ‘Geetmala’ to ‘Binaca Geetmala’, 'Hit Parade’ and ‘Cibaca Geetmala'.

Over the course of his career, spanning more than six decades, Sayani produced and presented over 54,000 radio programs and provided voice-overs for 19,000 advertisements and jingles. Additionally, he ventured into acting, taking on small roles in several films. He also hosted other shows including ‘Bournvita Quiz Contest’, ‘S Kumars Ka Filmi Muqaddama’, ‘Filmi Mulaqaat’, ‘Saridon Ke Saathi’, and ‘Sangeet kay Sitaron ki Mehfil’.

Sayani was presented with a number of awards throughout his lifetime for his contribution to the radio broadcasting industry, including the Padma Shri in 2009.

While Ameen Sayani's voice may have fallen silent, his legacy in Indian broadcasting will continue to live on for years to come.