Ameen Sayani, the revered figure in Indian radio, passed away on Tuesday in Mumbai after suffering a heart attack at the age of 91. His son Rajil Sayani confirmed the news. Sayani, renowned for his captivating voice, initially started his career as an English-language presenter at All India Radio (AIR) in Bombay, known as Mumbai today, with the support of his brother Hamid, who was already a broadcaster there. Interestingly, Sayani’s journey to becoming a radio legend began not at AIR but at the neighboring Radio Ceylon.
Ameen Sayani AIR career
In 1952, Balakrishna Vishwanath Keskar, appointed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister, took measures to promote Indian classical music by limiting airtime for Hindi film songs. Seizing an opportunity, Daniel Molina, an American businessman in India at the time, engaged Hamid Sayani to manage his radio operations in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), who then enlisted his brother to host the Hindi film song show “Geetmala” (meaning “garland of songs”).
Sponsored by the Swedish company Ciba’s toothpaste brand Binaca, the show debuted in 1952 as “Binaca Geetmala” before later rebranding to “Cibaca Geetmala” with the toothpaste’s name change. Airing every Wednesday, the show, with its diverse collection of songs and eventually a countdown, became immensely popular throughout the region. Ameen Sayani, with his resonant voice, endearing habit of addressing listeners as “sisters and brothers,” and his familiarity with Bollywood talent, quickly became a favorite among audiences.
“Geetmala” eventually returned to India on AIR’s Vivid Bharati service in 1989. However, with the rise of countdown shows on satellite channels and song compilation programs on Indian national TV broadcaster Doordarshan, “Geetmala” ceased airing in 1994. Nonetheless, Sayani’s popularity remained steadfast. He hosted around 58,000 radio programs and voiced 19,000 radio spots and jingles, throughout his career,. Among his notable contributions was hosting the “Bournvita Quiz Contest” from 1975, succeeding his late brother Hamid, and producing “Swanaash,” a 13-episode radio series on HIV/AIDS for AIR.
Saregama pays tribute to Ameen Sayani
In last few years, Saregama, the company holding most of the music rights to the golden era of Hindi cinema, released a 10-volume compilation titled “Ameen Sayani Presents Geetmala Ki Chhaon Mein,” featuring highlights of the program’s history alongside interviews Sayani conducted with legends such as Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, and others.
Tributes have poured in for Sayani, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing sorrow over his passing, acknowledging Sayani’s significant role in revolutionizing Indian broadcasting and his special connection with listeners. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur also mourned Sayani’s demise, recognizing him as the voice of the radio and praising his unique ability to entertain and engage audiences.
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