Iconic radio personality Ameen Sayani passes away at 91

Ameen Sayani the beloved radio host, has passed away at 91 due to a heart attack, as confirmed by his son. Sadly, he could not be saved despite being transported to Mumbai's HN Reliance Hospital. The funeral is scheduled for Thursday. Sayani, known for his iconic "Binaca Geetmala" radio show, peacefully passed away on February 21 at 91.

Ameen Sayani was born on December 21, 1932, in Bombay into a multilingual family.The Radio Ceylon introduction 'Namaskar bhaiyon aur behno, main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon' by Ameen Sayani still evokes a strong sense of nostalgia.

Sayani's Journey on Hindi Radio

Sayani began her career as an English-language host for All India Radio (AIR) in Bombay, which was formerly known as Mumbai. Interestingly, His radio journey began not on AIR but on Radio Ceylon- a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first radio station in Asia.

Ameen Sayani's voice wasn't just heard; it was felt. An irreplaceable loss to the world of music and radio. Heartfelt condolences to his loved ones. #RIPAmeenSayani pic.twitter.com/FTl7fdBDLh— Munna Tripathi (@Munna_bhaiya87) February 21, 2024

In 1952, Balakrishna Vishwanath Keskar was appointed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister. Keskar had a strong passion for Indian classical music and was not particularly fond of Hindi-language film songs. In his efforts to promote Indian classical music, he initially limited the airtime for Hindi songs to only and eventually went on to completely ban them from AIR.

What is the history of Binaca Geetmala?

American businessman Daniel Molina, who was then operating in India, identified an opportunity and acquired it. He hired Hamid Sayani, whose brother he hired to host the Hindi film song show "Geetmala" (literally, "garland of songs"), to oversee his radio operations in Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was then called. The Swedish toothpaste brand Binaca, which was introduced to the subcontinent at that time, sponsored the show. "Binaca Geetmala," which aired every Wednesday until the toothpaste brand rebranded and became "Cibaca Geetmala," was first introduced in 1952.

Photo:

Photo Credits: X(Twitter)

The show, which later featured a countdown, became a sensation throughout the area with its powerful song selection. Ameen Sayani, known for his melodious voice, his endearing way of calling his audience 'sisters and brothers', and his close relationship with the talented individuals from the Hindi film industry who graced his show, quickly became a beloved figure among listeners. In 1989, "Geetmala" returned to its roots and became a part of AIR's Vivid Bharati service.

Binaca Geetmala was a popular weekly radio show that featured a countdown of the top Hindi film songs, initially determined by listener requests and later by record sales. The show ran from 1952 to 1994 and is widely regarded as one of the world's longest-running and most influential radio shows.

List of Radio shows produced and presented by Ameen Sayani

CIBACA GEETMALA: Aired in 1952, broadcast on Radio Ceylon and later Vividh Bharati for over 42 years, revived as COLGATE CIBACA GEETMALA for 2 years.
S. KUMARS KA FILMI MUQADDAMA and FILMI MULAQAAT: Ran for 7 years on AIR and Vividh Bharati, resumed on Vividh Bharati after a decade for a year.
SARIDON KE SAATHI: AIR's first sponsored show, ran for 4 years.
BOURNVITA QUIZ CONTEST: Hosted in English for 8 years, taking over from his brother Hamid Sayani in 1975.
SHALIMAR SUPERLAC JODI: Ran for 7 years.
MARATHA DARBAR shows (SITARON KI PASAND, CHAMAKTAY SITARAY, MEHEKTI BAATEN, etc.): Continued for 14 years.
SANGEET KAY SITARON KI MEHFIL: Ongoing since 2014, featuring interviews and musical career sketches of top artists, syndicated to various radio stations.
Swanaash: A 13-episode radio series on HIV/AIDS cases, commissioned by All India Radio, acquired by NGOs for fieldwork.