Ameen Sayani, the iconic radio presenter of the popular show “Binaca Geet Mala”, passed away on Tuesday of a heart attack. He was 91. Sayani’s son, Rajil Sayani confirmed the news of his father’s death to Indianexpress.com. He said that his father suffered a heart attack on Tuesday night after which they took him to HN Reliance Hospital, Mumbai, where he breathed his last. Rajil shared, “The doctors at the hospital attended him but couldn’t save him and he was declared dead.”
Sayani’s funeral will take place on Thursday as the family is waiting for some relatives to reach Mumbai on Wednesday.
Ameen Sayani was born in a family where literature was of paramount significance — his mother used to run a newsletter called Rehbar and his brother was the eminent English broadcaster Hamid Sayani — Ameen Sayani began his stint with Radio Ceylon in 1952.
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“Namaskar brothers and sisters, I am your friend Ameen Sayani.,” the voice reeling out from large wooden boxes-like radio sets across the country’s living rooms, announced. His presentation became an immediate hit when All India Radio banned the transmission of any Bollywood numbers. It was also a medium for the promotion of simple Hindustani, something that connected with the people across the country.
Binaca Geetmala, which began as a 30-minute programme turned into a rage in 1952 and would continue for half a decade. It went through several name changes — Binaca Geetmala, Hit Parade and Cibaca Geetmala.
Reminiscing those times, Ameen had told Indian Express in an interview, “I wanted each listener to feel that I was talking to them and it immediately struck a chord. It, surprisingly, even revolutionised radio presentation. I didn’t expect it to become a phenomenon in the coming years. They were such fantastic times. It was my romance with Radio Ceylon.”
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First uploaded on: 21-02-2024 at 10:24 IST
