Ameen Sayani

Ameen Sayani

Ameen Sayani in 2012
Born (1932-12-21) 21 December 1932
India
Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Education Scindia School
Alma mater St. Xavier's College
Occupation Announcer, Radio jockey
Years active 1952–present
Spouse(s) Rama (deceased)
Website Ameen Sayani

Ameen Sayani is a popular radio announcer from India. He achieved fame and popularity all across South Asia when he presented his Binaca Geetmala program of hits over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon.[1] He is one of the most imitated announcers even today. His style of addressing the crowd with "Behno aur Bhaiyo" is still treated as an announcement with a melodious touch. He has produced, compered (or spoken for) over 54,000 radio programmes and 19,000 spots/ jingles since 1951.

Career

Ameen Sayani was introduced to All India Radio, Bombay, by his brother Hamid Sayani. Ameen participated in English programmes there for ten years.

Later, he helped popularise All India Radio in India. Sayani 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.

Sayani assisted his mother, Kulsum Sayani, in editing, publishing and printing a fortnightly journal for neo-literates, under the instructions of Mahatma Gandhi. The fortnightly, RAHBER (1940 to 1960), was simultaneously published in the Devnagri (Hindi), Urdu and Gujarati scripts – but all in the simple "Hindustani" language promoted by Gandhi.

It was this grounding in simple communication that helped him in his long career of commercial broadcasting, and culminated in his being awarded the "HINDI RATNA Puraskaar" by the prestigious Hindi Bhavan of New Delhi in 2007.

One little known fact about him is that he worked in the marketing Department of Tata Oil Mills Ltd. during 1960–62 as Brand Executive – mainly looking after their toilet soaps: Hamam and Jai.

Between All India Radio (since 1951), AIR’s Commercial Service (since 1970) and various foreign stations (since 1976), Sayani has produced, compered (or spoken for) over 54,000 radio programmes and 19,000 spots/ jingles. (The fact is recorded in the Limca Book of Records.)

Radio shows produced and compered by Ameen Sayani

Some of the better known radio shows produced (mainly for consumer product clients):

Sayani also produced a 13-episode radio series in the form of plays based on actual HIV/AIDS cases – including interviews with eminent doctors and social workers. (The series – entitled Swanaash –was commissioned by All India Radio, and its audio cassettes have been acquired by many NGOs for their field-work.)

Ameen Sayani's Audio Communication On Compact Discs

(And Earlier On LPs And Cassettes)

After producing several audio features on cassettes, LPs and CDs, Sayani is currently producing (for Saregama India Ltd) an unusual retrospect of his flagship radio show Geetmala on CDs. The series is called “GEETMALA KI CHHAON MEIN”, of which 40 volumes (in packs of five CDs each) have already been produced and released. The volumes have been well appreciated in India and abroad.

Sayani has pioneered the export of Indian radio shows and commercials since 1976. He has exported to USA, Canada, England, UAE, Swaziland, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand. In addition, he has compered several shows directly for radio stations abroad.

Ameen Sayani's successful international radio shows

Stage Compering Sayani has compered over 2000 stage functions of all sorts in India, including musical variety shows, beauty contests, fashion shows, award functions, film silver jubilee functions, an International Film Festival closing session (in Delhi), concerts, seminars, workshops, and trade presentations. Has also compered stage shows abroad – in the USA, Canada, UK, South Africa, UAE, Holland and the West Indies.

As of 2014, Sayani is still active in radio in India.[2][3]

Honors and Awards

He was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2009.[4] Besides this, Ameen Sayani has been felicitated with many awards:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Veteran broadcaster Ameen Sayani gets Padma Shri". Thaindian News. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  2. ↑ "Ameen Sayani's Geetmala Ki Chhaon Mein". Screen. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  3. ↑ http://www.ameensayani.com/sangeet.htm
  4. ↑ Vinay Kumar (26 January 2009). "Kakodkar, Madhavan Nair, Bindra, Nirmala among Padma awardees". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 January 2009.

External links

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