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Amin Sayani, the iconic radio presenter of the popular show “Binaca Geet Mala”, died of a heart attack on Tuesday. She was 91 years old. Sayani’s son Rajil Sayani confirmed the news of his father’s death to Indianexpress.com. He said his father suffered a heart attack on Tuesday night, after which he was rushed to Mumbai’s HN Reliance Hospital, where he breathed his last. Rajil shared, “Doctors at the hospital treated him but could not save him and declared him dead.”
Sayani’s funeral will take place on Thursday while the family waits for some relatives to arrive in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Ameen Sayani was born into a family where literature was of utmost importance (his mother used to run a newsletter called Rehbar and his brother was the eminent English broadcaster Hamid Sayani). Ameen Sayani began his tenure with Radio Ceylon in 1952.
Also read | When Ameen Sayani destroyed Big B’s dream of becoming an RJ
“Namaskar bhaiyon aur behno, main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon” announced the voice that echoed from large radio sets that looked like wooden boxes in the living rooms of the country. His performance became an immediate hit when All India Radio banned the broadcast of any Bollywood numbers. It was also a medium for the promotion of simple Hindustani, something that connected with people across the country.
Binaca Geetmala, which started as a 30-minute programme, became a rage in 1952 and would continue for half a decade. It went through several name changes: Binaca Geetmala, Hit Parade and Cibaca Geetmala.
Recalling those times, Ameen had told Indian Express in an interview, “I wanted every listener to feel like I was talking to them and it immediately struck a chord. Surprisingly, it even revolutionized radio presentation. He didn’t expect it to become a phenomenon in the next few years. They were such fantastic times. “It was my love affair with Radio Ceylon.”
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First uploaded on: 02-21-2024 at 10:24 IST