Ameen Sayani
| Ameen Sayani | |
|---|---|
Ameen Sayani in 2012
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| Born |
21 December 1932 India |
| Residence | 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. 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.
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.)
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.)
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