Ameen Sayani

Gender: Female
Date of birth: 21 Dec 1932
Age: 86

is a popular former 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 " (meaning " sisters and brothers") as against the traditional " Bhaiyo aur Bahno" 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. Some of the better known radio shows produced (mainly for consumer product clients): CIBACA (formerly BINACA) GEETMALA: broadcast since 1952 – mainly over Radio Ceylon, and later over Vividh Bharati (AIR) – for a total of over 42 years. It was again revived after a gap of 4 years, and was aired over the National Network of Vividh Bharati for 2 years as COLGATE CIBACA GEETMALA. S. KUMARS KA FILMI MUQADDAMA and FILMI MULAQAAT: over AIR and Vividh Bharati for 7 years. Re-commenced, after a decade, on Vividh Bharati for a year. 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.) 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. He was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2009.[4] Besides this, Ameen Sayani has been felicitated with many awards: Living Legend Award (2006) from Federation OF Indian Chambers OF Commerce & Industry, with India Radio Forum Kaan Hall Of Fame Award (2003) from Radio Mirchi (FM Network of the Times Group) Golden Abby by Advertising Club, Bombay (2000 ) for the OUTSTANDING RADIO CAMPAIGN OF THE CENTURY ( “Binaca/Cibaca GEETMALA” ). Hall Of Fame Award (1993) from Indian Academy Of Advertising Film Art (IAAFA) Person Of The Year Award (1992) Limca Book Of Records Gold medal(1991) from Indian Society Of Advertisers (ISA) presented by Mr. K.R. Narayanan, then Vice-President of India.