The 'Geet Mala' programme ran on Radio Ceylon from 1952 to 1988. It was then shifted to All India Radio, where it ran from 1989 to 1994.
Published Feb 21, 2024 | 2:30 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 21, 2024 | 2:30 PM
The voice behind 'Binaca Geet Mala' — Ameen Sayani. (X)
The voice behind “Behnon aur bhaaiyon, Main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol rahaa hoon, aur aap sun rahe hain Binaca Geet Mala” is no more.
The legendary radio broadcaster Ameen Sayani died on the night of Tuesday, 20 February, due to a heart attack.
Among the 54,000 shows he produced and presented, “Binaca Geet Mala” was the most popular — a weekly countdown show of top filmi songs from Hindi cinema.
“Geet Mala” ran on Radio Ceylon from 1952 to 1988, it was then shifted to All India Radio’s Vividh Bharati, where it ran from 1989 to 1994.
The famous quiz show, Bournvita Quiz Contest, was also taken over by Ameen Sayani in 1975, after the death of his elder brother Hamid Sayani who was heading the show till then.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences saying: “His golden voice on the airwaves had a charm and warmth that endeared him to people across generations. Through his work, he played an important role in revolutionising Indian broadcasting and nurtured a very special bond with his listeners. Saddened by his passing away.”
Shri Ameen Sayani Ji’s golden voice on the airwaves had a charm and warmth that endeared him to people across generations. Through his work, he played an important role in revolutionising Indian broadcasting and nurtured a very special bond with his listeners. Saddened by his…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 21, 2024
Condoling the death of Sayani, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared that Ameen Sayani and Binaca Geetmala were part of his childhood, teens and growing up years.
He further wrote: “His sense of humour was remarkable and he was a delightful storyteller. I cherish my many memorable meetings with him over the years. His voice and style were distinctive and will remain immortal.”
On the very morning when one of India’s most distinguished legal personalities Fali Nariman has passed away, comes the news of the death of a man whose voice enthralled millions of Indians for over six decades.
Ameen Sayani, an iconic radio personality, belonged to a…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 21, 2024
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote: ‘”Binaca Geet Mala’ was a huge part of my childhood but meeting Ameen Sayani and experiencing his kindness towards a kid was even bigger. He was one of my heroes.”
Bhogle further shared the details of his meeting with the legend.
Narrating the incident, Bhogle said, “At the age of 17, when I was in Mumbai at my uncle’s place, I called Ameen Sayani from my uncle’s house and he invited me to his studio in Colaba. Excited, I reached very early, waited in a small restaurant with one soft drink and finally made it to his office and studio. He was extremely welcoming and generous with his time, allowed me to hang around watching him record and was happy to answer all my questions.”
With the passing of #AmeenSayani, a piece of my childhood has gone. He was a wonderful, kind man with huge accomplishments.
When I was 17, I came to Mumbai on a holiday and hoped to meet Anant Setalvad, Alyque Padamsee and Ameen Sayani. The only way to get in touch was through…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 21, 2024
Bollywood actor Anupam Kher too shared his bond with the legendary voice.
He wrote: s”His voice gave me stability throughout my teen and early 20s. Every Wednesday we would wait for his voice, and today we got this sad news on a Wednesday.”
He further added, “When I came to Mumbai, I didn’t want to meet any heroes or producers, I wanted to meet Ameen Sayani, and very proudly I can say, my respect and admiration for him only increased after meeting him.”
भाइयों और बहनों! आज मेरे बचपन की एक संगीतमय लड़ी टूट गई! जब हम छोटे थे पूरा परिवार #AmeenSayani जी की आवाज़ सुनने के लिए उतना ही आतुर होता था जितना गायकों की।कभी कभी तो सिंगर्स से भी ज़्यादा! #BinacaGeetMala हमारे लिए एक therapy का काम करता था।धन्यवाद अमीन सयानी साहब! आपकी आवाज़… pic.twitter.com/xqe3DJsx3f
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) February 21, 2024
Ameen Sayani’s entry into All India Radio-Bombay was facilitated by his brother Hamid Sayani. He actively contributed to English programmes on the radio station for a decade.
Ameen Sayani, under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, collaborated with his mother Kulsum Sayani in editing, publishing, and printing the bi-weekly journal RAHBER (1940 to 1960).
The publication, simultaneously released in Devnagri (Hindi), Urdu, and Gujarati scripts, was dedicated to neo-literates and adhered to the simple “Hindustani” language championed by Gandhi.
This foundational experience in straightforward communication proved instrumental in Sayani’s extensive career in commercial broadcasting.
In recognition of his contributions, Ameen Sayani was honoured with the “Hindi Ratna Puraskaar” by the esteemed Hindi Bhavan of New Delhi in 2007.
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.
In an interview with the TV channel NDTV, Ameen Sayani spoke about how he was nervous when the show first started.
He recollected, “The English show would get 300-400 letters, I was praying, let us at least get 100-150 letters.”
He went on to add, “To everyone’s surprise, we got 9,000 letters for the first show. Eventually, we started getting 65,000 letters a week.”
Established in 1952, the programme initially presented seven contemporary songs without specific categorisation. Over time, it transformed to incorporate rankings for the most popular Hindi film songs.
Initially, song rankings were determined through a combination of record sales in India and listener votes. Popularity metrics included record sales, assessments from store owners, and input from the shrota-sanghs or “listeners clubs.”
These listener clubs regularly submitted their lists of popular songs to the radio station, addressing the issue of records selling out in stores without corresponding sales figures.
The year-end lists were compiled based on points accumulated by songs throughout the year.
Notably, between 1966 and 1970, weekly broadcasts occasionally omitted points, but the year-end show consistently relied on the point system for song rankings.
Sayani had a creative flair since childhood and started writing for his mother’s fortnightly journal Rehbar when he was just 13, which was when he became a proficient broadcaster in English and started participating in children’s programmes on the English service of All India Radio-Bombay.
In 1952, then information and broadcasting minister BV Keskar banned Hindi film songs from AIR.s
Around that time, Radio Ceylon, which was founded by the British, started becoming popular for its programmes in English, Tamil and Hindi. Broadcast from Colombo, Radio Ceylon began its journey in 1949.
American businessman Daniel Molina saw an opportunity there and established his company, Radio Advertising Services in Mumbai. He hired Sayani’s elder brother, former AIR broadcaster Hamid Sayani, to run Radio Ceylon’s production arm.
Hamid Sayani and Molina were keen to produce a programme on Hindi film songs and the elder Sayani zeroed in on his young brother. The rest, as they say, is history.
Ameet Sayani became a radio presenter in Hindi with “Binaca Geet Mala“, a programme of Hindi film songs sponsored by the toothpaste brand, in December 1952 and never looked back.
A first-of-its-kind show, it ran for 42 years to massive popularity.
Millions in different parts of India would tune in on Wednesday to listen to Ameet Sayani in his inimitable voice introducing songs from Hindi cinema.
The AIR tried to counter the programme’s popularity by introducing Vividh Bharti in 1957. But Sayani’s loyal fanbase remained intact through the change in stations and sponsors.
