𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗶: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲

 

By Rahul Dixit 

In the small radio set occupying a prestigious corner in each household, he created a world where melodies from the tinsel down descended, making a beeline for their number on the chart to be pronounced. With his deep baritone, he would usher each listener into this world, meticulously crafted with details of the songs on offer and laced by a touch of class borne out of his love for literature. Radio Ceylon was the small world for the country in the 1950s ruled by the colossus called Ameen Sayani. The doyen of the industry has brought down curtains on his living here, passing away at an age of 91 but leaving a vibe whose youthfulness can never be obliterated even by the sands of time.

“Bhaiyo aur Behno, namaskar. Mai aapka dost Ameen Sayani...” these introducing lines had become part of each heart for years together. Music-lovers longed for the ‘Binaca Geetmala’ to roll out chartbuster melodies whose numerical order was decided with the lilt of Sayani Sahab. It was magic of the highest order, undiluted by the rapid progress in entertainment forms coming to the country from the West. The fort of Radio was secure in the hands of Ameen Sayani whose flourish of literature and language kept the flag fluttering with a remarkable poise. Such was the aura of the man that he had become synonymous with radio for Indians. With his departure, another chapter of the golden era has closed.

What distinguished the scintillating career of Sayani Sahab from other radio presenters was the importance he attached to literature and its use for the common man. His style was for all, and created an immediate connect. His insistence on making the listener an integral part of the process worked as the key factor for the great connection Sayani Sahab established with his fans. He always wanted each listener to feel that he was talking to him/her. It struck a quick chord and eventually revolutionised radio presentation. And within no time Ameen Sayani had become a phenomenon.

Sayani Sahab’s journey from a radio presenter to an icon of the entertainment industry was driven by the urge to go beyond the set templates. He did not mind bending the common perception of a serious presenter and used his style and command over language to a telling effect. A beautiful ease pervaded when he held the microphone. There was always a sense of something new coming out even as the words delighted his audience. Such a grasp on collective consciousness can be established only by the romantics. And Sayani Sahab was one of those!

(The Hitavada)