Ameen Sayani: Man With a Captivating Voice
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
22 February
2024
Aawaaz Jo Kaanon Se Dil Mein Utar Jaaye
Wahi Aawaaz Meri Rooh Ko Hai Bhaaye
-Akhtar Ul Iman
(Voice that
descends into the heart through the ears/ That very voice appeals to my
soul)
There's a
line, Meri Aawaaz Ka Teer, Jayega Dil Ko Bhi Cheer, in an immortal song 'Sun
Le Tu Dil Ki Sada' sung by Mohammad Rafi (Film: Tere Ghar Ke Saamne,
1963). The demise of the legendary radio-announcer Ameen Sayani reminds us of
this line. It was indeed a voice that warmed the cockles of hearts for decades.
His signature style of saying Bahno aur Bhaiyo will remain etched in the
collective memory of those listening to him since 1952 when he started
presenting Binaca Geetmala on Radio Ceylon that enthralled Indians for
more than four decades.
What made
Ameen Sayani such a popular household name? There's a Persian term, 'Khaeen'.
It's specifically used in the context of a person's voice. It means, a friendly
voice. Ameen Saheb indeed had a friendly and accessible voice. If you observe,
he didn't exactly have a magnificent voice.
There were
announcers who had better voices, e.g. Mahmood Hashmi of AIR, Urdu Service,
Vijay Shekhar Dubey, Gopal Sharma, Rakesh Sharma, legendary Ganjwar sisters,
Vimla and Kamini, Hasan Rizvi, Sunil Dutt (all from Radio Ceylon), Yawar Abbas
of BBC, Urdu Service, among others. But none had the charisma of Ameen Sayani
who could strike a rapport with the listeners right from the word go. That a
Gujarati-speaking and Bombay-born guy could speak almost flawless Hindustani
and compere innumerable programmes in his inimitable voice must be lauded.
When Ameen
Sayani began his career as an announcer, he wasn't very sure of his Hindi. But
thanks to his perseverance, he soon became the most sought-after Hindi
announcer, producing and presenting over 54,000 radio programs and 19,000
voice-overs for advertisements and jingles.
Way back in
2010, I met Ameen Saheb in Poona. He was a very accessible and down-to-earth
man. A journalist friend of mine asked him, how he could relate to his
listeners so effortlessly. He gave a laconic reply, "Main Dil Se Bolta
Hoon" (I speak from the core of my heart). On this count, Ameen Sayani
can be compared to Pakistan's finest radio women, Mohini Hameed and Satnam
Mahmood. Though he acquired a unique way of addressing the listeners, he never
sounded artificial like a reigning megastar whose affected baritone grates on
ears. Ameen relentlessly worked on his diction and voice quality. He didn't
have a baritone. He had a fine voice with a finer delivery and presentation (Adayagi
in Urdu). He spoke fast but never like the RJs of FM Radio who suffer from
verbal diarrhoea.
Today's
radio and TV announcers must learn the nuances and subtleties of announcement
from Ameen Sayani who'll always be remembered as a man with a captivating
voice. Au revoir, Ameen Saheb.
------
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul
is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He
has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several
languages including Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/ameen-sayani-captivating-voice/d/131770
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