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 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism