When Legendary Ameen Sayani Failed In All India Radio Hindi Audition As A Presenter

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FEBRUARY 21,2024

It marks the end of an era after we lost the timeless and iconic voice of radio, Ameen Sayani, on Wednesday. He breathed his last at 91 on February 21 after suffering a severe heart attack. The entire nation mourns his death, which comes as a sudden shock.

While the voice of the radio has silenced, there are fonder memories of Ameen Sayani greeting his listeners with "Namaskar bhaiyon aur behno, main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon (Hello, sister and brothers, this is your friend Ameen Sayani)."

For the uninitiated, Sayani was the infamous radio presenter who hosted the popular show Binaca Geetmala.

As the sad news of Ameen's death makes his fans recall their fond days of listening to him on the radio, we have an interesting anecdote to share. Did you know he failed to clear his audition with All India Radio (AIR) as a Hindi presenter?

When Ameen Sayani failed to clear the Hindi audition

The legendary radio presenter started his career as an English broadcaster, but when he went for a voice test for AIR's Hindi section, he was told there were subtle hints of English and Gujarati in his accent, thus making him unfit for the role.

However, Sayani wasn't someone who would be easily disheartened. He went on to become India's most loved and listened to presenters who dominated the radio and TV space.


Scriptwriter Rakesh Anand Bakshi published his book in 2017 titled "Let's Talk on Air: Conversations with Radio Presenters," in which he spoke to prominent radio jockeys like Yunus Khan, Rohini, Mamta Singh, Sayema, Hrishikay Kannan, Anuraag 'picture' Pandey, and Anmol.

Also Read: Ameen Sayani, The Iconic Radio Voice Of Geetmala, Passes Away At 91

In the same, he speaks with Sayani and understands how English as a language dominated his vocabulary for most of his life. The radio presenter credits his schooling for the same.

"My early schooling was at New Era School, which used Gujarati as a medium in the primary standards, with more emphasis on the English language creeping in from fifth grade on," he says in a book published by Penguin.

Sayani recalled that he had already become proficient as an English broadcaster and started participating in children's programs on All India Radio Bombay. He eventually progressed to taking up roles in full-fledged radio plays and multifaceted narrations.

Ameen Sayani's journey of becoming a Hindi radio presenter

Due to some health issues, Ameen Sayani was shifted from his Mumbai school to Gwalior's Scindia School to study for the senior Cambridge examination.

After his return to Mumbai in the post-independence era, he rushed to All India Radio Bombay's Hindi section and requested an audition as a presenter.

He said, "You've known me for many years as an English broadcaster, but now that India is independent, I'd like to switch over to the Hindi section. Give me an audition, please!"


They happily agreed. But things didn't quite go in Sayani's favor.

"I read my script with great confidence, but their answer was, 'You read well, Ameen, but in your accent there are hints of English and even Gujarati. So we can't accept you. Sorry!' I was heartbroken," recalled the late presenter.

However, there was still hope.

"When the British left Ceylon, they had donated powerful short-wave radio transmitters that had belonged to Mountbatten's South-East Asia Command to the people of Colombo. Ceylon took them and created commercial radio services in four languages: Sinhalese, English, Tamil, and Hindi. The Hindi programs proved to be quite popular," said Ameen.

Thus began his journey to becoming a Hindi radio presenter. And the rest is history.

We will always miss you, Ameen Sayani. Thank you for making our lives beautiful with your soothing voice.

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