Bhaiyon aur behnon, Binaca Geet Mala!

Despite not being a singer, a lyricist, or a composer, Ameen Sayani is an icon in the world of Hindi film music so much so that any history of this magical world that omits to mention him would be incomplete. Generations of radio presenters and programme comperes have been emulating his characteristic drawl and the trademark opening words ‘‘Bhaiyon aur behnon’’ but he remains incomparable. The contrast in quality between him and the contemporary presenters is evident, as he stands head and shoulders above them in form and content. Which is why, his contemporary appeal continues to be phenomenal, even though he belongs literally to the previous century. Generations of listeners are indebted to him for grooming their interest in film music; music fans have literally grown up on his programmes.

Ameen Sayani’s career has few parallels. He has produced, compered for some 55,000 radio shows and made close to 20,000 jingles. A alumnus of Scindia School, he started his career in 1951 with Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in Asia that takes credit for having produced some of the finest broadcasters in Asia. His most famous programme is India’s first and the world’s most widely heard countdown show, The Binaca Geet Mala (later Cibaca Geet Mala, then Colgate-Cibaca Geet Mala), on the basis of which he has been placed among the top five broadcasters of the world, according to one poll.

All India Radio those days was officially opposed to any commercial sponsorship and advertising (those were the days when even the harmonium was banned), thus this programme, that turned out to be phenomenally successful, was housed at Radio Ceylon. However, the listenership of this programme went far beyond Ceylon: Wednesday night was curfew time for millions across South Asia as they sat glued to their radio sets for their most favourite programme. This show moved to AIR in 1989, continued till 1993, after which it took a break till 1998. Then it had another short innings till it wound up finally. He did other shows as well, including the highly entertaining ‘‘Filmi Muqadama’’.

With the exception of Mohammad Rafi, who was painfully shy of being interviewed, there is probably no lyricist, singer, or music director, (not to mention filmstars), big or small, that Sayani has not interviewed, often many times over their lifetimes/careers. But when he could not get Rafi to speak to him despite several efforts, he innovated and produced a programme where he posed questions to an imaginary Rafi Saheb and in response, play songs of Rafi that would best answer the questions! That remains one of the most intelligent and moving programmes I have ever heard.

In his latest programme, ‘‘Sangeet Ke Sitaron Ki Mehfil’’, Sayani plays clips from his old interviews, often combining these with more recent follow up interviews, whenever possible. All this material is interwoven with a fresh narrative that runs through the programme to ensure its reach to the new, young audience. Several of his interviewees are no more, or are out of reach. And while he has witnessed and documented, as an insider, the heights of glory that Hindi film music has to offer.

The shows usually present just the correct blend of the professional and the private. He has an instinctive feel for how far to probe, so as to give the listeners a glimpse into the persona. Through all this, he manages to protect the privacy of his guests: a rare trait indeed, to eschew the much easier path of gossip and sensationalism. His command over Hindi-Urdu is excellent (his English broadcasting is equally good too), and thus his turn of phrase is like a breath of fresh air at a time when the use of good language in the media has become utterly dispensable. Ameen Sayani, while better known as a broadcaster, is India’s prime archivist.

The writer teaches economics at the Delhi School of Economics. E-mail: ashwini@econdse.org