On the 20th November 2020, I got a mail from Ameen Sayani sir for Geetmala. A few days backs when I was listening to his episode on the Saregama YouTube channel recorded in 2009, I got his email and curiously mailed him and surprisingly got the reply too.
Who is Ameen Sayani?
Ameen Sayani is a popular former radio announcer from India. He achieved fame and popularity all across South Asia when he presented his Binaca Geetmala program (1952-1988 & 1989-1994) of hits over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon. He is one of the most imitated announcers even today.
His style of addressing the crowd with "Behno aur Bhaiyo " (meaning "sisters and brothers") as against the traditional "Bhaiyo aur Bahno" is still treated as an announcement with a melodious touch.
This radio program was started when my father wasn't born and ended before my birth. I couldn't listen to the original show, but the recorded show and those memories are really great. I just love that concept of playing those old songs, with those old interviews, new updates about those actors, singers, lyricists, composers.
Why I'm listening to Geetmala?
For some reason, I love to listen to slow music. Though I'm very bad to recognize the voice and unable to remember the names easily, but I use to listen to songs repeatedly.
After quitting my job, I'm working from one place only and that is from my bedroom and listening to songs while working. In 2018, I found the Saregama Carvaan Weekend Classic radio show with Ruchi, and then this year, I found the Geetmala series and started listening.
A few days back, when I was writing an article about a Bangladeshi actress for Wikipedia Asia Month, I heard his voice and curiously searched his name and found something interesting about him which I've mentioned above. And after one or two days, I found his email id and send him an e-mail.
Why I mailed him?
Since 2015, I'm trying to write something and I've written a few stories, some funny poems also. I couldn't write stories up to that mark for which people could remember me, but some people said some inspiring words when I had started the College Diary Series and later also. I felt those claps, a few words are a really great thing for me, and for that reason, I just mailed him.
But I was shocked when I saw his reply. His words are really inspiring. I don't know if he has replied or not, but I think it's real because, in some of his shows, he talked about some emails which he used to get from the listeners. Anyway this a great thing for me actually.
