Ameen Sayani, the man with the golden voice that charmed millions during most of the second half of the twentieth century, passed away recently. The glowing, emotional tributes that followed showed how much the man was loved and remembered.
It was in 1952 that the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon began the broadcast of the weekly programme, 'Binaca Geetmala', sponsored by the manufacturers of the toothpaste, Binaca Top. 8 p.m. on Wednesdays was the slot for it for half an hour and it started with 7 bestselling hit songs from Bollywood films played in no particular order. It instantly became the most popular programme of the radio service not least because of the way it was superbly compered by Ameen in a delightful, joyous way with a personal touch as if he was speaking to each listener personally. He captured the attention of the listeners with his opening "Behno aur Bhaiyon" adapting the common greeting by reversing the order, and asking them to give him a Binaca Top smile. It was estimated that the number of people who regularly tuned in to the programme ran into millions. From 30 minutes, the programme was extended to an hour counting down from Number 16 to the most popular, Number 1. This continued for around 40 years, earning Ameen a Padma Shri and the title 'Voice of India'.
Actually, for his outstanding success, Ameen might have thanked another hugely popular announcer who was on the English service of Radio Ceylon, Greg Roskowski. Greg, son of a Polish father and Japanese mother, had a deep, smooth voice and was a master at catching listeners' attention. He would introduce himself as 'Happy-go-lucky Greg' and start the morning asking listeners to 'wakey-wakey'. He would get over 500 fan mail letters every day, many from girls pledging their hearts to him forever. Frankly, I felt quite jealous of him!
In 1952, Greg launched 'Binaca Hit Parade', a half-hour programme of best selling English pop hits broadcast in the reverse order of popularity on Monday evenings at 8 p.m. It was a success from the word go. Listeners then flooded Radio Ceylon and the makers of Binaca toothpaste asking why there couldn't be a similar Hindi programme. Radio Ceylon got in touch with Hamid Sayani who already worked for them and ran a studio in Bombay, Hamid coaxed his younger brother Ameen, age 19, to do the programme and thus was born Binaca Geetmala to bring music and joy to millions of Indians and others.
I was an ardent listener of the English service of Radio Ceylon. It became an integral part of my daily routine as I switched on the radio on waking up and used the ads to get ready for School. The radio kept time for me as on the hour Greg would announce, "Check your watch by Rolex time, it is exactly, (tic-toc-tic-toc....DINGG) 8 O'clock, Indian Standard Time." Ads would continue throughout drawing attention to them by the two tiny double-toned 'ting-tong'. Reminder to brush teeth would come with a jingle, "'Did you Maclean your teeth today, show your smile, what does it say?' ... 'Yes I Macleaned my teeth today, that's why they're white and dazzling!'" For bath, there was 'Lux Beauty Soap, the favourite soap of movie stars'. Combing hair was advised by dabbing some 'Brylcreem' as endorsed by my favourite cricketer of those days, Denis Compton. For breakfast the recommendations were for Brittania biscuits, Polson butter, Kissan jam and Ovaltine.
Coca-Cola had arrived in India by then and I was tempted to carry a bottle with me by the line, 'What you want is a Coke' or, a few years later, 'Things go better with Coke'. For a snack, 'Have a break, have a Kit-Kat'. If all that made your tummy growl, the cure. 'When you're feeling low... Eno'.
Down the years, Radio would yield to TV and we would see Kapil Dev on the screen running his hand smoothly over his cheeks and chin and saying with a content grin, "Palmolive da jawab nahin." But I miss the radio and for me, "Radio Ceylon da jawab nahin."
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