Ameen Sayani, who was famously known as the 'man with the golden voice,' entertained radio listeners with his unique hosting style for decades. Sayani died following a cardiac arrest at the age of 91 on January 20. Sayani's impactful career extended to denying Amitabh Bachchan an opportunity in radio and this is indeed an intriguing trivia.

Why did Ameen refuse Big B’s interview?

During his tenure hosting the program Sitaron ki Jawaniyaan in 2014, Sayani once recalled missing the chance to audition Bachchan, who would later become the iconic 'Shehenshah' of Hindi cinema. Sayani disclosed his packed schedule in the late 60s, wherein he juggled 20 shows weekly, leaving rare time for auditions. Bachchan, then an aspiring presenter, persistently sought an audition, but Sayani's commitments hindered their meeting.

Sayani told PTI in 2014, “One day, a young man named Amitabh Bachchan walked in without an appointment for a voice audition. I had not a second to spare for this thin man. He waited and left and came back a few more times. But I could not see him and kept telling him through my receptionist to make an appointment and come.”

When Bachchan confronted being rejected thrice by Sayani’s broadcasting firm

Addressing this, Sayani admitted guilt for not granting Bachchan an audition. He added, “Today, though I regret denying him an audition, I realise that what happened was for the best for both of us. I would have been on the streets and he would have got so much work on radio that Indian cinema would have lost its biggest star.”

Amitabh Bachchan's journey in cinema began with Saat Hindustani in 1969, with a monumental breakthrough with Zanjeer in 1973. Ameen Sayani's demise on the other hand marks the end of an era and leaves behind a legacy of unparalleled contributions to the radio industry.