Gitanjali Aiyar (née Ambegaonkar, [1]1952 – 7 June 2023) was India's female news presenter on Doordarshan. She collapsed and died after a morning walk in New Delhi due to brain haemorrhage. [2] [3] She was suffering from Parkinson's disease [4] and was 71.
Early life and education
Aiyar attended Loreto College in Kolkata. [5] She also studied for a diploma at the National School of Drama. She featured in many advertisements and also acted in Khandaan, a popular tele-serial on DD in the mid-1980s. She had a daughter, journalist Pallavi Aiyar [5] and a son, Shekhar Aiyar [6] from her ex-husband Swaminathan Aiyar. [7]
Career
Aiyar joined All India Radio after her graduation and then Doordarshan in 1976 [6] and soon became a popular voice in the country. For more than a decade she was regular at the 9pm prime time DD news bulletin. She worked at DD for over 30 years. [8] She was a contemporary of Neethi Ravindran, Shammi Narang [3] and Rini Simon. She hosted 'A Date With You', a popular show taking request for English songs on All India Radio on Friday nights. [2] After leaving DD, she worked in the corporate communication department of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) before joining the non-profit World Wildlife Fund for Nature. [9]
Awards
Aiyar won the Best Anchor award four times. She also won the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Woman in 1989. [2]
References
- ^ Khadpekar, Nirmala (29 July 2020). "The Name as Family - Forever and Ever". LinkedIn Pulse. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ a b c "Gitanjali Aiyar, popular Doordarshan news anchor, passes away". Hindustan Times. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Gitanjali Aiyar, Doordarshan's legendary voice in English news, dies". The Indian Express. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "Award winning Doordarshan anchor Gitanjali Aiyar no more". The Economic Times. 8 June 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Gitanjali Aiyar, Award-Winning Doordarshan Anchor, Dies". NDTV.com. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ a b Desk, DH Web. "Gitanjali Aiyar passes away: 10 things to know about the legendary news anchor". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "Gitanjali Aiyar's Cause of Death: Award-Winning Doordarshan Anchor dies at 71". Janbharat Times. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ "Prominent TV presenter Gitanjali Aiyar passes away". India Today. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ Kumar, Anuj (7 June 2023). "Gitanjali Aiyar, popular Doordarshan news anchor, passes away". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 December 2023.