Gitanjali Aiyar (née Ambegaonkar,[1] 29 January 1947 – 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 76.

Gitanjali Aiyar
Born(1947-01-29)29 January 1947
Died7 June 2023(2023-06-07) (aged 76)
NationalityIndian
EducationLoreto College (B.A.)
OccupationNews Anchor
Years active(1971–2023)
TelevisionKhandaan (1985)
SpouseSwaminathan Aiyar
Children2
AwardsIndira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award (1989)

Early life and education

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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

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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

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Aiyar won the Best Anchor award four times. She also won the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Woman in 1989.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Khadpekar, Nirmala (29 July 2020). "The Name as Family - Forever and Ever". LinkedIn Pulse. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Gitanjali Aiyar, popular Doordarshan news anchor, passes away". Hindustan Times. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Gitanjali Aiyar, Doordarshan's legendary voice in English news, dies". The Indian Express. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Award winning Doordarshan anchor Gitanjali Aiyar no more". The Economic Times. 8 June 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Gitanjali Aiyar, Award-Winning Doordarshan Anchor, Dies". NDTV.com. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b Desk, DH Web. "Gitanjali Aiyar passes away: 10 things to know about the legendary news anchor". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 31 December 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. ^ "Gitanjali Aiyar's Cause of Death: Award-Winning Doordarshan Anchor dies at 71". Janbharat Times. 8 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Prominent TV presenter Gitanjali Aiyar passes away". India Today. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  9. ^ Kumar, Anuj (7 June 2023). "Gitanjali Aiyar, popular Doordarshan news anchor, passes away". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 December 2023.