Gitanjali Aiyar

Gitanjali Aiyar
Born	(1947-01-29)29 January 1947
Died	7 June 2023(2023-06-07) (aged 76)
Nationality	Indian
Education	Loreto College (B.A.)
Occupation	News Anchor
Years active	(1971–2023)
Television	Khandaan (1985)
Spouse	Swaminathan Aiyar
Children	2
Awards	Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award (1989)

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.

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

1. Khadpekar, Nirmala (29 July 2020). "The Name as Family - Forever and Ever". LinkedIn Pulse. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
2. "Gitanjali Aiyar, popular Doordarshan news anchor, passes away". Hindustan Times. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
3. "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. "Gitanjali Aiyar, Award-Winning Doordarshan Anchor, Dies". NDTV.com. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
6. "Gitanjali Aiyar passes away: 10 things to know about the legendary news anchor". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
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.