Gitanjali Aiyar (1952 – 7 June 2023) was India's female news presenter on Doordarshan. She collapsed and passed away after a morning walk in New Delhi due to brain haemorrhage.[1][2] She was suffering from Parkinson's disease[3] and was 71.

Early life and education

Aiyar went to Loreto College in Kolkata.[4] She also studied for a diploma at National School of Drama. She featured in many advertisements. And acted in Khandaan, a popular tele-serial on DD in the mid-1980s. She has a daughter, Pallavi, a journalist,[4] and son, Shekhar.[5]

Career

Aiyar joined All India Radio after her graduation and then Doordarshan in 1976[5] 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.[6] She was a contemporary of Neethi Ravindran, Shammi Narang[2] and Rini Simon. She hosted 'A Date With You', a popular show taking request for English songs on All India Radio on Friday nights.[1] After leaving DD, she worked as in the corporate communication department of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) before joining the non-profit World Wildlife Fund for Nature.[7]

Awards

Aiyar won the Best Anchor award four times. She also won the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Woman in 1989.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gitanjali Aiyar, popular Doordarshan news anchor, passes away". Hindustan Times. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Gitanjali Aiyar, Doordarshan's legendary voice in English news, dies". The Indian Express. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Award winning Doordarshan anchor Gitanjali Aiyar no more". The Economic Times. 8 June 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Gitanjali Aiyar, Award-Winning Doordarshan Anchor, Dies". NDTV.com. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 Desk, DH Web. "Gitanjali Aiyar passes away: 10 things to know about the legendary news anchor". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "Prominent TV presenter Gitanjali Aiyar passes away". India Today. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Kumar, Anuj (7 June 2023). "Gitanjali Aiyar, popular Doordarshan news anchor, passes away". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
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