Renowned newsreader Gitanjali Aiyar, a widely recognised and beloved anchor from the early days of Doordarshan, passed away on Wednesday, June 7. She was 71 years old and ailing for a while. Gitanjali started her career in the media with All India Radio and joined Doordarshan in 1971. For decades, she was one of the prominent faces of the public service broadcaster’s primetime news. She was known for her poise and enunciation while reading the news and was one of the news presenters whom school teachers are said to have asked students to listen to in order to improve their English speaking skills.
Gitanjali graduated from Loreto College in Kolkata and also held a diploma from the National School of Drama. She was involved in activities related to elocution and debates in school and college, and following her graduation joined the English news section at All India Radio in 1971
After joining Doordarshan, she won the best anchor award four times, and also the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women in 1989. In the late ‘70s, Gitanjali and her colleagues including Minu Talwar, Neethi Ravindran, Salma Sultan, Shammi Narang and others were synonymous with English television news in India. She also acted in the popular Doordarshan show Khandaan, and appeared in many advertisements as well, including Solidaire TV and Marmite. She eventually left news reading to work in corporate communications and worked with the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Worldwide Fund for Nature.
Deeply saddened by the passing of Geetanjali Aiyar nee Ambegaonkar. The Taj Group executive was on one of the sober faces of Doordarshan in its heyday; the svelte actor in Sridhar Kshirsagar’s TV drama ‘Khandaan’; and a model for everything from Solidaire to Marmite. pic.twitter.com/JMgK2Oi1Iy
— churumuri (@churumuri) June 7, 2023
Gitanjali reportedly passed away while being rushed to the hospital by a friend on Wednesday. She is survived by her son Shekhar and daughter Pallavi, who are both based in the United States, according to Indian Express. The cremation ceremony will take place on Friday, June 9.
We fondly remember the days when Gitanjali Aiyar ji graced our TV screens, leaving an indelible mark on our news-watching experiences.
— Netta D'Souza (@dnetta) June 7, 2023
Saddened by her untimely demise, my heartfelt condolences to her loved ones. May she find eternal peace. pic.twitter.com/ayVeUu2yB6