WITH LIVE AUDIENCES

Among the 2000 and odd stage shows that Ameen must have compered, the ones he remembers most are :

“FEMINA” BEAUTY CONTESTS : He began handling these in the 60s, when most girls were scared to step into the limelight, and the really fabulous ones used to be shyly watching the fun sitting among the audience ! Here, too, Ameen’s tutor was his brother Hamid, whose debonaire style he emulated but could never match.

FASHION SHOWS : Ameen fine-tuned the art of Fashion Show compering by peppering his spiel with humour, poetry and word-pictures of romance – to not only promote ensembles but also keep audiences riveted with elegant entertainment.

FILM RELATED SHOWS : Since Ameen handled the radio promotion of heaps of films – and also music companies – he was often roped in to compering song release functions and Silver Jubilee celebrations. He also emceed – along with the legendary AIR broadcaster Melville DeMello – the closing session of an International Film Festival in Delhi.

VARIETY SHOWS / CONCERTS : Ameen’s compering of music and dance shows have covered the whole gamut of classical, folk and light film-song based concerts. Some of his favourite performers have been Lata Mangeshkar, Muhammad Rafi, Mukesh, Asha Bhonsle, Manna De, Hemant Kumar, Kavita Krishnamurthi and Alka Yagnik. But his most momentous shows were the North American concert tours with two outstanding stars :

	AMITABH BACHCHAN This super-star of the millennium is not a professional singer, but he is quite tuneful. The music-directors Kalyanji and Anandji got him to join their troupe, and he became a runaway hit on stage, too.
	KISHORE KUMAR He was the most energetic and fun-loving singing-star Ameen has ever worked with. He would dance and prance, do somersaults, joke with the audience and invite people onto the stage – and yet never miss a beat or hit a false note.