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Shammi Narang Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

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Profession: Voice-Over Artist
Hometown: Delhi, India
Age: 66 Years

Shammi Narang

Bio/Wiki
Profession(s)• Voice-over artist
• News ANchor
• Entrepreneur
Known forBeing an Indian News Presenter and Voice of Delhi Metro
Physical Stats & More
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourSalt and Pepper
Career
Award2019: Mahatma Gandhi National Award
Shammi Narang while receving the Mahatma Gandhi Natioanl Award in 2019
Personal Life
Date of Birth25 November 1956 (Sunday)
Age (as of 2022)66 Years
BirthplaceDelhi, India
Zodiac signSagittarius
NationalityIndian
ReligionSikh [1]Web Archive
HometownDelhi, India
College/UniversityAndhra Education Society, Rouse Avenue, ITO, Delhi
Educational Qualification(s)• Mechanical Engineering at Andhra Education Society, Rouse Avenue, ITO, Delhi [2]Shammi Narang's LinkedIn Account
• Post Graduation in post-graduation in Metallurgy
Food HabitNon-vegetarian [3]Web Archive
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Family
Wife/SpouseDolly Narang (singer)
Shammi Narang with his wife, Dolly Narang
ChildrenSon- Dishant Narang
Daughter-in-law- Ridhima Narang
Shammi Narang with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law
ParentsFather- Sardar Paijwant Singh Narang
A picture of Shammi Narang's father
Mother- Name Not Known
SiblingsBrothers- 2
• Varinder Narang
Varindra Narang, brother of Shammi Narang
• Dr SPS Narang (army officer)
Style Quotient
Bike CollectionRoyal Enfield
Shammi Narang posing with his Royal Enfield

Shammi Narang

Some Lesser Known Facts About Shammi Narang

  • Shammi Narang is a former Indian news anchor. He is an acclaimed voice-over artist and Delhi-based entrepreneur. He is known for being a part of the Hindi division of Voice of America and was associated with Doordarshan as its news anchor during the 1970s – 80s. He is famous for being the voice of the Delhi metro.
  • Shammi Narang belongs to a Sikh family, and his father and grandfather, who were of Lahnda origin, worked in the Indian Armed Forces. His father motivated him to pursue stunt riding as a hobby during his college days, and later, worked for Escorts as a stunt rider for some time.
  • Apart from being a voice-over artist, Shammi Narang is also a semi-trained singer, who often sings with his wife, Dolly Narang as she is a trained classical music singer. Dolly Narang belongs to Chandigarh and is a student of the noted Indian music composer Jaidev. She frequently sings Ghazals at many live events and occasions. Shammi Narang likes playing jazz drums and harmonium in his leisure time.

    Shammi Narang while singing a song with his wife

    Shammi Narang while singing a song with his wife

  • During his college days, a technical director of the United States Information Service (Delhi), Flanager noticed Shammi Narang’s voice in the auditorium of IIT, Delhi campus when Shammi was checking the mike clarity on the stage at an event. He offered Shammi Narang to assist him in sound testing as Flanager liked Shammi’s voice. Later, Flanager referred Shammi to a Hindi scholar, Shastri, who trained Shammi to become a part of the Hindi division of Voice of America. Once, in a media conversation, Shammi Narang stated that Shastri told him to read a page, which was in the Hindi language and was so impressed with Shammi’s voice that Flanager gave him rupees two hundred for the same. Shammi remembered,

    Shastriji asked me ‘Hindi aati hai’? I had left Hindi in class VIIIth. But, I insisted I knew. He gave me a page to read. I did. Without knowing what it all was. Within 15 minutes, Flanager gave me Rs.200 as ‘payment’. I was stunned! Those days, it was a huge amount. My mess charge for a month was Rs.95.”

  • After completing his post-graduation degree, he started working as a marketing professional at Larsen & Toubro and served the organisation for some time.
  • Shammi Narang liked adventurous activities during his college days, and this desire led him to join Escorts as a stunt rider. He was highly inspired by the character of Rishi Kapoor from the film Bobby and used to perform stunts often. In the late 1980s, he had an accident, which broke his nose.
  • In 1982, he gave auditions in the Doordarshan, where he competed with more than 10,000 aspirants. According to Shammi Narang, he appeared in the Doordarshan auditions in a T-shirt and tattered jeans. A former Indian news anchor at Doordarshan, Devki Nandan Pandey praised his performance at the auditions. He then worked with Doordarshan for twenty years and developed a style for himself with his baritone. In those days, Doordarshan was the only channel, which used to telecast news with few visuals and restrained only to vocal illustrations. With the passage of time, he became the face of Doordarshan news reading because of his correct pronunciation and diction. During that time, it was considered that news readers were so powerful that they could influence the Government for them.

    Shammi Narang while anchoring news on DD

    Shammi Narang while reading the news on DD

  • According to Shammi Narang, a shocking incident happened to him at Doordarshan studio during his auditions. In a media conversation, he narrated that the veteran news anchor Devki Nandan Pandey praised his voice after an audition, and Shammi ignored him unknowingly. He said,

    When I came back, an old gentleman with an amazing voice asked me, ‘To ye tumne padha? Achcha padha’. I said thanks and went ahead. A staffer rushed to me asked ‘Who do you think you are? You know who this gentleman was?’ I pleaded ignorance and he said to my shock, ‘It was Devki Nandan Pandey’!”

  • Once, in an interview with a media house, Shammi Narang stated that in a news show, he read out some news for ex-servicemen regarding their new pension scheme, and two days after the news aired on Doordarshan, an elderly havaldar paid a visit at his house and started requesting him to update his pension scheme.
  • According to Shammi Narang, the news readers of the 1970s – 80s were blamed for reading out lies in favour of the Government, but he rejected all the allegations and stated in a media conversation that the news readers only tried to hide the truth and did not read lies.

    Shammi Narang while singing a song on Doordarshan in 1989

    Shammi Narang while singing a song on Doordarshan in 1989

  • With the passage of time, cable and satellite television started entering India and Doordarshan could not stand the competition. Doordarshan refused to telecast live news, events, and programs, which was the main reason for its defeat. The news anchors and crews were middle-aged in Doordarshan as compared to the younger recruitment in the competing channels. While talking about the position of Doordarshan in the present era, Shammi Narang stated in a media interview that “in the current era, he would have been a misfit.” Shammi Narang said,

    It has become ‘trivialised’ and added that ‘the young reporters, fresh out of college, in vogue now would be good in interviewing filmstars but wouldn’t be an appropriate choice before Dr Karan Singh or Manmohan Singh.”

    Shammi Narang on a news channel as a guest speaker

    Shammi Narang on a news channel as a guest speaker

  • After working in Doordarshan for twenty years, Shammi Narang started working as a voice-over artist. He also worked as a theatre artist along with noted theatre personalities such as Sheila Bhatia.
  • Since 1997, Shammi Narang has been working as an anchor for the Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Awards ceremonies.

    Shammi Narang while anchoring a Godfrey Phillips Award show

    Shammi Narang while anchoring a Godfrey Phillips Award show

  • In 1998, Shammi Narang established a recording studio, which is considered Delhi’s first digital studio named Pin Drop. This studio is very popular among many Indian voice-over artists and musicians.
  • Shammi Narang works as a visiting faculty at MADarts and late comedian and actor Jaspal Bhatti’s film school and worked as a voice-over artist in its two-minute award-winning film ‘Nanhi Chidiya.’
  • According to Shammi Narang, he keeps himself away from the Page 3 culture. In an interview with a media reporter, he talked about Page 3 culture. He said,

    Call it my inborn complex — I don’t like page 3 culture. It has more of artificiality and less of warmth.”

  • Shammi Narang has lent his voice to the official audio guides of the heritage memorials of many Indian states such as Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Mysore. In 2013, he was a compere at the Guinness record-breaking tea party, which was held at Indore.
  • In 2008, Shammi Narang was a part of the television show, Be Positive in which he toured from Delhi to Haridwar along with his three companions. The show was aired on a spiritual lifestyle channel, Pragya TV.
  • In 2009, during the general assembly elections, the Kaka Hathrasi’s satirical jingles in the Jai Ha! campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party was sung by Shammi Narang.
  • Once, in a media conversation, Shammi Narang talked about the potential needed in the voice-over industry. He said,

    Voice is the biggest asset of communication’ and it can get one a very decent pay even at the starting level.”

  • He has appeared in some noted Hindi films such as Lakhamandal by Govind Nihalani and Uttejna by Ashok Wazirani. Shammi Narang also produces corporate films. In 2011, he appeared in the film Jessica Lal Murder Case as Justice Jain.

    Shammi Narang in a still from the film Jessica Lal Murder Case in 2011

    Shammi Narang in a still from the film Jessica Lal Murder Case in 2011

  • According to Shammi Narang, he does Om recitations every day for a healthy voice. In a media interview, he disclosed his regular routine work to keep his voice intact. He said,

    Just a three minute riyaz of OM, steaming the throat (no gargling), not abusing the voice through foul language, and stress management through yoga and meditation protects my voice.”

    In the same discussion, he added the importance of a good and clear voice. Shammi Narang mentioned,

    Everyone is capable of voice modulation, though one realises it only in front of a camera or microphone.”

  • Shammi Narang lent his voice to all Hindi in-train and in-station voice messages and announcements of the Delhi Metro, Rapid Metro Gurgaon, Mumbai Metro, Bangalore Metro, Jaipur Metro and the Hyderabad Metro Rail. In these announcements, he guides the passengers about the dos and don’ts along with his courteous ‘Please mind the gap!’ and are playing day and night inside the Delhi Metro.

    Shammi Narang featured in a magazine article as the voice of Delhi Metro

    Shammi Narang being featured in a magazine article as the voice of the Delhi Metro

  • Shammi Narang is known for composing music for many television commercials such as Na Jaane Kya Rishta for Tata Tea.
  • In 2016, on Hindi Diwas, Shammi Narang expressed his views on the Hindi language and stated that the young generation of India should not be pressurised to learn Hindi. He said,

    The difficult and rare words that are not in use in our day-to-day life should be replaced by common, simple words.”

  • In 2021, Shammi Narang gave a special appearance in an episode “History of TV News | 75th #IndependenceDay Special TV Newsance Episode 143” on the channel TV Newsance by Newslaundry.

    Shammi Narang on the poster of TV Newsance

    Shammi Narang on the poster of TV Newsance

  • According to Shammi Narang, he likes eating Banjara kabab, Galouti kabab, Zimikan and Anjeer kabab from “Kabab-e-Azam.” In a media interview, he listed all the dishes he liked to eat. He added that he liked cooking Chinese food. He said,

    My whole family was in the Army. We used to party there and I would often try my hand at making Chinese food. But my favourite always remained ‘ande-paranthe’ sold outside Vikram Hotel in Delhi. My father could cook mutton. My mom used to serve us baingan ka bharta and phulka with dollops of desi ghee – just awesome.”

    Shammi Narang while enjoying food

    Shammi Narang while enjoying food

References/Sources:[+]