New Delhi: It was a hot summer afternoon in Bangalore. A cavalcade of cars and the police vehicles blaring sirens pulled up in front of a small nondescript house in a middle class locality of north eastern part of the city in last April. Curious neighbours rushed towards the house to see the VVIP thinking that a bigwig had come to seeks votes. The state was gearing up for the Assembly polls. To their surprise, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stepped out of a car with folded hands, entered that house.
Somebody in the crowd said loudly, 'Mamata Banerjee has come to see Manna Dey. This is his house'. Not many people in Kalyannagar were aware that one of the greatest playback singers of the country lived in that ordinary house. The news spread like a wide fire and hundreds of people rushed there to catch a glimpse of both Manna Dey and Mamata Banerjee.
Mamata Banerjee's visit was a pleasant surprise to the family members of ailing Manna Dey. It was a low profile, whirlwind visit of Mamata to the IT city of India. Manna Dey was staying at his daughter's house in Bangalore. Mamata spent more than 30 minutes in that house talking to legendary singer, whom she adored.
According to a newspaper report Banerjee was understood to have conferred West Bengal's prestigious 'Vishes Sangeet Mahasamman' award on Dey during that visit. Since the 94-year-old singer would not be in a position to attend the West Bengal government sponsored Sangeet Mela, Mamata a huge fan of Dey bestowed the honours on the singer in Bangalore.
Strangely the family members of Dey refused to speak to reporters to confirm the award. Mamata, who was under attack from the media back home in Kolkata also snubbed the media persons, who had gathered outside the house. Ignoring their questions, she quickly made her way out of the residence.
According to a report in Deccan Herald children in the locality gathered to meet Banerjee. "I went up to her and greeted her. She lifted me up," said an excited 11-year-old Daivik. "This photograph will be on my Facebook page," said his friend Akarsh.
A few dozen Communist party workers also rushed there to protest against the alleged harassment of the Left front by the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal. But, Mamata was already on her way back to Bangalore airport much before the Left cadres arrived there.
Manna Dey was later admitted to super sociality Narayana Hrudayalaya run by renowned heart surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty. He recovered from the illness and sent back to home after two weeks. He breathed his last at the same hospital on Wednesday night.
After spending many years in Mumbai, Dey had moved to Bangalore more than two decades ago. Unlike many other Bollywood super stars who own huge farm houses in Bangalore, Dey had no house of his own. He spent the last years at his daughter's house.
He kept to himself and rarely appeared in the public.####
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