Kolkata, 10th November - “Let the world change thousand times, the love for you will be ever-fresh” (Hajar badol hok prithibi, Purono hobe na prem kakhono) was the theme of the evening when all the MANNA DEY-LOVERS gathered at Rotary Sadan Auditorium to pay their homage to the maestro. Manna Dey Sangeet Academy organized the program. Punctually at 6 p.m. the program started with the (recorded) Rabindrasangeet “Peyechhi Chhuti Biday Deho Bhai” (Now I’m ready to leave, O friend, bid me farewell!) sung by the maestro. Then the full packed audience  observed one minute’s silence. The Condolence message was read by Sri Rajib Bandyopadhyay, Asstt Secretary of the Academy. (Everybody received a copy of the same alongwith a pocket-size photograph of the maestro and a brief note on the activities of the Academy)

Singer Banashree Sengupta stepped on the stage first, sang the number she sang alongwith the maestro for the film ‘Harmonium’ (Moynamotir pather dhare dekha hoyechhilo). Jyotiprakash Chattopadhyay also sang the song he wrote for the maestro (Tumi to amay bujhle na).  Ms Rupa Sarkar paid her tribute by singing the song "Soor Na Saajey..". Music director & Ex- President of the Academy Suparnakanti Ghosh commented, he is just taking rest, very soon we will get the chance to listen to his voice again! Lyrist Bankim Ghosh & Mukti Roy Chowdhury also spoke high of the maestro. Lyrist Debprasad Chakraborty quoted a few lines (Jani jani aabar dekha hobe/ Chokher jole din gona tai/ Sedin aasbe kobe) from the unrecorded song he wrote remembering the sad demise of the maestro’s wife ‘Sulu’ (Sulochana Dey). Subir Mitra, Managing Director of M/s Ananda Publishers, who published his Autobiography "Jiboner Jalsaghorey" highlighted the qualities he has seen in the Great Singer, Mr.  S.F.Karim, Regional Manager of SAREGAMA,(I) Lld discussed about his singing attributes. Music arranger Santanu Basu,  Dr. Shatarupa Sanyal, Director of the Docu-feature on the maestro’s life “Jibaner Jalsaghorey”,  filmmaker Monalisa Dasgupta, Piyal Banerjee (son of Late Pulak Bandyopadhyay), Manjushri Dasgupta (wife of the legendary Music Director late Sudhin Dasgupta), Dayamayi Banerjee (wife of the Great Music Director a nd our immediate past President,  late Mrinal Bandyopadhyay), Daulal Kothari (Hindi translator of Rabindrasangeet), famous anchor Satinath Mukherjee also spoke on the different aspects of the maestro’s life. Son of Late Provas Dey (the Academy’s founder President), Subrata Dey mourns the absence of his uncle. On behalf of the Dey family he received the condolence message.

The Academy’s Secretary Dr. Gautam Roy requested all music lovers to take initiative for preserving all  the creations of the Great Legend.  

Finally a video documentary on the unseen moments of the maestro’s life was shown. The material of the documentary was taken from the hundred hours of video recording kept at the Academy’s archive. He was seen at recording studio, rehearsing before function, shopping, joining family function, visiting the Academy’s archive at Howrah, blessing the Academy, gossiping at his Kolkata home. But most appealing was the shot where he was seen composing the music of his last ‘unrecorded song’ leaning on a sofa placed at the verandah of his Bengaluru house.

With a feeling of deep sorry and a silent prayer for his departed soul, the program ended.

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