Dona Ganguly called out to hubby Sourav Ganguly even as Amitabh Bachchan, the chief guest for Diksha Manjari’s Crystal Celebration held in collaboration with Victoria Memorial Hall on Tuesday evening, got ready to light the ceremonial lamp. The tallest man in the hall was flanked by Dona and Jayanta Sengupta (left), secretary and curator of Victoria Memorial Hall, while Sengupta’s wife Aparajita (second from right) looked on. “In terms of sheer stature, height and stardom, he is the tallest actor in the history of Indian cinema and he is now standing in a museum that is by a long, long margin India’s most visited museum as well as India’s cleanest monument,” said Sengupta.
Once Sourav took the stage, Dona handed over the candle for him to light the lamp. “It is unbelievable to see you every time Sir. I have watched you for years and you have been an inspiration to all of us… inspiration to humanity,” said fanboy Sourav. The one thing that stands out is the Piku star’s “simplicity”. “I met you in 2008 when you had said that you would come to my wife’s dance school. I was so happy to hear that and I came and told Dona that this is what the great man has told me! Even when I met you a couple of years later, the first thing you said was, ‘I want to keep my promise’. And that’s what makes you different from the others... you still remember the small things in life,” smiled Sourav.
The former Indian captain always tries to catch a Bachchan film “first day, first show” and considers him a “motivation”. “We see your pictures in the papers, shooting at 6am in the morning or 10pm at night. It is a motivation for all of us that you are in your early 70s and you are still so particular about your work and have so much energy… may you live forever,” he signed off with a six!
And how did it go for the lady of the moment? “It went off well, but I forgot to tell him what a big fan I am of his signature dance step!” smiled Dona. “I suppose our 15th-year celebrations were destined to be so grand... and so the wait for Amitabh Bachchan.” Dona decided to give performing a miss on Tuesday with so much on her hands. “But my group was excellent. They are bindaas!”
The goodie bag for Bachchan? A portrait by the art department of Diksha Manjari, flowers presented by two junior members of Team Diksha Manjari and books on Swami Vivekananda presented by its teachers, a memento and bouquet from Victoria Memorial Hall, “small gifts of love and respect” from Sourav and Dona and a shawl from Dona’s mother and Diksha Manjari president Swapna Roy. The Diksha Manjari students moved to Bachchan’s Ekla cholo re as a tribute to the megastar. “I hope he liked it!” Dona had her fingers crossed.
“Having him around was amazing. I was talking to him about a whole lot of things… how much time he is spending in Calcutta, football, cricket… he has injured his ribs,” Sourav later told t2. And Sourav’s hero clean bowled him by saying: “I feel dwarfed in the presence of Sourav who has brought India so much glory.”
Sourav introduced daughter Sana to Bachchan. “Sana palatey parley baanchey… she is so shy. She told me yesterday night that please don’t take me to him!” laughed Sourav.
Sana danced to Mangalacharan, Pallavi and Ardhanareshwar, while Sourav clicked his darling daughter from the front row.
“… that first photograph that I sent for this contest for the film industry was taken at a tree here in the Memorial, just at the back here, where I came and sat. Of course, I wasn’t selected and they didn’t find me good enough, but that photograph has always been a great memory for me,” pointed out Bachchan, as emcee Raya Bhattacharya looked on. #Applause. AB was at Diksha Manjari’s Crystal Celebration, “honouring a commitment” he had made to “Sourav and Donaji” many years ago. “How wonderful to see that Mrs Ganguly patronises and takes interest in nurturing these young children towards our tradition and maintaining them for our country,” said Calcutta’s jamaibabu. The city that gave him his first job always makes him nostalgic. “I have been here for almost two months… I am shooting a film here (Ribhu Dasgupta’s TE3N) but it’s going to end by the end of January. I hope that I can come here again and spend more time in this beautiful and wonderful city and amongst some of the most passionate people of this city of Calcutta,” he smiled, dapper in a bandhgala and black trousers.
Best wishes…
Amitabh Bachchan’s message for Dona: “Sourav was just telling me that individually, singularly, you have organised this entire event today. Many congratulations to you!”
Sourav’s message for Dona: “She has done a wonderful job… aami oto bujhi na, but it was wonderful!”
Dona’s message for Amitabh Bachchan: “Your blessings will definitely boost our students”.
Text: Saionee Chakraborty
Pictures: B. Halder
