Manna Dey passes away - Singer leaves fans and admirers in Assam saddened

Guwahati, Oct. 24: Hear me, O friend from the bank across /There is but darkness here/And a storm swallows the sky/Take me across my friend, take me ashore (O bandho, xiparor bandho, xuna/Endhar ito paar/Kaldhumuhai dhake akax/Korason xipar (mok) korasun xipar)

This was a popular song from the Assamese film Aparoopa sung by the legendary Manna Dey who passed away today at Bangalore, the development leaving his fans and admirers back in Assam, with which he was connected through his songs, saddened.

Of the more than 4,000 songs that Dey recorded during his 94-year-long life, a few were in Assamese. Though the number is less but they are evergreen, especially two of them — Kajallata tomar naam and Dinor pohor rongsongiya.

Those who love listening to Assamese songs cannot forget how these two songs have been dear to them.

He sung a song each in Aparoopa (1971) and Aranya (1981).

In Aparoopa, Dulal Sen and Bindhyawasini Devi were music directors and Dey sung the song with music maestro Bhupen Hazarika. And in Aranya, Sudhin Dasgupta was the music director.

The other non-film songs sung by Dey (all in 1972) were Amare barikhon, Mon daponat, Akou ebar loga and Kajallata tomare naam. Music of the songs was by Sudhin Dasgupta and lyrics by Keshab Mahanta.

Samarendra Narayanh Dev, director of Aranya, said that Dey was a “good, gentleman and amiable” person.

“He sang the song (Dinor pohor rongsongiya...) by writing the words in English. But before singing the song he wanted to know their meanings. When somebody told him the meaning he took some time to think about it,” said Dev.

The Northeast Frontier Railway Cultural Association paid tribute to Manna Dey by organising a shraddhanjali at Maligaon in Guwahati today.

The Lakhi Union Bengali Club condoled the death of singer Manna Dey in a programme in Jorhat.A small group of weeping fans sang Lata Mangeshkar’s Aye malik tere bande hum from the film Do Aankhen Barah Haath to bid farewell to Manna Dey who passed away here early today, aged 94.

In Bangalore, a group sang in hushed voices at the feet of its beloved singer, whose body was kept for public viewing at the Ravindra Kalakshetra, an amphitheatre with an open stage.

Dey passed away at 4am at the Narayana Hrudayalaya where he was being treated for the past five months. Admitted with respiratory problems in May, his condition turned critical in early June.

“His health condition deteriorated quite suddenly,” hospital spokesperson K.S. Vasuki said. Dey had suffered multiple organ failure, and the end was brought on by a heart attack.

The singer leaves behind daughters Suroma and Sumita. While Sumita was with him all along, US resident Suroma could not make it as she is down with a serious back problem.