Legendary singer Manna Dey has been cremated at a crematorium in Hebbal in Bangaluru. The body had been kept at the Ravindra Kalakshethra, a cultural centre in the city, till 12.30 pm before being taken to the crematorium.
Not a single personality from Bollywood was present at the funeral. Just a couple of celebrities from the Kannada film industry attended. In fact, there were barely 70 mourners at the funeral.
Umashree and Tara, veteran actors from the Kannada film industry, and Subbana, a singing legend in the state were the only prominent persons who visited Ravindra Kalakshethra this morning to pay their last respects.
Umashree said Manna Dey’s death was a great loss. He had contributed so much to the country and he is not just a known figure in India but renowned the world over.
Member of Parliament from West Bengal, Kalyan Banerjee, was present at the funeral. He said that he was representing the West Bengal government. “It is a great loss for the nation and Bengal in particular,” he said.
Members of Manna Dey’s family stood united at this time of grief and were seen consoling each other.
Sumita, one of his daughters, told rediff.com that her father’s humility is what stood out and made him so different from the rest. “This is one of his major traits which contributed to his greatness. The moment he met someone the manner in which he spoke was enough for him to leave a mark on them,” she said.
Sumitra revealed that Manna Dey spent a lot of time watching reality singing shows on television and was very impressed with the new talent.
“He would often say that the younger generation is working so hard and he was extremely happy with the manner in which they trained. He was not only humble but a very tough man and this is a great loss for all of us,” she added.
Manna Dey’s son-in-law, Gyna Ranjan Deb, attributed much of the success of the legendary singer to his wife Sulochana.
“She was 88 when she died battling cancer and it was a very sad day in my father-in-law’s life. She was a professor of English and was extremely supportive of his career, especially during his days of struggle,” Deb said.
