When ‘Dada’ Donned the Perfect Disguise, the Closest of Friends Even could not Rrecognise Him
Kolkata: Celebrities often resort to disguising themselves to avoid being recognized in public places. But no other disguise can be compared with the one involving ‘Prince of Kolkata’, Sourav Ganguly, during the 2007 Durga Puja. Dada dressed himself up as a ‘Sardar’ on the day of idol immersion to camouflage himself with the hundreds of people who visited the Ganges for idol immersion.
Given the star status that he has always enjoyed in the city, and elsewhere in the country, ever since making his debut at the Lord’s, going alone in public places was next to impossible. The left hander pulled off a coup of sorts when he decided to disguise himself as ‘Punjab da Puttar’ during the immersion of the Durga idol of his club (Barisha Players Corner) in the River Ganges. Surprising all who were present at the Babughat, he was successful in not invoking any single iota of attention. Even his friends totally failed to recognise him.
Sourav, who grew up watching the Durga Puja at Barisha Players Corner, has continued to be involved with the puja organisers over the years. He has become more active after leaving cricket. For the last few years he had to attend the inauguration ceremonies of big budget pujas. But, he enjoys and loves being with his family and friends during the days of Durga Puja.
There is never a single dull moment when Dada is present at the mandap. Watching Dada playing ‘dhak’ is a real treat for the locals during the Vijaya Dashami. If you are lucky enough you can even see him dance to the tunes of dhak, like he did few years back, shaking his legs with the members of Players Corner. He is a staunch follower of the rituals and takes part in Sandhya Arati and offers Pushpanjali along with his family every year. For the pandal hoppers during Durga Puja, going to Barisha Players Corner is always a double delight.