One of India's greatest singers, who has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bengaluru from Saturday, has shown improvement. Kestur Vasuki reports
The legendary 94-year-old playback singer, Manna Dey was admitted to a private hospital on the outskirts of Bengaluru for age and multiple health complications.
Sources told The Pioneer that his condition is serious, but he is recovering. A doctor at Narayana Hrudayalaya admitted the singer was critical, but stable.
He said, “His condition is slightly better than yesterday. There is marginal improvement.”
Dey, who has over 3,500 songs in different languages, including Hindi and Bengali, carved a niche in the entertainment industry during a seven decade career.
After living for 50 years in Mumbai, he shifted his base to Bengaluru. On Saturday, the Dadasaheb Phalke awardee was admitted to hospital with chest infection.
For the last couple of weeks he had been treated at home. His priceless tracks include Poocho Na Kaise Maine (Meri Surat Teri Aankhen), Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen (Waqt), Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli (Anand), Yeh Dosti (Sholay) andEk Chatur Naar (Padosan), to name a few.
Recently, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the singer at his home in Bengaluru to confer West Bengal’s highest award on him for achievements. She also offered to help shift him to Kolkata for treatment, which he refused.
Dey was to record an album in memory of his wife Sulochana Kumaran, whom he lost to cancer last January. But he fell ill and was under medical supervision at his home in Kalyani Nagar.
When his condition showed no improvement, he was hospitalised.