Kolkata: Some three months back, Sandip Ray had said that he didn't want Lee Road, already renamed OC Ganguly Sarani a few years ago, to be rechristened after his father Satyajit Ray. On Ray's 95th birth anniversary on Monday, the Ray scion added that changing the name back to Lee Road isn't possible anymore but the renaming hasn't changed the way the Ray family refers to Lee Road. Satyajit Ray Dharani doesn't come easy to the tongue for the family.
"Initially, there was an attempt to suggest changing the name of Bishop Lefroy Road in Baba's name. But that didn't happen. The renamed Lee Road was rechristened. Even now when letters are delivered to our house are sent to the 1/1 Bishop Lefroy Road address," Ray said.
Earlier, Ray had said that it was a tad disrespectful towards OC Ganguly, an illustrious person in his own right, if the road was renamed. But on Monday, there was a mild resignation in his voice. "Now, there is no point talking about my preference," he said.
Since 1993, the Ray family has had an open house on this day. Visitors keep them engaged till late in the night. This, however, is the first year that the family is celebrating Ray's birthday without Bijoya Ray. The feeling is "different", Sandip explained. Did the visitors refer to Satyajit Ray Dharani? "It's a revelation to see an ever-increasing number of youngsters dropping by. But I don't think they use this new name for Lee Road or will do so in future. Park Street too has been rechristened. But we still refer to it as Park Street," Ray explained. Has he ever used the name 'Satyajit Ray Dharani'? "No, that hasn't happened yet," he said.
Cinematographer Soumendu Roy, who has worked with Ray in many films, said, "I have neither used the new name for Lee Road nor have I been to that area recently."
'Shakha Prasakha' actor-turned TMC candidate Soham Chakraborty believed that Bishop Lefroy Road has been rechristened as 'Satyajit Ray Dharani'. Before being corrected, he said, "As a kid, I used to refer to the road as 'Satyajit jethumonir barir samner rasta'. People know the official names but still use the old names colloquially, like I'm still called Bittu and not Soham by my close associates."
Priyanka Dasgupta is the features editor of TOI Kolkata. She has ...
Read MorePriyanka Dasgupta is the features editor of TOI Kolkata. She has over 20 years of experience in covering entertainment, art and culture. She describes herself as sensitive yet hard-hitting, objective yet passionate. Her hobbies include watching cinema, listening to music, travelling, archiving and gardening.
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