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 Along
with the 70-odd members of the Indian athletic team to the Athens
Olympics
was
the then Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Mr. Sunil Dutt. who
seems to have had many fans in Greece as well. He
became popular as a charismatic hero of the
Indian cinema in the ‘60s. He was immortalised as one of the
central figures in Mehboob Khan's international classic of Hindi
cinema "Mother India" [1957]. What has now become a legend is the
event when Sunil Dutt, on the set of "Mother India", saved the life of
Nargis from a burning film set. They were later married in what is
considered one of the great fairy tale romances of Bollywood history.
At
the reception organised in Athens in honour of the Indian Olympic
Team, the Vice-president of ELINEPA, Dr. Helen Abadzi, as well as the
life long admirer of Indian cinema, Dr. Emmanuel Tasoulas presented to
the Indian Minister their book "Revelation
of Indian Songs"
that is dedicated to the Indian cinema of the ‘60s. They also
presented him with a collection of Greek posters from Sunil Dutt’s
films, which had been screened in Athenian cinemas at that time.
During his stay in Athens, the Indian Minister visited the Acropolis
and other archaeological monuments. He expressed his admiration for
the ancient Greek spirit, so close to the Indian heart. In answer to a
question regarding the athletes of the Indian Olympic Team, he said:
‘‘these athletes are the pride of our nation. Whatever their
performance may be, the status of their livelihoods will be more
secure when they return from the Olympic Games”.
 When
he returned to India, Minister Sunil Dutt announced long-term benefits
for the athletes, such as a life long health insurance scheme and
railway travel facilities. He also
visited Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in his house in N. Delhi,
where he congratulated him for the silver medal he won at the double
trap-shooting event at the Athens Olympics.
Sunil Dutt
(1929-2005), a politician and a star, passed away on May 25, 2005.
Amongst those bereaved was the ELINEPA and his old friends and funs in
Greece.
Επικήδειο απόσπασμα
από τον ελληνικό
τύπο
στα
Ινδικά Οnline.
Photos:
Cover: Dr. Emmanuel Tasoulas, H.E. the Union Minister for
Sports and Youth Affairs Mr. Sunil Dutt, H.E. The Ambassador of India
to Greece Mr. A.K. Banerjee, Mrs. Banerjee, Mrs. Dione Dodis, Dr.
Helen Abadzi and Mrs. Domna Tsopou during the welcome ceremony for the
Indian Olympic Team in Athens.
Up: Sunil Dutt after a pilgrimage in Acropolis.
Down: The Vice President of ELINEPA, Dr. Helen Abadzi
(in the Olympic Volunteer’s dress) and Dr. Manolis Tasoulas present to
H.E. the Minister for Sports, Mr. Sunil Dutt, a Greek posture from his
popular movie “Sujata”.
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