Legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s photographs and personal sport equipment will be displayed in a gallery at the indoor stadium named after him, Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced here on Thursday.
The proposal for a museum on sports that would collect books, documentaries and other educative material for the benefit of budding sportspersons was suggested by the eminent filmmaker’s son, Sandip Ray, on the occasion of laying the foundation stone for the Satyajit Ray Railway Indoor Stadium.
Narrating several anecdotes that illustrated his father’s varied interest in sports, Mr. Ray said that though he had been initially surprised at the decision to name a stadium after Satyajit Ray, the critically-acclaimed filmmaker was also an avid sports enthusiast and was especially interested in cricket, football and badminton apart from indoor sports.
“He [Satyajit Ray] was a good cricket player as was Feluda,” Mr. Ray said adding that his father had penned several stories on sports.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Banerjee said the Railways had named the stadium after Satyajit Ray since he was among those personalities who brought global recognition to India.
For outdoor matches the stadium will have a seating capacity of 5,000 while the indoor stadium could also be used for cultural events and seat 25,000 people, she said.
She also announced the running of a special train in November and December to popularise the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and “take the games to the grassroots.”
