Luku Sanyal was the first English news reader in Mumbai during the era of Doordarshan.
Elegant and erudite, Luku Sanyal, the first English news reader in Mumbai who graced television screens in the 70s and 80s with her poise and crisp voice, passed away early on Sunday. She was 75.
Sanyal breathed her last at a suburban hospital in Andheri and is survived by her daughter Shona. One of the few news readers during the golden era of Doordarshan, the daughter of actor Pahari Sanyal was popular for not only being one of the sober voices in the news industry, but also for sporting a characteristically large bindi. Born in Kolkata and trained in Kathak and Bharatnatyam, Sanyal started doing plays on AIR Calcutta at the age of 13. She was deeply involved in theatre and was even offered a role by legendary Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray in one of his movies. She, however, declined, giving priority to her studies.
After completing Masters in English in 1964, Sanyal went on an extensive study tour to Europe. She started working as a junior lecturer in KC College in 1972, and retired as head of the English department of MMK College in 2001. It was in the 70s that Sanyal hit the television screen. After the initial hard luck, her first shot on live television came as she interviewed Harbance Kumar, a West Indies-based film producer. She was the unanimous choice of selectors who were looking for news readers for a daily English news channel from Mumbai in 1974. Sanyal became a distinct part of the panel comprising Gerson DaCunha, Partap Sharma, Nirmala Matthan and Dolly Thakore.
She commanded the viewers' attention with her impeccable diction that perhaps came from her study of the language. Meanwhile on Sunday, tears and tributes flowed for the much-adored Sanyal, with hundreds of her students taking to the social networking sites to express their thoughts and emotions. "It's like a library has burned down. She laid the basic foundation for many journalists and was one of the rare people to get an A+ grading by Doordarshan for her work. She insisted on right pronunciation and language, and keeping the root and culture of every subject and word intact. She's a true example of human resilience in the face of pain and suffering that she had to face in bulk," said her former student Preksha Malu.
Among the few who attended the funeral on Sunday afternoon in Andheri was professor Archana Mehra, visiting faculty at the UPG college. She remembered Sanyal as a guide-mentor and a colleague during her stint with the RD National College in Bandra. "She was the finest ever. She could connect to people of all ages and that is why she was so loved. I can never make a mistake in English without her voice correcting me in my mind. That's the kind of impact she had. Will miss her dearly," Mehra said.
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