Famous Marathi singer Arun Date’s son Sangeet discovered sleeping on the streets of Pune; elder brother says he is an alcohol addict and has been disowned by the family
Why is the son of a famous singer sleeping in rags on the streets of Pune? The police have been struggling to answer this very question ever since they found an unusual looking tramp under a bridge in Wakad, only to discover that he is none other than Sangeet Date, the 48-year-old son of veteran Marathi singer Arun Date. But neither his family nor his ex-wife wanted anything to do with him when the cops called them.
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Sangeet, son of veteran singer Arun Date, was found sleeping under the Wakad-Hinjewadi bridge on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway
While the beleaguered Sangeet claimed his current state of misery is due to a long streak of misfortune, his brother told mid-day that the 48-year-old is an addict and is responsible for his own downfall.
However, his luck turned on Friday, when two Pune constables were intrigued to see him — a mere tramp, in their eyes — reading a torn English newspaper under the Wakad-Hinjewadi bridge. When they drew closer, they were surprised to see his blue eyes and fair skin, and assumed he was a foreigner. “We thought he was a foreigner, but he was fluent in Marathi. He never told us that he is the son of a legend,” said constables Vishnu Nagare and Sachin Khopkar from the Hinjewadi traffic unit.
Veteran singer Arun Date
“All he said was that he is from a good, well-to-do family. He asked us for apple juice and water and we provided it to him. For the next two days, he remained mum, but on Sunday, he finally revealed who he was. He did not have any ID to confirm that he is the son of Arun Date, but he gave us three mobile numbers to verify his claim,” the two cops said.
Riches to rags
Recounting his descent from riches to rags, Sangeet said, “A month ago, I came to Pune to start a hotel after selling one of my houses in Bandra. In order to understand the market prices, I was on my way to the Juna Bazaar area when I suddenly fainted. Someone took advantage of the situation and stole my mobile phone, wallet and my bag, which had my clothes, cash and documents. After an auto rickshaw driver called the emergency services, I was taken to Sassoon General hospital, where I was treated for 20 days.”
He went on, “After that, I was on my way to Mumbai in an auto, when three people pulled me out of the rickshaw and began to thrash me. I could not stand or move because of the injuries I had sustained on my leg. Some people assumed that I was a beggar and gave me money. Another beggar gave me a good blanket and pillow.”
But life hadn’t always been so cruel to him. As the son of the famous Arun Date, he was born with a silver spoon. “My father lost his memory and my elder brother Atul and his wife took advantage of that. They grabbed all the property and threw me out of the house. My wife and I are also separated. I am alone now. I have always lived life in the lap of luxury and glamour, and it is tough for me to digest my current situation,” he said.
Prodigal son?
But when mid-day contacted Sangeet’s elder brother Atul, he had an entirely different tale to tell. “Sangeet has smeared our image in society and we have had to face a lot of embarrassment because of him, in the past and now, once again. He is a manipulator and fraudster. He is addicted to liquor and there is a lot of debt on his shoulder. His debtors would come to our house to recover the money. After facing this harassment, our father disowned him four years ago.”
mid-day tried to contact Sangeet’s wife, but she remained unavailable. However, this reporter spoke to his friend, Lalit Mishra, who confirmed that they used to be classmates at the King George School in Bandra East, which is now the IES New English School. Sangeet’s ex-wife was also in the same class.
“This incident is unfortunate, but it is not the first time he had landed in trouble. Two years ago, Sangeet called me and said that he needed my help. He told me that his father had disowned him and cut him out from the family property and said it was a great injustice,” said Lalit.
He added, “He used to be the one who organised grand parties for us whenever there was any occasion. In 2000 as well, he had organised our school reunion. He is a gem of a person and a good singer too.”
All alone
For now, Sangeet is at Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital, but constables Vishnu Nagare and Sachin Khopkar had to struggle to find someone who would confirm Sangeet’s identity and take responsibility for him. They called the three phone numbers he provided them, but even his own family didn’t want anything to do with him. “He claimed the first number belonged to his brother, who denied any relation to Sangeet. The second number connected us to his ex-wife Mandakinee, but said they had separated three years ago and she now had no connection to him. It was on the third number that we got in touch with Sangeet’s friend from Mumbai, Lalit Mishra, who confirmed that Sangeet was indeed the son of the singer, Arun Date,” said the cops.
They added, “We were shocked to hear about his family situation and did not know what to do with him. We rushed him to the hospital as we realised that he was not only diabetic but his lower body was paralysed. At Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital, a few people from the music industry said they would take care of him.”
About Arun Date
Arun Date is famous for ‘bhavgeet’ and playback singing. A couple of his most famous tracks are Shukratara and Ya Janmavar. Date was the first recipient of the Gajananrav Vatave Puraskar. His father, Ramubhaiyya, was also a well-known singer.
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