Sourav Ganguly Birthday: When The Former Indian Skipper Was Dressed Up As 'Sardarji' To Attend Durga Puja But Was Recognised By A Cop

For any celebrity, having a huge fan following is no less than a blessing. After all, you get love from millions of people. This, however, can also be an obstacle at times. Why? Well, because it also makes a little difficult for any star to live a normal life, roam freely on the streets or public places or even step out without a bodyguard for the matter. And to avoid the idea of getting mobbed by fans in public, the former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly had once sought to disguise himself as a Sardarji and attend a Durga Puja in Kolkata, but in vain. Well, as the legendary cricketer celebrates his 48th birthday today, here's a rundown of this hilarious incident from his life.

Sourav, a Bengali by heart and mind, had mentioned love for pujas in his book. He wrote, "I am so hooked to Pujas that I make it a point to always accompany the deity on her final ride. In Bengali there is a semi-tragic word for it - bisharjon. This is when the deity is immersed in the Ganga. The scene is amazing - the energy is sky-high, the crowds are full of joy and sorrow at seeing Durga Ma going away, it's truly memorable. Sourav wanted to be a part of one such Puja, however, the thought of getting mobbed turned out to be an obstacle for him. He then planned of dressing up as a Sikh man so that no one recognises him.

Recounting the experience, Sourav wrote, "The area around the river is so crowded that once, during my Indian captaincy days, I decided to go disguised as one of Harbhajan's tribe. Yes, disguised as a sardarji. Now I could have been mobbed big time. The situation could have gone out of control. But the thrill of accompanying the para boys and family members on the truck carrying the deity was just too irresistible."

Elaborating on how the plan partially failed, Sourav added, "They (Ganguly's relatives) turned out to be right. I was not allowed on the truck by the police and had to follow it in our car with my daughter, Sana. As the car reached the Babughat area the police inspector peered in through the window, looked closely at me and smiled gently in recognition. I was embarrassed but asked him to keep my secret. The escapade was worth it. The immersion scene around the river is just indescribable. You have to see it to understand it. Durga Ma, after all, comes only once a year."

 A captain cool indeed; here's wishing him a very happy birthday!