The veteran couple ‘joy’fully inaugurated a lane at Versova named after the late actor on his 74th birth anniversary. Bollywood thespian Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu along with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated a road named in the memory of Joy Mukherjee at Versova, Mumbai yesterday. The lovely couple was more than happy to do the honours in the loving memory of the late romantic actor and their close friend. On the special occasion of Mukherjee’s 74th birth anniversary, Mrs Banu who worked with him in the musical hit Shagird (1967) said that she was still coping with the fact that Mukherjee was no more and addressed him as a ‘wonderful human being’.

“I never thought that me and Yusuf saab (Dilip Kumar) will ever come for such an occasion. It feels like Joy is still between us,” said the 68-year-old actor at the event. Dilip saab too took to Twitter to share his memories and excitement, “It was a pleasure to inaugurate a road named after Joy Mukherji in Versova. Joy’s dad S Mukherji sahab was Filmistan studio founder. He used to ask me not to give acting tips to Joy. Mukherji sahab was in many ways my mentor, well-wisher when I was new in the industry. I told Joy what I learned from his father – Acting is all about not acting.” Joy Mukherji passed away on March 9 last year at Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital at the age of 73.