Bengaluru, 3 May

In a tribute to Bengaluru-born legendary actor-director Guru Dutt, the City will host a two-day film festival and a musical evening featuring his hit songs this weekend.

The event is being organised by Rotary Needy Heart Foundation (RNHF), said Rotarian Rajendra Rai, former district governor of District 3190 (now split into 3191 and 3192 districts). "The proceeds from ticket sales will go towards RNHF's efforts in providing life-saving heart surgeries for underprivileged children across the country," Rai added.

According to Rai, the foundation came about at the insistence of Rotarian OP Khanna, who himself underwent heart surgery and realised that the underprivileged could not afford one. The foundation was established in 2001 to facilitate heart surgeries for patients from below poverty line (BPL) families, with a substantial donation from Khanna.

"So far we have helped over 15,000, including children, in collaboration with Jayadeva Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalya, Manipal Hospital and Columbia Asia," said Rai. "Guru Dutt would have turned 100 this year. Also, many from his core team, like cinematographer V K Murthy, were from Bengaluru. So, we thought it was the right time to organise a tribute festival for him here," Rotarian Sanjay Koppikar, a techpreneur, said about the Bollywood icon.

According to Rai, the film festival will celebrate the life and work of the legendary actor, director and producer. "A selection of his iconic films like 'Pyaasa,' 'Kaagaz Ke Phool,' 'Mr and Mrs 55' and 'Aar Paar' will be screened on May 4 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Bengaluru and on May 5 at the auditorium of Suchitra Cinema and Cultural Academy in Banashankari here," added Rai.

The musical evening will be held on May 4 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan at 6 pm. Singers Ram Tirath, Shruti Bhide, Govind Kurnool, Narssimhan Kannan and Divya Raghavan, accompanied by an orchestra led by Pradeep Patkar will sing songs from Guru Dutt's films, Koppikar said.

The films will be screened from 10 am onwards. "We are also hosting a seminar on VK Murthy by another legendary cinematographer GS Bhaskar on 4 May at 5.30pm at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan," Rai said.

Apart from facilitating funding for a noble cause, Koppikar said the idea is also to introduce many more to the genius of Guru Dutt. "He was a true visionary whose work transcended boundaries. Through this festival, we hope to inspire a new generation to experience the magic of his cinema," he added.