Dev Anand's birth centenary: To celebrate the late legend, the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) has curated a film festival for his fans. Dev Anand, the star of films such as 'Hum Dono', 'Tere Ghar Ke Samne' and 'CID' among others, will be honoured ahead of his birthday on September 26 with a gala titled 'Dev Anand@100 - Forever Young', that will bring the superstar’s iconic films back to the big screen. The two-day film festival will be held on September 23 and 24 in 30 cities and 55 cinema halls all over India.
Dev Anand's classics to re-release
The FHF, founded by filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, has curated a collection of four of the actor's movies for the showcase: 'CID' (1956), 'Guide' (1965), 'Jewel Thief' (1967) and 'Johny Mera Naam' (1970). Audiences in cities including, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Kolkata, Guwahati, Indore, Jaipur, Nagpur, New Delhi, Gwalior, Rourkela, Kochi, and Mohali, will get an opportunity to watch these landmark films of Dev Anand restored by NFCDC-NFAI in 4K resolution for the big screen. Tickets for the festival can be purchased on www.pvrcinemas.com.
The celebration is held jointly in association with NFDC-NFAI (National Film Development Corporation Of India - National Film Archive of India) and PVR Inox, according to a press statement.
After a successful run with 'Bachchan Back To The Beginning' and 'Dilip Kumar – Hero Of Heroes', Dungarpur said they had to celebrate the birth centenary of Dev Anand. "We wanted to honour his legacy by screening four of his milestone films. The films are among my personal favourites as I consider Goldie Anand (Vijay Anand) one of the most stylish directors of Indian cinema. The festival also marks an important collaboration between Film Heritage Foundation and NFDC-NFAI who have restored the four films and partnered with us to enable us to showcase these films," the FHF founder said in a statement.
"The Gregory Peck of India, as Dev Anand was often called, continues to be a beloved star, and we are thrilled that contemporary audiences will have the opportunity to watch some of the films that made him an enduring legend of Indian cinema," he added.
Dev Anand's son Suneil's statement
Filmmaker Suneil Anand, son of Dev Anand, said he is pleased to hear that the FHF is planning a film festival to commemorate his father's 100th birthday.
"I personally like my dad's work, as the leading man, in 'Johny Mera Naam'. I think this is because the character he played closely resembled his true personality. It was an ideal vehicle for him to showcase his histrionics, mannerisms, and his suave dressing sense. Jewel Thief' was another such film – it had the trappings and the look of slick Western and European cinema. I am sure the festival will be a big success and that contemporary audiences will rediscover the youthful magic of my father – who will stay forever young on the silver screen," he said.
In the continuing legacy of Dev Anand and his family banner Navketan Films, Suneil Anand said he is currently making a Hollywood based film, dedicated to his father, called 'Vagator Mixer', which will be released worldwide soon.
(With Inputs from PTI)
