Eminent artistes to celebrate the works of veteran composer Vanraj Bhatia

(Left) Vanraj Bhatia withu00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Tushar Bhatia; (right) Ustad Zakir Hussain

A still from the 1983-film Mandi starring Shabana Azmi andâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088the late Smita Patil

When filmmaker Shyam Benegal made Ankur (1974), he consolidated the New Wave cinema era initiated by Mrinal Sen's path-breaking Bhuvan Shome (1969). Not all films had songs but the background score, in most of them, composed by Vanraj Bhatia enhanced the narrative. A host of artistes - led by tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and music director Tushar Bhatia together with the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) - will pay tribute to the master's work at a concert tonight.

"When he worked on Ankur, I was only 12. I was too young to understand the depth of the music but the background score had an impact on me. It was different because it came at a time when mainstream films ruled and Rajesh Khanna was a superstar," says Tushar, who has composed for films like Andaz Apna Apna and Colours Black. He will perform songs from Bhatia's iconic movies like Manthan, Mandi and Bhumika with his group, Swardhara.

(Left) Vanraj Bhatia withâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Tushar Bhatia; (right) Ustad Zakir Hussain

Talking about the award-winning track, Mero Gaam Katha Parey, (also in Tushar's list for the evening), he says, "Preeti Sagar was a voice not much heard before. The whole song had a Gujarati Folk song treatment yet it wasn't a Folk song. The orchestration was wonderful. Vanraj sahab was also qualified in Western Classical music. Each song is a different genre."

Tushar will also sew versions of Tumhare Bina Jee Na Lage (Bhumika) and Ghir Aayi Kari Ghata (Junoon). Hussain is likely to play a solo set with SOI but Tushar may bring him on board for a song with Swardhara.