Pt Bhimsen Joshi's music to come alive in short films

The Sawai Gandharv Bhimsen Sangeet Mahotsav, a festival that was started by Pt Bhimsen Joshi in 1952 to pay tribute to his Guru Ramchandra Kundgolkar alias Pt Sawai Gandharv, will now commemorate its founder itself.u00a0

As a humble tribute to the music maestro, actors Ravindra Mankani and Shrirang Godbole will showcase two documentaries on Pt Bhimsen Joshi in the festival.

The 59th year of the festival will be held between December 7 and 11 at New English School Raman Baug ground and will be organised by Pt Bhimsen Joshi's son and disciple Shrinivas Joshi. u00a0

At least 26 artists from the world of music will perform during the five days of the festival. Some of them who will be present at the festival are Pt Satish Vyas (santoor), Ashwini Bhide Deshpande (vocal), Pt Ajay Pohankar (vocal), Shaila Datar (vocal), Kadri Gopalnath (saxophone), Shankar Mahadevan (classical), Pt Jasraj (vocal) and Dr Prabha Atre (vocal).

"This will be the first year of the festival where my father won't be present physically. We are all really missing him," said Shrinivas Joshi, who is also the executive president of Aarya Sangeet Prasarak Mandal.u00a0Godbole, director of Indian Magic Eye, has made a 70-minute film 'Dhyas Parva' (passion for music) on Pt Joshi.u00a0

"We have travelled extensively to various places in Karnataka, including the birthplace of Pt Joshi at Gadag and also at Kundgol, where Pt Joshi took his first lessons from his Guru Sawai Gandharv," Godbole said. "We have interviewed 92-year-old Ashwini Kumar in Delhi, a close friend of Pt Joshi, who spoke a lot on the maestro."

Dhyas Parva shall be shown in the festival in five parts during the five days.u00a0

Mankani, who has made a film on Pt Joshi for television, also captures the career graph of the music maestro. "We are showing the film for the first time in Pune," said Mankani.

Bakul Bhavsar, a music lover from the city, has a huge audio- visual collection of Pt Bhimsen Joshi's music collected over the last 40 years. Bhavsar will give a special audio-visual presentation on Pt Bhimsen Joshi at the festival. "I hope this shall be a treat for those who want to learn more about the maestro," said Bhavsar.

'Bhinna Shadja', a film on legendary vocalist Kishori Amonkar by celebrated actor-director Amol Palekar will be shown on December 8. Another film 'Adwait Sangeet' on vocalists Pt Rajan and Sajan Mishra has been made by Makarand Bramhe and will be screened on December 10. This film was inaugurated at the International Film Festivalu00a0of India in Goa.