Mumbai-based Film Heritage Foundation announces Dev Anand film festival ahead of the legendary actor's birth centenary

Ahead of the 100th birth anniversary of Dev Anand that falls on the September 26 Film Heritage Foundation announces a unique festival titled Dev Anand100 Forever Young that pays tribute to the timeless entertainment iconThe twoday weekend celebrations held jointly in association with NFDCNFAI National Film Development Corporation Of India National Film Archive Of India and PVR Inox will be conducted on September 23 and 24 across 30 cities and 55 cinema halls all over IndiaThe notforprofit organisation founded by filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur has meticulously curated a tailored collection of films where audiences can spend the weekend with Dev Anand in his different memorable avatars as the romantic hero the dashing spy and the funloving rogueAudiences in Mumbai Pune Goa Ahmedabad Hyderabad Trivandrum Chennai Bangalore Lucknow Kolkata Guwahati Indore Jaipur Nagpur Chandigarh New Delhi Gwalior Rourkela Raipur Noida Kochi Aurangabad Vadodara Surat Mohali amongst other cities will get an unmissable opportunity to watch these landmark films of the debonair leading man restored by NFCDCNFAI on the big screen C I D 1956 Guide 1965 Jewel Thief 1967 and Johny Mera Naam 1970Shivendra Singh Dungarpur filmmaker and director Film Heritage Foundation states ldquoAfter a successful run with lsquoBachchan Back To The Beginningrsquo and lsquoDilip Kumar ndash Hero Of Heroesrsquo to commemorate Amitabh Bachchanrsquos 80th birthday and Dilip Kumarrsquos birth centenary respectively we knew that there was no way that we could allow the birth centenary of Dev Anand to go uncelebrated 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 one of the most stylish directors of Indian cinemaThe festival also marks an important collaboration between Film Heritage Foundation and NFDCNFAI who have restored the four films and partnered with us to enable us to showcase these films 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 This is another milestone in Film Heritage Foundationrsquos journey to bring classics of Indian cinema to modern viewers because after all these films are a part of our history and culture and if we donrsquot know where we came from we wonrsquot know where we are goingrdquoSuneil Anand states ldquoIrsquom pleased to hear that Film Heritage Foundation is planning a film festival on a large scale across India to commemorate my father the legendary Dev Anandrsquos 100th birthday I am aware of the work they do and I would like to congratulate them on their endeavour I personally like my dadrsquos 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 ndash it had the trappings and the look of slick Western and European Cinema Dad set fashion trends in many of his films ndash with his cap high collars scarves jackets and colorful attire Even his hairstyles were being copied by his fans Dad could have easily gone to Hollywood In fact an established Hollywood casting agency had even offered to represent him and had lined up several projects for him But being a true Indian at heart he decided to remain in his Motherland India Time marches on mindsets change and trends evolve however with each new generation of movie goers and aficionados Dev Anand continues to remain an inspiration to the youth of India and the rest of the World He was unanimously given ndash and continues to hold ndash the title of an evergreen romantic superstar Not one to rest on his laurels dad continued to make exciting movies under his Navketan banner As we celebrate dadrsquos centennial Irsquod like to say that dadrsquos movies were decades ahead of their time I sometimes feel we still havenrsquot caught up with them I am sure the festival will be a big success and that contemporary audiences will rediscover the youthful magic of my Father ndash who will stay forever young on the silver screen In the continuing legacy of Dev Anand and Navketan I am currently making a Hollywood based film dedicated to my dad called Vagator Mixer which will release shortly worldwide The show goes onrdquoThis also marks the very first time a government body has collaborated with a notforprofit organisation for a film festival of such scale To showcase the appeal of Dev Anand to a new generation and rekindle the nostalgia for those enthusiasts who have cherished his work NFDCNFAI embarked on an arduous journey of restoring the four classics of the charismatic actor in 4K resolution The restoration of the films was undertaken as part of the National Film Heritage Mission and funded by the Ministry of Information and BroadcastingPrithul Kumar joint secretary Films and managing director NFDC states It is important for the public to witness Dev Anand on the big screen once again and in a manner how he was viewed during his hey days decades ago NFDCNFAI is sparing no efforts to ensure these films are presented in the best way possible as hundreds of restoration artists technicians graders DOPs sound engineers and archivists spread across multiple cities are hard at work to once again bring these films to life Showcasing the restoration of Dev Anandrsquos films on the occasion of his centenary as a joint endeavour between both film archives NFDCNational Film Archive of India and Film Heritage Foundation along with our esteemed partners INOX and PVR is a testament to our shared commitment to preserving Indias cinematic heritage We aspire to sustain these collaborative efforts to provide broader public access to the gems of Indian Cinema in the quality they are meant to be seenTickets can be purchased on wwwpvrcinemascom