Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; February 1, 2014)

Raanjhanaa director Aanand L. Rai is working on a project where he will hold a special screening of some iconic films made by noted filmmakers.

A source says, “Being a movie-buff, Aanand loves watching films made by renowned filmmakers. A lot of these movies do not air on television, and often do people have access to their DVDs either. He now plans to host a screening of several classics — he wants youngsters to come watch these films as they remain relevant in today’s times as well.”

Films made by the likes of Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy and Raj Kapoor are slated to be screened as part of this project. The source adds that Rai is currently in talks with organisers of the ongoing Kala Ghoda Festival 2014 as he feels that it attracts a lot of young film enthusiasts and is thus a good platform to showcase these classics.

When contacted, Aanand said that while he loves contemporary Indian films, he is enamoured by the history of Indian cinema. “It’s my endeavour to keep the classics alive by making sure that they reach out to younger audiences,” he said.