The Directorate of Film Festivals will organise a three day retrospective of Kamal Haasan's work in the capital New Delhi to celebrate 50 years of his contributions to Indian cinema.

The three-day programme starting from July 9 at Sri Fort auditorium would be inaugurated by Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni and Kamal Haasan would be the guest of honour.

The retrospective would screen various hit films of Kamal like 'Hey Ram' followed by 'Anbe Sivam', 'Virumaandi,' 'Thevar Magan', 'Sagara Sangamam,' 'Dasavatharam' and 'Nayagan.'

Following is what is said by the I&B Ministry on the grand event and the legend called Kamal Haasan.

It’s rare in the history of motion picture to encounter an actor who started at 4 and is still going strong at 55. Ulaganayagan, as he is affectionately called made his debut with his first film as a child artiste in ‘Kalathoor Kannamma’ which was released on August 12th, 1959.

Born on 7 November 1954, Kamal Haasan began his career in movies as a child artist. Thereafter, he went to work in some 200 Indian movies and has been honored with the National Film Award four times. Throughout his life, he has also been an avid theatre artist. In order to underscore his contribution to Indian cinema, the Government of India conferred upon him the country's fourth highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri in the year 1990. He has been rewarded with 4 National Awards, 19 Filmfare Awards, 5 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and 3 Nandi Awards for his work on these films, besides being commemorated at various international film festivals.

Films like Moondram Pirai, Nayagan, Yaetta, Sigappu Rojakal, Thevar Magan, Sagara Sangamam, Devar Magan, Sagar, Sadma and Virumandi; all present ample proof of Haasan’s immense contribution to the cinematic field as not merely a classical film personality capable of converting millions of film fans into zealots who instate temples in his name, and evoking audience curiosity that makes his fans wait for hours in queues to buy tickets for his film; but also as a film artist, who through his rigorous preparation for each role, and his commitment to the cause of filmic authenticity; has for years played characters that made invisible the very star that he was off-screen

His involvement with the world of creativity is not only relegated to acting, but he packs it with being a choreographer, a director, a lyricist and a singer to boot. The performance of a Don that he enacted in his 1987 film Nayagan directed by Mani Ratnam made even Time magazine to acknowledge his acting prowess.

In one of the scenes from his film called The Colour of Poverty is Red, (Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu) where he plays an unemployed youth who fails to arrive at a compromise between his idealism and the demands made of him by the real world, Kamal Haasan’s character, in order to appease his desperate hunger, picks up an apple from the middle of murky water and consumes it.

To celebrate 50 years of this great artist’s valuable contributions to Indian Cinema, not just to his artistic endeavour but to the larger social and cultural fabric of our country, Directorate of Film Festivals is organizing a 3 day “Retrospective of Kamal Haasan’s Films” from 2nd- 4th July, 2010 at Sirifort Auditorium II.

The festival will be inaugurated by Smt. Ambika Soni, Hon’ble Minister of Information & Broadcasting. Shri Kamal Haasan is the Guest of Honour.

Entry is free.

All you film buffs in New Delhi, don’t miss this rare opportunity.