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.