Amitabh Bachchan to felicitate Birju Maharaj at Vasantotsav

Mumbai: Leading Kathak exponent Birju Maharaj will be presented the Uttam Vag Geykar Award by megastar Amitabh Bachchan at the 17th edition of Vasantotsav on Sunday.

Organised by Ajivasan Music Academy, Vasantotsav also will have performances by Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and classical musician Ustad Rashid Khan here, read a statement by the organisers.

"The Uttam Vag-Geykar Award was introduced in 2001 in honour of our Guruji Acharya Jialal Vasant who himself was an epitome of the Uttam Vag-Geykar concept. The award is to acknowledge a performing living legend for his unparallel work in music and is bestowed to him at Vasantotsav every year," Prem Vasant, daughter of Acharya Jialal Vasant (founder of Ajivasan Music Academy), said.

"With this festival and award we are trying to fulfill our Guruji's dream of bringing back the pristine glory of Indian Classical music so that the youth in India and world over respect our heritage," she added.