Thiruvananthapuram, Thursday 02 September 2010: More than 1,500 artistes from across the country are expected to perform in the capital city as part of the Soorya Festival spread over 111 days from September 21.

Founder of the Soorya Stage and Film Society Soorya Krishnamoorthy and president Gopalakrishna Pillai told a press conference here that film buffs and lovers of the arts would be treated to a potpourri of films, videos, painting, dance and music, plays, religious discourses, chamber concerts, elocution and poetry and story telling over the course of the festival.

Atmakatha directed by Premlal will be the inaugural film of the festival. The Indian Panorama section to be screened from November 21 to 30 includes Hindi films Rajneethi, 3 Idiots, My Name is Khan, Raavan, Tamil films Ayirathil Oruvan, Angadi theru, Goa, Pokisham and Unnaipol Oruvan and Malayalam films Makaramanju, Elektra, Apoorvaraagam, Orunal Varum, Paattinte Palazhi and Sadgamaya.

The dance and music festival will take off with a concert by K.J. Yesudas on October 1. The 10-day event will feature Odissi, Bharathanatyam, Carnatic music, Kathak, fusion and dance ballet by Padma Subramaniam, Rajendra Gangani, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Neyveli Santhanagopalam and Sanjay Subramaniam.

This year’s festival will have two new events, a Ghazal Mela and an exclusive Carnatic Music programme, both of five-day duration.