Pu La Deshpande. Not only did he live an enriched life full of experiences, but also brought smiles on the faces of millions of Maharashtrians. Pu La Deshpande's life was a grand celebration. Paying tribute to his life is The 13 day festival called Pulotsav 2008, the art festival organised by AashaySanskritik. The festival takes off on January 30 where queen of melodies Lata Mangeshkar will get the prestigious Pula smriti sanmani at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch. In its fifth year, the concert will host a number of events including drama, music, art and films. The songstress will get an award of Rs 1 Lakh and a momento will be presented by the renowned history scholar Babasaheb Purandare at 6pm at Ganesh Kala Kreeda Rangmanch. The event will be inaugurated by the president of the 81st Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, M D Hatkananglekar. The festival will take place at various venues like the Ganesh Kala Krida Rang Manch, Balgandharva Rangamandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagriha, National Film Archive of India and Pathfinder katta. This year one of the highlights is a competition for short films at Pulotsav. Thirty-minute short films of young directors up to the age of 35 will be short-listed, 25 of which will be showcased at the festival. Another award is Pula smriti for youngsters. Started in 2007, three artists each from cinema, music, literature and art will be selected. The winners will be announced on February 11. The rest of the programme is as follows:
* January 31 to February 11- Grand exhibition of films, novels and other art related books at Pathfinder bookshop.
* January 31 to February 7- Discussions, Interviews related to art and literature.
* Season ticket for the entire festival- Rs 500.
* Students, senior citizens (60 plus) and group booking- Rs 300
* Film club or cultural club members - Rs 200
* Free entry for Aashay film club or Aashay cultural club members.
