Following its overwhelming reception at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) on Monday said ticket bookings are open for the re-release of Shyam Benegal's "Manthan" in Indian theatres. According to a report in PTI, a restored version of the 1976 movie, financed by 5 lakh farmers of Gujarat 48 years ago who donated Rs 2 each to fund the film, was showcased at the gala under the Cannes Classics segment on May 17.
The restored "Manthan" will re-release theatrically on June 1 and 2 across 38 cities in India, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Anand, Rajkot, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Chandigarh. "BOOKINGS OPEN TODAY! Don't miss the opportunity to watch the India premiere of FHF's restoration of Shyam Benegal's landmark film 'Manthan' (1976) produced by 500,000 farmers on the big screen! Stay tuned to know more about the booking process," FHF said in an X post.
The restoration was carried out using the 35mm original camera negative preserved at the NFDC-National Film Archive of India with sound digitised from the 35mm release print preserved at the Mumbai-based FHF.
For its Cannes screening, the film was restored at Prasad Corporation Pvt. Ltd's Post–Studios, Chennai and L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory, in association with Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, cinematographer Govind Nihalani and Benegal.
Fronted by Smita Patil, "Manthan" is inspired by the groundbreaking milk cooperative movement by Dr Verghese Kurien that transformed India into one of the largest milk producers in the world and is credited for creating the billion-dollar brand Amul. It was co-written by Benegal and celebrated playwright Vijay Tendulkar.
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah walked the red carpet at Cannes along with actor-wife Ratna Pathak Shah, late co-star Smita Patil's son Prateik Babbar, Dr Kurien's daughter Nirmala Kurien, Amul MD Jayen Mehta, and FHF founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. "Manthan" won two National Film Awards in 1977: for Best Feature Film in Hindi and Best Screenplay for Tendulkar. It was also India's official entry to the 1976 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
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