Hyderabad: The Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) announced on Monday that tickets are now available for the re-release of Shyam Benegal's film Manthan in Indian cinemas. This restored version of the 1976 classic was showcased at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, where it received an overwhelming response.
The movie will be re-released on June 1 and 2 and will be screened in 38 cities across India, including major metropolitan centres such as Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, and Hyderabad.
Taking to X, FHF wrote, "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 (sic)."
Manthan holds a special place in Indian cinematic history, as it was financed by an unprecedented five lakh farmers from Gujarat, who collectively contributed Rs two each to fund the film's production.
The restored version, which was showcased under the Cannes Classics segment on May 17, has been restored using the original 35mm 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.
The restoration process was a collaborative effort, involving Prasad Corporation Pvt Ltd's PostStudios in Chennai, L'Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory, and the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, as well as cinematographer Govind Nihalani and director Shyam Benegal.
The movie's Cannes screening was attended by a host of luminaries, including veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, his wife Ratna Pathak Shah, and late Dr Verghese Kurien's daughter Nirmala Kurien, among others.
Manthan, which was co-written by Benegal and celebrated playwright Vijay Tendulkar, tells the inspiring story of the milk cooperative movement led by the late Dr Verghese Kurien, which transformed India into one of the world's largest milk producers and created the Amul brand.
The film, featuring the late Smita Patil, won two National Film Awards in 1977 and an Academy Award nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
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