Shyam Benegal’s acclaimed film Manthan, starring the late Smita Patil, made a successful return at the Cannes Film Festival with its restored version.
This 1976 classic is set to re-release in Indian cinemas this June, offering audiences a chance to experience the film anew.
Prominent attendees at its Cannes screening included Naseeruddin Shah and his wife Ratna Pathak Shah, Prateik Babbar (son of late co-star Smita Patil), Nirmala Kurien (daughter of Dr. Kurien), and Jayen Mehta (MD of Amul). Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder of the Film Heritage Foundation, also attended the event.
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Restored Version Of Manthan To Release In 50 Indian Cities
The restored Manthan will be screened in 50 cities and 100 cinemas across India on June 1 and 2, following a positive response at Cannes. This re-release is a collaboration between the Film Heritage Foundation, the Gujarat Co-Operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd., PVR-INOX Ltd., and Cinépolis India.
Audiences in cities including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and many more will have the opportunity to watch the film. The film, inspired by Dr. Verghese Kurien’s revolutionary milk cooperative movement, was showcased under the Cannes Classics segment.
Director Shyam Benegal expressed his delight at the response to the restoration at Cannes and the upcoming theatrical release in India. “Manthan will be the first restoration of one of my films to have a theatrical release. When Manthan released in 1976, it was a great success as farmers came in droves to see the film, travelling in bullock carts from small towns and villages. I hope that 48 years later, people across India will come to the cinema to watch the film,” Benegal stated.
Naseeruddin Shah shared his emotional experience of watching the restored Manthan at Cannes. “I was overwhelmed by memories from almost fifty years ago and moved to tears by the standing ovation at the end. I am delighted that the film is to be released in cinemas across India and I hope that people will not lose the opportunity to watch a beautiful restoration of a historic film on the big screen. I will be going to the theatre myself to watch the film again,” he said.
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur emphasised the importance of bringing the restored film to the big screen to reach a wide audience. “I am so pleased that audiences across the country, from big metros like Mumbai and New Delhi to smaller cities like Dharwad and Bhatinda, will have the opportunity to watch the beautifully restored film,” he added.
About Manthan
The movie depicts a fictionalised account of the remarkable dairy cooperative movement initiated by Dr. Verghese Kurien, which turned India into the world’s leading milk producer from a milk-deficient nation.
Co-written by Shyam Benegal and renowned playwright Vijay Tendulkar, Manthan was a groundbreaking project set in Gujarat. It holds the distinction of being the first crowd-funded Indian film, with 500,000 farmers contributing Rs 2 each.
Manthan received two National Film Awards in 1977 and was India’s official submission to the 1976 Academy Awards for the best foreign language film category.
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