In the timeless classic “Manthan,” directed by the esteemed Shyam Benegal, Dr. Rao, portrayed by Girish Karnad, ventures into a rural village in Gujarat with the noble intention of establishing a Milk Co-operative society for the betterment of the locals. Despite facing opposition from the affluent Mishraji, played by Amrish Puri, and the village head, Sarpanch, portrayed by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Dr. Rao, with the assistance of Bindu (Smita Patil) and Bhola (Naseeruddin Shah), ultimately succeeds in empowering the villagers to become self-sufficient.
The restored edition of “Manthan,” featuring Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Girish Karnad, is scheduled for a screening at the Cannes Film Festival’s Classics segment on May 17. Shyam Benegal, aged 89, lauds the remarkable restoration work, noting that the current print quality surpasses that of the original film print from 45 years ago, attributing the credit to the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) spearheaded by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.
“Manthan,” a cinematic portrayal of the inception of India’s groundbreaking dairy cooperative movement inspired by Verghese Kurien, also known as the Father of the White Revolution, stands as India’s maiden crowdfunded film, with 500,000 dairy farmers each contributing 0.024 USD towards its production, equivalent to millions of dollars.
The restoration of the film was meticulously carried out by the Film Heritage Foundation at Prasad Corporation, Chennai, and L’Immagine Ritrovata Laboratory, in collaboration with Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd., cinematographer Govind Nihalani, and director Shyam Benegal. Utilizing the finest surviving materials, including the 35 mm original camera negative preserved at the NFDC-National Film Archive of India, and digitized sound from the 35 mm release print preserved at Film Heritage Foundation, the movie was restored to its former glory.
As the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival unfolds from May 14 to 25, 2024, with Greta Gerwig presiding as jury president and Camille Cottin hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, “Manthan” stands as a testament to India’s rich cinematic heritage and the enduring legacy of its visionary filmmakers.
