Shyam Benegal’s ‘Manthan’ (1976) will be screened in the classical category ‘Cannes Classics’ at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Along with the director, the film’s actor Naseeruddin Shah, actress Smita Patil’s family, producer and Film Heritage Foundation of India director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur will be present at the exhibition.
‘Manthan’ was created in the background of India’s largest dairy development movement, the White Revolution. It was India’s first publicly funded film. 5 lakh farmers of the country’s Gujarat state donated Rs 2 to make the film. ‘Church’ inspired by Varghese Kurien’s dairy cooperative movement. He is one of the narrators of the film.
Varghese Kurien’s billion liter idea i.e. Operation Flood has transformed India from a milk deficit nation to the world’s largest and top producer. His White Revolution program is known as the largest agricultural development program in the world. Dairy Association of India has been celebrating this milestone birthday as National Dairy Day since 2014. He has received the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Krishi Ratna awards from the Government of India. Besides, he was awarded many honors in different countries. He passed away in 2012 at the age of 90.
The 2-hour and 14-minute Hindi-language ‘Manthan’ traces the origins of the White Revolution through a fictional narrative centered on rural empowerment. It also stars Girish Karnad, Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Mohan Agase, Anant Nag, Rajendra Yashpal, Ava Dhulia, Sadhu Meher and Anjali Payagankar.
The 48-year-old print of ‘Manthan’ has been restored by the Film Heritage Foundation. Its 35 mm original negative was preserved in NFDC (National Film Archive of India). Director Shyam Benegal, cinematographer Govind Nihalani, Post-Studios of Prasad Corporation Pvt Ltd in Chennai and Li’magine Ritrovata Laboratory in Italy worked on the restoration process. Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, an organization created by Varghese Kurien, has provided financial assistance. Sound digital conversion from theatrically released 35mm prints preserved at the Film Heritage Foundation.
‘Manthan’ won the National Film Awards of India in 1977 for Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay (Vijay Tendulkar). This picture was sent to Oscar from India. Preeti Sagar won the award for Best Female Singer at the Filmfare Awards for the song ‘Mero Gam Katha Pare’.
The classical film category was introduced at the Cannes festival 20 years ago. It exhibits restored prints of classic films and documentary films about legends.
Apart from ‘Manthan’, several films from India have been selected in the official selection of this year’s festival. Meanwhile, Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine As Light’ will fight for the Palme d’Or in the main competition. After 30 years, an Indian film was nominated for the Palme d’Or.
India’s Sandhya Suri-directed ‘Santosh’ is among the shortlisted films in the Ansarte Riga category. Shahana Goswami is playing the role of a police officer. Two Indian actresses Ansuya Sengupta and Omara Shetty acted in the film ‘The Shameless’ directed by Konstantin Bojanov of Bulgaria, which was placed in the same category.
Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune’s Tarun Chidanand S Naik’s ‘Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know…’ was selected in the student filmmakers category La Cinefundasso.
Karan Kandhari’s ‘Sister Midnight’ has been selected in the Director’s Fortnight parallel category at Cannes. It starred Radhika Apte.
India’s Harish Khanna acted in Iran’s Maysam Ali’s first film ‘In Retreat’, selected in another parallel category ACID (Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema).
Apart from this, ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ directed by Suchi Talati will be screened at Cannes Screen Juniors. Kani Kusruti, the star of ‘All We Imagine As Light’ acted in it.
India’s pavilion on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in southern France will remain as usual. Several actresses of the country will spread love on the red carpet. Manushi Hillar’s name has already been finalised. All in all, this year’s Cannes festival will become Indian!
On May 14, the curtain of the festival will be raised at the Grand Theater Lumiere of the Palais de Festival building in the city of Cannes. Greta Gerwig, the director of ‘Barbie’, will be the chief judge in the main competition. Canadian director-actor Javier Dolan will be the chief judge in the Sainte-Riga category.
The 77th Cannes Festival will continue until May 25. The opening and closing ceremonies will be hosted by French comedian-actress Camille Cotan.
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