Cannes: India’s rich cinematic heritage is the focus of the Cannes Film Festival for the fourth successive year.
Satyajit Ray’s 1970 ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ (Days and Nights in the Forest), is a major highlight of the Cannes Classics section, which screens movies restored from ruins, at the festival this year.
The restored version of ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’, the fifth Indian film to be screened in Cannes Classics in the past four years, will have its world premiere at the festival this evening.
Actor Sharmila Tagore and American director Wes Anderson will present the Ray film at the Buñuel Theatre. Anderson is a member of the board of the Film Foundation, which has restored ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ in collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation from India.
In 2022, India was the Country of Honour in the Cannes Classics section, which had two restored films from the country— Ray’s 1970 film ‘Pratidwandi’ (The Adversary) and Malayalam director G Aravindan’s ‘Thampu’ (1978).
In 2023, the Cannes Classics screened Manipuri director Aribam Syam Sharma’s 1990 film, ‘Ishanou’ (The Chosen One), followed by the Hindi film, ‘Manthan'(1976) directed by Shyam Benegal last year.
‘Pratidwandi’ was restored in 4K resolution by the National Film Archive of India (now merged with the National Film Development Corporation) while ‘Thampu’, ‘Ishanou’ and ‘Manthan’ were restored by the Film Heritage Foundation created by filmmaker and film conservationist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.
“Working on the restoration of Satyajit Ray’s ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ has been an incredibly moving experience. Seeing the film’s beauty and artistry revitalised after 56 years – from its haunting score and the captivating chemistry of its cast, to the unforgettable grace of Sharmila Tagore and Ray’s sensitive portrayal of the Santhal tribals – has been a true privilege,” says Dungarpur, who directed the 2012 documentary, ‘Celluloid Man’, on the life of film conservationist P K Nair.
“I remember I was shooting for ‘Aradhana’ when Manikda (Satyajit Ray) approached me to shoot for this film for a month at a stretch. It was incredibly hot during the shoot and we could only shoot in the mornings and late afternoons. I have wonderful memories of the time spent with my co-actors and Manikda’s precision,” says Sharmila Tagore, one of the actors in ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’.
The 4K restoration of ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ was completed using the original camera and sound negative preserved by the film’s Kolkata-based producer. The Film Foundation was formed by celebrated American filmmaker Martin Scorsese in 1990 for preservation of cinematic heritage across the world.
An introspective portrayal of post-colonial urban India, ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ subtly unravels the complexities of class consciousness, gender relations, and the enduring weight of tradition in a rapidly changing Indian society. Besides Sharmila Tagore, the cast included Simi Garewal, Soumitra Chatterjee and Aparna Sen.
“The restoration of ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ is an extraordinary gift, not just to those of us who were part of the film, but to world cinema,” says Simi Grewal. “To have it premiere at Cannes Film Festival is a beautiful tribute to Satyajit Ray’s timeless brilliance,” she adds.
Among the restored films from around the world screened in Cannes Classic this year is Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Gold Rush’ to mark the centenary of its release, and ‘Amores Perros’ by Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
