On the 50th anniversary of the release of Satyajit Ray’s ‘Ashani Sanket’ (1973), the National Film Development Corporation-National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) will hold a public screening of the iconic movie’s 4K restored version tomorrow (Saturday, December 30).
The screening will take place at the main theatre of the NFDC-NFAI, Law College Road premises in Pune at 6pm. The screening will be in Bengali with English subtitles and is non-commercial, operating on a first-come, first-served basis.
The film delves into the realities of the Bengal famine through the lives of Gangacharan Chakrabarty (portrayed by Soumitra Chatterjee) and his young wife (played by Babita).
This film secured the Golden Bear for Best Film at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival in 1973.
Prithul Kumar, Managing Director of the NFDC-NFAI, mentioned, “The NFDC-NFAI has preserved two 35mm release prints of ‘Ashani Sanket’ in its collection, one with subtitles embossed and one colour faded, both sources unsuitable for restoration. The original camera negative has not been traceable for quite some time. Even the producer's family had little idea about the whereabouts of the negatives. Thankfully, the Information and Cultural Affairs (I&CA) Department of the West Bengal Government preserved a good-quality 35mm release print of Ashani Sanket. Like the NFDC-NFAI had previously collaborated with the I&CA Dept West Bengal Govt to restore other Satyajit Ray movies, once again the two organisations worked together to make this restoration possible. The 35mm release print of the film was scanned in 4K resolution for this restoration. Among all the Ray films, perhaps 'Ashani Sanket' has been available in the worst quality on various online platforms. Hence, this 4K restoration acquires even more significance.”
Earlier this year, NFDC-NFAI celebrated Dev Anand’s centenary by screening 'C. I. D.' (1956), 'Guide' (1965), 'Jewel Thief' (1967), and 'Johny Mera Naam' (1970).
