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Shyam Benegal’s restored iconic film ‘Manthan’ to premiere in India on World Milk Day | Hindi Film News

Shyam Benegal’s iconic 1976 film “Manthan”, restored by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s Film Heritage Foundation after its world premiere at Cannes last month, was screened for the first time in India on Saturday night.

June 1 is World Milk Day, a fitting date for the nationwide release of the restored film as it is based on the life of Dr Verghese Kurian, known as India’s Milk Man. The film was also crowdfunded by over 500,000 milk producers in Gujarat, who paid them Rs 2 each to make it.

The film, which continues to attract attention for its powerful storytelling and timeless relevance, celebrated its spectacular return to the silver screen with a special screening in Mumbai on Saturday night.

The ceremony was attended by the only surviving star Naseeruddin Shah and his actress wife Ratna Pathak Shah, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, the late Smita Patil’s son Prateek Babbar who was there to mark the release of the film, his girlfriend Priya Banerjee, the late Amrish Puri’s grandson Vardhan Puri, the film’s stellar cast including Jackie Shroff, Ali Fazal, Richa Chadha who looked graceful in a blue saree, and Swara Bhaskar who appeared in a tissue saree.

Manthan holds a special place in the history of Indian cinema and was rightly given top status in the prestigious festival’s Cannes Classics section.

The film’s ensemble cast featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Girish Karnad and Amrish Puri delivered performances that stand the test of time, making the film immortal in the history of Indian cinema.

Through its depiction of the milk cooperative movement, “Manthan” highlights the resilience and spirit of rural India and highlights the transformative power of collective action and community empowerment.