India's Forgotten Films Shine
Restored Indian classics make it to top four international film festivals for the first time, with John Abraham's Amma Ariyan screening at Toronto International Film Festival
India's forgotten films are getting a second act at the world's biggest festivals, with restored Indian films making it to the top four international film festivals for the first time. The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will screen John Abraham’s Amma Ariyan (1986) in the Toronto Classics section.
Restored Indian films have made it to the top four international film festivals—Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Toronto—for the first time. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian cinema. Pradip Krishen’s film 'In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones' (1989) was shown in the Berlinale Classics at the Berlin Film Festival.
The National Film Heritage Mission aims to restore 2,200 films across languages, highlighting the importance of film restoration in India. The mission is part of a global trend, where film conservation has emerged as a multi-billion-dollar industry. Mughal-e-Azam (1960) was the first Indian film to be digitally restored for a theatrical rerelease in 2004.
A massive nitrate fire broke out in Henderson’s lab in 1993, burning many classics, including Ray’s Apu Trilogy. However, the restored Apu’s Trilogy had its world premiere at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 2015. This restoration was a result of a desperate attempt by the Academy Film Archive, with engineers from Italy’s L’Immagine Ritrovata spending thousands of hours salvaging the films.
## Why it matters The restoration of Indian films is crucial in preserving the country's cinematic heritage. With thousands of films in danger of being lost forever, the National Film Heritage Mission's goal of restoring 2,200 films is a significant step towards conservation. The selection of restored Indian films at top international film festivals highlights the importance of film restoration and the need to preserve India's cinematic history.
The success of restored Indian films at international festivals also draws attention to the country's rich cinematic heritage. As the film festival circuit continues, the screening of John Abraham’s Amma Ariyan at the Toronto International Film Festival will further showcase India's forgotten films to a global audience.
