NEW DELHI: National broadcaster Doordarshan has announced it will ring in the new year by screening the 4K restored version of Shyam Benegal's acclaimed film Manthan as a tribute to the veteran filmmaker.
Benegal, a pioneer of the parallel cinema movement in Indian cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, passed away on 23 December at a hospital here due to chronic kidney disease. He was 90.
Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), which restored the 1976 classic for its premiere in the Cannes Classics section at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, shared the update on its official X page.
According to FHF, Manthan will be broadcast on Doordarshan on Wednesday at 8 pm.
"To pay tribute to the late Shyam Benegal, Doordarshan will begin the new year with a screening of 'Manthan' (1976) restored by FHF with support from the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (Amul) on Jan 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. on Doordarshan," the foundation said.
Manthan was inspired by the groundbreaking milk cooperative movement led by Dr Verghese Kurien, which transformed India into one of the largest milk producers in the world.
The Hindi film, titled Churning in English, was financed 48 years ago by five lakh farmers of Gujarat, who contributed Rs 2 each.
The opening credits of the movie read: "500,000 Farmers of Gujarat present."
Manthan narrates the story of how a young veterinary doctor (Girish Karnad) fights against oppressive forces to establish a milk cooperative that empowers rural farmers.
The film also starred Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Amrish Puri.