https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/ma ... 240515.htm

One is the importance of the film. Specifically with regional cinema or films from around India. Then it is the material, the conditions of the prints, negatives.

This year in addition to Manthan, we have two other important films restored, Nirad Mohapatra's Odia film Maya Miriga (1984) and Girish Kasaravalli's Ghatashraddha (1977).

In the pipeline are Uttra (2000), Dev Benegal's English August (1994) and In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989), with Arundhati Roy.

We are working with partners on restoring Badnam Basti (1971), Sholay (1975) and Do Bigha Zamin (1953).

We will also restore Araner Din Ratri (1970), where we are working with the Film Foundation and Wes Anderson.

It's always a collaborative process. For Do Bigha Zamin, we got the materials in India, the scanning was done at L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna and the Criterion Collection is managing the actual restoration.

RESTORATION PROCESS:

In 2022, Shehzad Sippy of Sippy Films approached us about restoring “Sholay”. He said the film elements were in a warehouse in Mumbai and he would like to deposit it with us for preservation. When we opened the sack of film cans they had no labels, but we discovered that the cans contained the original 35 mm camera and sound negative of the film. Ramesh Sippy came to our archive to see this amazing discovery for himself and had tears in his eyes as he looked at what survived of the original film. Shehzad Sippy also mentioned that there were film elements lying at Iron Mountain in UK and thanks to help from our friends at the British Film Institute we were able to access these elements. The reels from London and Mumbai were then shipped to L’Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna to begin the restoration process.

The restoration was complex and took almost three years. So what did we have to work with to restore the film? Sadly, the original camera negative was badly deteriorated and could not be used for the restoration. The main elements used were the interpositives found in London and Mumbai. Miraculously, the colour reversal intermediate found in London had the original ending and two deleted scenes. We had managed to acquire the original Arri 2C camera that was used to shoot “Sholay” for our archive. As no 70 mm prints were available, we spoke to veteran cinematographer Kamlakar Rao who had worked on “Sholay” with Dwarka Divecha, the cinematographer of the film. He told us that Dwarka Divecha suggested putting a ground glass in front of the camera lens on which Kamlakar Rao made markings so that the margins of the 70mm frame could be identified. This helped us to decide on the aspect ratio as 2.2:1 for the restored film. As luck would have it, we also found the original magnetic sound elements at the Sippy Films office. The sound restoration was done using the original sound negative and the magnetic elements.

The final restored version is based on two interpositives and two colour reversal intermediates which includes the original ending and the deleted scenes reviving the original vision of the director.


RESTORATION CREDITS:

Restored by Film Heritage Foundation at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with Sippy Films.

Funding provided by Sippy Films.

Sholay was restored using the best surviving elements: an interpositive and two colour reversal intermediates found in a warehouse in UK and a second interpositive dating from 1978 deposited by Sippy Films and preserved by Film Heritage Foundation.

The sound was restored using the original sound negative, and the magnetic soundtrack preserved by Film Heritage Foundation.

The film was originally shot on 35 mm and blown up to 70 mm for release. No 70 mm prints of the film survive.

The original camera negative was severely damaged due to heavy vinegar syndrome with coils adhesion and halos, overcoat deterioration both on base side and emulsion side and base distortion.

The Director’s Cut has been reconstructed and restored in 4K including the original ending as well as two deleted scenes and with the original 70 mm aspect ratio of 2.2: 1.