Not that I recall. You might be thinking of Jhanak Jhanak Paysl Baje.

Saw this here...

http://www.myreviewer.com/DVD/25093/Mot ... hran-Audit

This could have been a mistake as it is about the only place where a 1970s re - release is mentioned. There was an official re- release in 2002 (UK/USA) but nothing I can find for the 1970s.

I doubt very much that Mother India was re-released in 1970 and that too in Widescreen. And, there are so many doubtful statements in that review/ quote, mentioned above.

1) Zenith Of Widescreen: 1970 was no Zenith of Widescreen in India. Theatres were slowly converting to widescreen. If 1970 was Zenith of Widescreen, how come the most ambitious film of the time, 'MERA NAAM JOKER' was 4:3 ?? (So was Johny Mera Naam and most 1970 films).

2) I used to see lots of films in late 60s, early 70s. Never heard of any major re-release of Mother India. Films used to re-run routinely, but there is difference between re-run and re-release. Re-runs used to run for a week or so on a single screen as compared to 7-8 screens for 10-15 weeks for new films. Had Mother India re-released in 1970, I sure would have noticed it. And if it was to be in widescreen, it would have been a much bigger news and hype.

3) The reviewer could have mistaken Mehmood Khan's 'Son Of India' with 'Mother India'. Son Of India, I think was widescreen, released in 1962 (Mehmood Khan died in 1964)

4) The only 4:3 film re-released in widescreen in a big way (apart from MughleAzam that really was not full 2.35:1 anyway) that I can think of is "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje" that V. Shantaram himself re-framed, frame by frame, and let it run for a long time in his own theatre Maratha Mandir, I think in 2002 as Muz said. It was no cropping, it was re-framed by the original director himself.

I will concur - Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje was indeed an official re-release that was artfully re-framed by V Shantaram ... at the same time the soundtrack was re-recorded in stereo (much like the re-release of Mughal-E-Azam, however in my opinion Jhanak Jhanal Payal Baje re-recording was handled much better than Mughal-E-Azam).

The process used for Jahank Jhanak Payal Baje was applied to Sholay, but many cinemas at that time were not equipped to handle widescreen films ... I have looked for info about a Mother India widescreen release, but there is nothing aside from that one review (and no source cited in that review for when or where it was released).

The Mother India "widescreen" DVD was an amateur effort ... certain parts of the film (if you recall) had long shots of fields with most of the activity right at the bottom of the frame. On the DVD I recall all of that activity was missing as the DVD maker zoomed in to the centre of the frame for all of the film. My conclusion is still that it is a fake DVD.

The one I would still look out for is the widescreen version of Around the World (1967) ... that was the first Indian 70mm film - but all we get on DVD is the 35mm version.

Is the 70mm version of JJPB available on a decent source? Would love to own it.

The 35mm version isn't even available from a decent source - I could only wish for the 70mm version with it's re-recorded stereo soundtrack. The soundtrack in stereo is readily available on CD.

"Nain So Nain" was shown on "Lata - in her own voice", and looked/sounded decent. So perhaps a Channel 4 source exists.