3 min readPuneJun 3, 2026 01:00 PM IST
Written by Nilambari Salunke
The National Film Development Corporation-National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) has completed the 4K restoration of Ritwik Ghatak’s feature films under the National Film Heritage Mission, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s flagship programme for film preservation and restoration.
NFDC-NFAI has partnered with the British Film Institute (BFI) to organise a retrospective at BFI Southbank in London marking Ghatak’s birth centenary. Beginning in June 2026, the programme will screen restored versions of Ghatak’s films along with several documentaries, short films, and unfinished works associated with the filmmaker.
According to NFDC-NFAI, the restoration work used original film elements preserved by the archive over several decades, along with material sourced from the West Bengal State Film Archive. The colour grading process was supervised by national award-winning cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay.
The retrospective will feature restored versions of films, including Meghe Dhaka Tara, Subarnarekha, Komal Gandhar, Ajantrik, Nagarik, Bari Thekey Paliye, Jukti Takko Aar Gappo and Titas Ekti Nadir Naam. The programme will also include screenings of documentaries and short works such as Bihar Ke Darshaniya Sthan, My Lenin, Puruliar Chhau and Ramkinkar Baij.
Mukhopadhyay said working on the project allowed him to closely observe Ghatak’s cinematic style and visual language. He described the restoration effort as an important exercise in preserving film heritage for future generations of audiences and researchers.
NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum said the collaboration with the BFI would provide international audiences with an opportunity to revisit Ghatak’s work while also highlighting India’s archival restoration efforts under the National Film Heritage Mission.
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Ghatak, regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in Indian cinema, is known for films that explored themes of Partition, displacement, and social change. Though his body of work was comparatively small, his films have had a lasting influence on Indian and international cinema.
The restoration of Ghatak’s films is part of wider efforts under the mission to preserve and digitise classics of Indian cinema. Over the last few years, several films from different Indian languages and regions have undergone restoration through the programme as part of archival conservation initiatives.
Nilambari Salunke is an intern with The Indian Express, Pune.
