Pune: Six films of legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak have been restored by a city-based digital film restoration company and are being screened at the Il Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna, Italy. The films would be showcased across 13 slots over nine days at its 40th anniversary edition.The six films are part of the birth centenary celebrations of Ghatak. His films, including “Meghe Dhaka Tara”, “Subarnarekha”, “Ajantrik” and “Jukti Takko Aar Gappo”, continue to inspire filmmakers worldwide even today through their distinctive storytelling and powerful social commentary.Cameo Media Labs undertook audio restoration for the films under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM), a landmark initiative established to preserve, restore and safeguard the country’s vast film legacy for future generations, academic research and global cultural appreciation. The company helped recover and preserve the original sonic character of the films, while ensuring they meet contemporary international exhibition standards.Purab Gujar, co-founder of Cameo Media Labs, said, “For everyone working in film preservation, seeing these restored classics reach prestigious international platforms is immensely gratifying. Audio restoration is often an invisible craft, but it plays a vital role in preserving the artistic integrity of the film and original intent of a filmmaker. The growing global recognition for these restored films demonstrates that India now possesses restoration capabilities that meet the highest international standards.”The screenings are a part of the NFHM’s ongoing efforts. The restoration project is undertaken by the National Film Development Corporation and the National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) based in Pune under the aegis of the Union ministry of information and broadcasting.
