Films are more than just entertainment. They represent a country's culture, history, and social growth. Films are extremely important in a country as diverse and culturally rich as India. Many seasoned performers and directors have made vital contributions to the film industry since the country's inception.
However , there is also a fear that the original copies of these films will be destroyed in the course of time if they are not stored and preserved properly. Therefore , a campaign to preserve these films has been launched under the National Film Heritage Mission of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. On the occasion of World Film Day, the films preserved and remastered by the National Film Development Corporation and the National Film Museum were praised by film stalwarts.
Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Waheeda Rehman, who has acted in quality films like ' Reshma Aur Shera ', ' Guide ', ' Choudahvi Ka Chand ' , while appreciating these films said , " I usually don't like to watch my own films because there are so many flaws in them. But Guide I was amazed to see the film in its new form. Even after 60 years, the film continues to enthrall and entertain us. It was a special treat for me to watch this film on the big screen with my daughter. I thank the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for bringing this film in a new form and giving the new generation a chance to enjoy it. Thank you."
Veteran film director-producer Govind Nihalani also praised the campaign. He said , " It was very satisfying to watch the Traham film in a new format. The sound quality , the improvements in the color scheme were very good. I am happy that NFDC-NFAI and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have released my Traham film in 35mm format."
Indeed , NFDC-NFAI has played a vital role in preserving and archiving the cinema treasures of India. This will give the future generations an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the rich treasury of Indian cinema.
Preservation , conservation and digitization of India's vast film heritage is the primary objective of the National Film Heritage Mission. NFHM is a large initiative that covers various aspects of film preservation , including restoration of deteriorating films in modern formats such as 4K, 35mm , digitization of film prints , documentation and preventive conservation. This work is done at Pune Campus of NFDC-NFAI.
Director Vijay Anand's Chiranjeev and actor Dev Anand's nephew Vaibhav Anand recently visited the National Film Museum's Pune campus to watch one of Dev Anand's films.
He said , " This is a great initiative by NFDC-NFAI under the National Film Heritage Mission. A library of Indian films is being restored and preserved at NFDC-NFAI, Pune, using a combination of international and Indian technology. Government of India and instructions for taking this progressive step. And my heartiest congratulations to the Ministry of Broadcasting."
Along with him, the families of various great filmmakers have also appreciated this initiative. Bharat Bhushan's grand daughter Vishnupriya Pandit said , " As a cinephile I appreciate the efforts of NFDC-NFAI to revive the golden history of Indian cinema. As a grandchild I am watching my grandfather Bharat Bhushan on the silver screen. It was my lifelong wish and he was in theatre. It was a great experience for me to experience. I thank the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for restoring ' Barsaat Ki Raat ' and NFDC-NFAI for inviting me to watch the film on the silver screen. That experience will stay with me for a long time."
Many other important films in various languages are being restored under the NFHM in the coming years , including films in several Indian languages that are part of the rich history of Indian cinema. Speaking about the process of film restoration and digitization , NFDC Managing Director Prithul Kumar said , " An important part of the NFHM initiative is the restoration and digitization of quality classic films. Currently, many old film prints are in a damaged state. The result of time , improper storage and various environmental factors. These films are in danger of being lost forever. Under NFHM, these copies of the films are meticulously revived , which preserves the original quality of the films."
The process involves scanning analog film prints and converting them to digital format. With this help it preserves it for a long time and is also very useful in the eyes of the audience. Digitization makes it easier to restore , as well as distribute, images. Through these efforts , NFDC-NFAI guarantees that quality films of yesteryear will not be lost with the passage of time .
Under this campaign ' Barsat Ki Raat ', ' C. i. D. ' (1956), ' Guide ' (1965), ' Jewel Thief ' (1967), ' Johnny Mera Naam ' (1970), ' Bees Saal Baad ' (1962), ' Traam ' (1985) and other films remastered in 4K resolution. has been brought to the silver screen.
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