Workshop for restoration & preservation of Bengali classics

The Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with the International Federation of Film Archives Thursday started a workshop for restoration and preservation of Bengali classics at the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival.

The workshop which was inaugurated Thursday would be held till November 22.

Foundation Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur told a press meet here Thursday, that the organisation was in the process of identifying the 100 most important Bengali films which needed to be preserved and restored.

Several films of Asit Sen, Ajay Kar, Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha - to name a few - needed immediate attention, Dungarpur said.

"I have been told that Sen's 'Bhuban Some' had got selected to the Cannes Film festival but could not be screened as there was no print fit for screening in that festival. We need to preserve such an important part of our history, we have put together a list of 100 films.... We now expect the public to come forward to suggest what can be the best hundred," he said to another question.

Dungapur said among the 100 shortlisted films, 'Kalpana', a 1948 film by Uday Shankar, has been restored and screened at the 24th KIFF and that "is the beginning."
Group CEO Viacom 18, Sudhansu Vats, which is supporting the initiative of workshop, said, "With the past three editions of the workshop in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai, we are proud to have created a pool of about 200 individuals who are equipped to preserve films across India."