With the 4K restoration of “Do Bigha Zamin” by Master Bimal Roy (two earth acres) which takes place for its world premiere in the classic section of the film Festival de Venice, the director of the Cinematic Foundation of India, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, reflects on the monumental effort to restore the benchmark of Indian cinema of 1953 – and why the film remains essential to see seven decades later.
“Bimal Roy did ‘do Bigha Zamin’ two years before the” Pather Panchali “by Satyajit Ray,” says Dungarpur Variety. “Satyajit Ray said about Bimal Roy that he was able to sweep the spider canvases from the old tradition and introduce a realism and a subtlety that was entirely adapted to the cinema.”
For Dungarpur, Roy’s film represents the power of cinema to endure through generations. “The deep humanism and compassion he showed in the film have highlighted the fate of the marginalized, the problems of migrant work and the urban-rural fracture which are still so relevant today.”
The restoration, completed in partnership with Criterion Collection and Janus Films, presented great technical challenges during his three -year trip. “The negative of the original camera which was in the archives of the national film of India was not finished and it was not in very good condition either,” explains Dungarpur. “We checked with the British Film Institute and found that they had a 35mm negative dupe from 1954 to 1955 which was finished.”
Audio has proven to be particularly problematic. “Sound was a challenge because there were a lot of portions where the sound lacked and there were a lot of disturbances. A lot of work had to be done to restore sound.”
Roy’s film, inspired by “Bicycle Thieves” by Vittorio de Sica, tells the story of a poor farmer forced to move to town as a ripe pusher to save his land from a raptor owner. The link between Italian neo-realism and Indian social cinema was not lost in Dungarpur.
“The” bicycle thieves “had a deep impact not only on Bimal Roy but also in other Indian filmmakers like Raj Kapoor,” he notes. “The Italian neo-realistic movement was born from the ravages of the Second World War, while Indian social realism emerged after the partition in a newly independent India which was struggling with its own problems of migration, displacement, urbanization, poverty and corruption.”
The film marked a radical gap compared to the traditions of the Studio du Cinéma Indian. “Till ‘Do Bigha Zamin”, the films of the time were generally shot in the studios, the melodrama and the manifold game was the agenda “, observes Dungarpur.” With “Do Bigha Zamine”, he showed his contemporaries that films could be drawn out of the studio and in the streets. “
“Do Bigha Zamin” is part of the wider mission of the film Heritage Foundation to preserve Indian cinema endangered in several languages and regions. Recent restorations include Odia’s film “Maya Miriga” (1984), Aribam Syam Sharma “Ishanou” (1990) and “Manthan” film by Shyam Benegal (1976).
“‘Do Bigha Zamin’ is a historic film in Indian cinema and I have always been very lively that Bimal Roy’s films are restored,” explains Dungarpur. “Each of his films, whether” Madhumati “, Bandini” or “Devdas” are significant films in Indian cinema. »»
The collaboration with Criterion and Janus guarantees that the film reaches the international public with an appropriate context and presentation. “I am happy that Criterion Collection / Janus Films agreed to get on board to restore and distribute the Bimal Roy films,” he said. “In this way, we assured that Bimal Roy’s inheritance will survive posterity.”
He praises the partners’ approach: “The films Criterion Collection / Janus play a crucial role not only in the restoration of films, but they celebrate the works by the quality of their catering, their special characteristics and their exceptional packaging, inviting the interest of the new audience and making them accessible to future generations.”
The film will be presented in Venice by the Roy’s family, notably the girls Rinki Roy Bhattacharya and Aparajita Roy Sinha, his son Joy Bimal Roy and Dungarpur.
Looking Ahead, Film Heritage Foundation has a full Slate of Upcoming Restorations, included John Abraham’s Malayalam film “Amma Ariyan” (1986), Pradip Krishen and Arundhati Roy’s “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones” (1989), Pattabhirama Reddy’s Kannada Film “Samskara” (1970), and Kamal Amrohi’s “Pakeezah” (1972).
The restored “Do Bigha Zamin”, which won the international prize in Cannes in 1954, served both as historical artifact and contemporary mirror. Basically, suggests Dungarpur, is a universal truth: “At the heart of neo-realistic films and social realism in Indian cinema is a human and compassionate vision of humanity and its fragiles.”
Founded in 2014, Film Heritage Foundation is a non -profit organization based in Mumbai dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the film, with a growing collection of 700 films and 200,000 pieces of souvenirs related to the cinema.
