Kamal Amrohi ’s 1972 Hindi classic Pakeezah returned to the big screen in a new 4K restoration at the BFI London Film Festival on October 18, drawing a packed audience for its UK premiere. The film was selected as the festival’s closing gala screening at BFI IMAX, the UK’s largest cinema screen. Tickets sold out within a day of bookings opening.
It has been my dream to restore Pakeezah ever since I established the Film Heritage Foundation in 2014. Its selections included Pradip Krishen and Arundhati Roy’s In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989) at the Berlin International Film Festival, John Abraham’s Malayalam film Amma Ariyan (1986) at Cannes, and Dev Benegal’s English, August (1994) at the Venice International Film Festival.
Recalling his personal connection with the film, Dungarpur said, “I first watched this film when I was three years old with my grandmother in the cinema. I am profoundly grateful to the BFI for providing such a prestigious global platform to showcase this labour of love. ” Rukhsaar Amrohi said her father had created a work that would ensure his lasting place in cinema history. It is a work for which he deserves to be eternally remembered and honored,” she said, thanking Dungarpur for making the screening possible.
The screening was presented by Film Heritage Foundation director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, alongside Tajdar Amrohi and Rukhsaar Amrohi, the filmmaker’s son and daughter. The conversation was moderated by Arike Oke, executive director of knowledge and collections at the British Film Institute (BFI). Kamal Amrohi’s grandson, Bilal Amrohi, who worked closely with the foundation on the restoration, was also present. Fourteen members of the Amrohi family travelled from India to attend the screening. This film is incredibly close to my heart and will always be intertwined with my memories of her. He added that the absence of the original camera negative and the poor condition of the surviving material made the restoration particularly challenging. “We spent two years painstakingly working on this restoration. The audio element proved to be a significant challenge, but I was determined to do justice to Kamal Amrohi’s magnificent vision. “When he made Pakeezah, my father created an absolute wonder true to his name, Kamal. The UK premiere marks another milestone for the Film Heritage Foundation, which has presented restorations at several major international film festivals this year. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test Get the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.
The screening was an emotional occasion for the filmmaker’s family. Tajdar Amrohi compared the restoration to bringing the film back to life, saying, “My Choti Ammi, Meena Kumari , was in a coma before she passed away. In many ways, the negative of Pakeezah was also in a coma and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur has brought it back to life. Our deepest gratitude goes out to Shivendra and the Film Heritage Foundation for their tireless devotion.”
Expressing his gratitude to the restoration team, he added, “I truly feel the presence of my father here today, blessing us.