Kamal Amrohi ’s celebrated 1972 Hindi film Pakeezah returned to the big screen in a 4K restoration, making its UK debut at the BFI London Film Festival on October 18, 2026. The film was chosen as the festival’s closing gala screening at BFI IMAX, the UK’s largest cinema screen, with tickets selling 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,” he said. Its 2026 selections include Pradip Krishen and Arundhati Roy’s In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989) at the Berlin International Film Festival, John Abraham’s Malayalam classic Amma Ariyan (1986) at the Cannes Film Festival, and Dev Benegal’s English, August (1994) at the Venice International Film Festival. Because the original camera negative was unavailable and the surviving material was in poor condition, the restoration, which took two years, was particularly challenging.
Comparing the restoration to the revival of something that had been lost, Tajdar Amrohi said, “My Choti Ammi, Meena Kumari , was in a coma before she passed away.
The audio posed an additional hurdle, but Dungarpur said he was determined to preserve Amrohi’s vision. Overcome by the occasion, Tajdar said he had arrived with much to share but found himself at a loss for words before the audience. It is a work for which he deserves to be eternally remembered and honored,” she said, thanking Dungarpur for his dedication to the restoration.
The screening brought together Film Heritage Foundation director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and Kamal Amrohi’s children, Tajdar Amrohi and Rukhsaar Amrohi, for a discussion moderated by Arike Oke, executive director of knowledge and collections at the British Film Institute (BFI). The filmmaker’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 be part of the occasion. Introducing the film, Dungarpur spoke about his long-standing personal connection with Pakeezah and his ambition to restore it. “I first watched this film when I was three years old with my grandmother in the cinema. This film is incredibly close to my heart and will always be intertwined with my memories of her. He thanked the BFI for providing an international platform for the restored film. The evening took an emotional turn when the filmmaker’s children addressed the audience. In many ways, the negative of Pakeezah was also in a coma and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur has brought it back to life. He expressed his gratitude to Dungarpur and the Film Heritage Foundation, adding that he felt his father’s presence at the screening. Rukhsaar Amrohi described the film as a defining work in her father’s legacy. “When he made Pakeezah, my father created an absolute wonder true to his name, Kamal. The UK premiere adds to a significant year for the Film Heritage Foundation, which has taken restored Indian films to leading international festivals. 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.