Rekha’s ‘Umrao Jaan’ Among 10 Restored Indian Classics Showcased by Prasad at Goa Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
Post-production giant Prasad is showcasing 10 restored Indian classics at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), running Nov. 20-28 in Goa.
The restored titles, part of an ongoing collaboration between the National Film Development Corporation, the National Film Archive of India and Prasad, span multiple decades of Indian cinema. The lineup includes Muzaffar Ali’s 1981 costume drama “Umrao Jaan,” starring Rekha as a 19th-century courtesan.
The 10 films screening at IFFI are Ali’s “Umrao Jaan” (1981) and “Gaman” (1978), Kalpana Lajmi’s “Rudaali” (1993), Ritwik Ghatak’s “Subarnarekha” (1965), Baburao Painter’s “Muraliwala” (1927), Govind Nihalani’s “Party” (1984), Guru Dutt’s “Pyaasa” (1957), Shyam Benegal’s “Susman” (1987), Sibi Malayil’s “Kireedam” (1989) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s “Musafir” (1957).
Prasad’s restoration teams utilized digital restoration techniques, color grading and quality control protocols to preserve each film’s original vision while ensuring technical fidelity across picture and sound elements.
“Restoring these films is both a responsibility and a privilege,” said Abhishek Prasad, director and CTO at Prasad. “Each title carries within it a piece of India’s cultural memory — the craft, courage and creativity of filmmakers who defined our cinematic language.”
Prasad is also presenting two restored Sri Lankan films at the 47th Nantes Three Continents Film Festival in France, running Nov. 21-29. The company restored D.B. Nihalsinghe’s “Welikathara” (1971) and Prasanna Vithanage’s “Akasa Kusum” (2008) for the festival, which celebrates cinema from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
“It is always an honor when films from our region find new life and new audiences across the world,” said Kavita Prasad, managing director of Prasad Corporation. “Sri Lanka’s cinematic legacy is rich, nuanced and deeply human.”
Founded in 1956 by filmmaker L.V. Prasad, the company has worked on more than 30,000 films over six decades. The post-production house operates facilities across India, the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan and Saudi Arabia, offering services including 8K film restoration, digital intermediate work, HDR grading and Dolby Atmos mixing.
