IFFI 2025 Revives India’s Film Heritage With Restored Classics and Silent-Era Magic

NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum explained that the intent behind screening Muraliwala with live musical accompaniment was to recreate the original silent-film experience.

Day 4 of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) delivered a rare cinematic experience as audiences were transported nearly a century back in time during the special live-music screening of Muraliwala (1927)—one of Indian cinema’s few surviving silent-era treasures. The event was part of the Indian Panorama Special Package, a curated bouquet of 18 meticulously restored classics presented by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) under the ambitious National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM).

The atmosphere at the screening was filled with nostalgia and reverence as IFFI enthusiasts witnessed the visual poetry of Indian cinema’s formative years brought back to life with painstaking archival precision.

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Silent Cinema Reborn: A Historic Experience

NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum explained that the intent behind screening Muraliwala with live musical accompaniment was to recreate the original silent-film experience.

“The idea is to revive silent film experience for today's generation,” he said. “With musicians performing live in front of the audience, and Rahul ji leading the effort, the magic of 1927 returns with the grandeur it deserves.”

Renowned composer Rahul Ranade, who reconstructed the score for the screening, described the undertaking as both an honor and a significant artistic challenge:

“Recreating music for a film made 98 years ago and performing it live is humbling. Baburao Painter’s cinematic imagination and special effects were far ahead of his time.”

Adding emotional depth to the event, two daughters of Baburao Painter—the pioneering filmmaker and artist who made the original Muraliwala—were present in the audience, marking a historic moment for Indian film heritage.

Muraliwala is among the rarest surviving Indian silent films and remains one of NFHM’s most prized restoration projects.

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A Landmark Year of Tributes and Celebrations

The 2025 curation bears exceptional historical symbolism. It commemorates:

• 125 years of V. Shantaram’s cinematic legacy

• 100-year tributes to revered icons including Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, Bhupen Hazarika, P. Bhanumati, Salil Choudhury, and K. Vaikunth

• 50 years of NFDC, recognising its crucial role in shaping parallel cinema and modern filmmaking in India

• A special tribute to Shyam Benegal’s Susman, honouring one of India’s most visionary storytellers

These commemorations underline IFFI’s commitment to preserving, celebrating, and sharing the stories that influenced generations of filmmakers and cinephiles.

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National Film Heritage Mission: Preserving India’s Cinematic Soul

Launched by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in 2016, the National Film Heritage Mission is one of India’s most ambitious preservation initiatives. Its mandate includes:

• Preservation, digitisation, and restoration of film negatives and archival prints

• Recovery of rare footage from private collectors and global archives

• Scientific storage and documentation of fragile cinematic material

• Restoration supervision by cinematographers, filmmakers, or their close collaborators

Every film in this IFFI package has undergone months of frame-by-frame restoration, color grading, and sound correction—ensuring that the artistic integrity of the original work remains intact.

Major Highlights:

• Ritwik Ghatak’s Subarnarekha restored from the NFDC–NFAI 35mm master positive, color-graded under the guidance of award-winning cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay

• Muzaffar Ali’s Umrao Jaan, restored from a 35mm release print after the original negative suffered irreversible damage, with Ali personally supervising the grading

• Raj Khosla’s C.I.D., Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa, and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Musafir revived in pristine 4K clarity

• Rudaali, Ek Doctor Ki Maut, Kireedam, and other classics restored to near-original brilliance

These restorations exemplify India’s evolving preservation capabilities and reaffirm the nation’s resolve to safeguard its cinematic heritage for future generations.

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Complete List of Restored Films in the Indian Panorama Special Package

1. Umrao Jaan – Muzaffar Ali (Hindi, 145 mins, 4K DCP)

2. Malliswari – B.N. Reddi (Telugu, 175 mins, 4K DCP)

3. Rudaali – Kalpana Lajmi (Hindi, 128 mins, 4K DCP)

4. Gaman – Muzaffar Ali (Hindi, 119 mins, 4K DCP)

5. Fear – Ritwik Ghatak (Hindi, 18 mins, 4K DCP)

6. Subarnarekha – Ritwik Ghatak (Bengali, 143 mins, 4K DCP)

7. Murliwala – Baburao Painter (Silent, 45 mins)

8. Party – Govind Nihalani (Hindi, 118 mins, 2K DCP)

9. C.I.D – Raj Khosla (Hindi, 146 mins, 4K DCP)

10. Pyaasa – Guru Dutt (Hindi, 146 mins, 4K DCP)

11. Ek Doctor Ki Maut – Tapan Sinha (Hindi, 122 mins, 4K DCP)

12. Ek Hota Vidushak – Jabbar Patel (Marathi, 168 mins, 4K DCP)

13. Kireedam – Sibi Malayil (Malayalam, 124 mins, 4K DCP)

14. Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani – V. Shantaram (Hindi, 100 mins, 2K DCP)

15. Susman – Shyam Benegal (Hindi, 140 mins, 2K DCP)

16. Musafir – Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Hindi, 127 mins, 4K DCP)

17. Shaheed – Ramesh Saigal (Hindi, 1948, 4K DCP)

18. Githanjali – Mani Ratnam (Telugu, 137 mins, 4K DCP)

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Renewing the Legacy of Indian Cinema

Through restored classics, live performances, and carefully curated tributes, IFFI 2025 underscores the importance of preserving cinema as a cultural, artistic, and historical asset. These revitalised films—once fragile, fading, or nearly lost—now stand ready to inspire new generations of filmmakers, scholars, and cinephiles.

As audiences continue to rediscover these masterpieces, the festival sends a clear message: India’s cinematic heritage is not just being protected—it is being reborn.