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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

Dev Anand Centenary Celebrations Begin early at NFDC-National Film Archive of India

Posted On: 22 SEP 2023 11:43AM by PIB Mumbai

Pune , 22 September 23

The National Film Development Corporation - National Film Archive of India, Pune will present a retrospective on Dev Anand and seven of his films in celebration of the illustrious screen icon's 100th birthday on September 26, 2023.

As part of NFDC-NFAI's laborious effort to pay true tribute to Dev Anand and commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth, four of his classic films were restored in 4K resolution. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has funded the restoration of these movies as part of the National Film Heritage Mission. Before initiating restoration, 35mm Release Prints of Guide, Jewel Thief and Johny Mera Naam and 35mm Dupe Negative of C.I.D. have been scanned on state-of-the-art archival film scanners in 4K resolution. The aforementioned film elements have been preserved in NFDC - NFAI's vaults for several decades in temperature and relative humidity controlled environments. It is this long term preservation of the landmark films that has made the new 4K restorations possible. Through these, NFDC-NFAI intends to introduce Dev Anand's appeal to a new generation and revive the memories of those who have cherished his work.

The films have been available in poor quality for years, and as of now are also not available on any OTT platforms in high resolution, let alone in 4K restored format. Keeping the centenary of Dev Anand in mind, NFDC-NFAI has been working on the restorations for the past several months where each and every frame is being restored meticulously where time induced artifacts are digitally removed such as dust, dirt, splices, pinholes, tear and scratches. A 3 hour long movie has more than 2.5 lakh frames, which need to be worked upon. This is followed by color grading, where concentrated efforts are put to tackle the issue of color fading and make the film appear as vibrant looking as it was at the time of the release. Simultaneously the audio of the film is also being digitally restored. The final restoration would give the feeling to the audience as if the print is freshly processed and printed in a photochemical film lab.

This four day festival at the NFDC-NFAI Main theater will screen a thoughtfully chosen selection of movies by NFDC-NFAI, allowing viewers to spend the weekend with Dev Anand in his many iconic roles from "Baazi"(1951), "C. I. D." (1956), "Asli-Naqli"(1962), "Tere Ghar Ke Samne"(1963), "Guide" (1965), "Jewel Thief" (1967), and "Johny Mera Naam" (1970). The screenings will be a mix of 35mm prints and 4K restorations, in their original aspect ratios, with "Baazi", "Asli-Naqli", "Tere Ghar Ke Samne" in 35 mm prints and "C. I. D.", "Guide", "Jewel Thief", and "Johny Mera Naam" in 4k resolution. The screenings are non commercial and on a first come first served basis.

The NFDC - NFAI posted on their social media about these screenings https://www.instagram.com/p/CxaHEtvIf3h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Director Vijay Anand’s Son Vaibhav Anand also posted on his X handle

For those who wish to see it there . pic.twitter.com/pJKWohIcdb
— Vaibhav Anand (@VVA__) September 20, 2023

The restored movies will also be screened at PVR and INOX pan India on 23rd and 24th September, tickets for which can be purchased on BookMyShow or the PVR website.

The NFDC-National Film Archive of India is committed to revitalizing classic cinema from the past by restoring and presenting it in stunning 4K quality. Numerous films are currently undergoing restoration, and audiences can anticipate many more such screenings in the coming days.