Good to preserve print, but moving to digital is better: Vaibhav Anand
IFFI celebrates screening of seven meticulously restored classics under National Film Heritage Mission: Prithul Kumar
Goa, 23 November 2023: Director Ketan Anand underscored how Haqeeqat 1 was set against the premise of Sino-Indian War of 1962 while interacting with the media at the Press Conference conducted by PIB at the 54TH IFFI in Goa. Shri Anand recollected, how the movie captured human side of the war and soldiers endurance against all the odds. He further added that his father’s work was not tampered and kept intact and its coloured version was screened at IFFI 54. “No one can take black and white away but the coloured version is for younger generation, to make it attractive for them,” said the Director. Shri Ketan Anand also announced the making of a film, Haqeeqat 2 and a web series celebrating the legendary Dev Anand, next year.
The Director lauded the efforts of Govt. of India and NFDC and said, “They have taken the print version and restored it, this is a remarkable technology and a tedious process that involves frame by frame restoration”. While interacting on the importance of preservation and restoration, he said “Digital world took over, laboratories shut down”, underlining the transformation in the restoration technology and process.
“Due to lack of payment we lost many prints of the films”, said Vaibhav Anand. He highlighted the need for preserving the print versions while explaining how it is a painstaking monetary process. He further added, “It is good to preserve print but moving to digital is better” emphasising the increasing role of digital technology. Vaibhav Anand praised NFAI’s film preservation efforts, noting the complexity and professionalism involved. He acknowledged the changing tastes in cinema, emphasizing the need for collective preservation of timeless classics.
To create more awareness about the old classic films, Shri Vaibhav expressed his wish for conducting more festivals like IFFI. He highlighted how this will also provide a platform to the artists from the interiors and remote parts of the country, having limited resources and connect, to showcase their talent and get a chance in the film industry based on their passion and hard work.
The 54th International Film Festival of India, marks a momentous occasion as we come together to unveil the culmination of a collective endeavour—the screening of seven meticulously restored classics, all under the umbrella of the National Film Heritage Mission, generously funded by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting”, said Shri. Prithul Kumar, Festival Director and Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of I & B.
The National Film Heritage Mission stands as a testament to our nation’s commitment to preserving the invaluable treasures of our cinematic legacy. It is a journey that recognizes the significance of our cinematic heritage in shaping our cultural identity and fostering a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling. The NFDC-NFAI has been working on the restorations for the past several months where each and every frame is being restored meticulously. The objective is to preserve our cinematic history and the way we watch the content today, that is in 4K resolution.
