Reels of the film to be sent to Pune for scientific restoration of print; film was banned soon after release in 1952, reason not known
Thanks to the efforts of the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) in Pune, the ninth Assamese feature film that had been banned 48 years ago might finally see the light of the day. Reels of the film Runumi, directed and produced by Sattriya dance exponent Suresh Chandra Goswami, have been found near Biswanath Chariali town in Assam and would soon be shipped to the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) in Pune for scientific restoration of the print.
The film, based on an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play The Warriors at Helgeland, was banned by the state government soon after its release in 1952.
Utpal Borpujari, film critic and grandson of the film’s director-producer, is coordinating with the Archives for the film’s preservation. Thirteen reels of the film in their original cans were found at the residence of Lakshminath Borthakur, brother-in-law of Goswami.
“I have been told that the cans are rusted, however unless we have a look at the film it would be inappropriate to predict how much can be restored. If the film base is nitrate it can be a difficult task. We are hoping to receive the film in the next two weeks. I am in direct correspondence with Borpujari whom I had mailed immediately after getting to know about the discovery of the reels. In fact, NFAI is very keen on restoring the film, and we would be glad to retrieve it,” said Vijay Jadhav, director NFAI.
Source:http://www.indianexpress.com
No comments:
Post a Comment