A 4k restored version of Oscar-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) received a standing ovation at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.
Veteran actors Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal, who were part of the ensemble cast of the 1970 Bengali film, attended the screening in France.
The film was restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project at L’Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with Film Heritage Foundation, Janus Films, and The Criterion Collection. Filmmaker Wes Anderson was also present at the film screening.
The film also stars Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee and Rabi Ghosh.
The official Instagram handle of Film Heritage Foundation shared a video of the standing ovation following Aranyer Din Ratri screening at Cannes.
“The newly restored version of Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri (1970) received a resounding standing ovation at the Festival de Cannes 2025, following the world premiere yesterday. The emotional response from the audience underscored the film’s enduring power and Ray’s timeless storytelling. Presented by an illustrious group including Wes Anderson, Sharmila Tagore, Simi Garewal, and all the partners involved in the restoration of this film, the screening was a moving tribute to one of Indian cinema’s most celebrated auteurs,” Film Heritage Foundation wrote alongside the video, which also shows Sharmila and Simi thanking the audience.
Adapted from Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay’s eponymous novel, the film follows a group of men from Calcutta — played by Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, and Rabi Ghosh — as they head out for a weekend in the wilderness.
In the film, Sharmila portrays Aparna, a sophisticated city woman, while Garewal takes on the role of Duli, a tribal Santhal girl.
Aranyer Din Ratri was nominated for Best Film at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival in 1970. A sequel, Abar Aranye, directed by Goutam Ghose, was released in 2003. The film continued the story of the four friends and their families who return to the wilderness.
Sharmila last visited Cannes in 2009 as part of the gala jury. Previously, her 1960 film Devi, also directed by Ray, competed for the Palme d'Or, the festival's top honour.
The 78th edition of the annual film festival, currently underway in southern France, is set to conclude on May 24.