The restored version of Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri had its first India screening at Kolkata’s Priya Cinemas on Friday, with the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) announcing plans to restore Ray’s Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Pratidwandi next.

The special screening was preceded by a panel discussion featuring Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder-director of FHF, filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, director Ashoke Vishwanathan, and writer Ranjan Bandyopadhyay.

The session was moderated by Arijit Dutta, managing director of Priya Entertainment, the original producers of Aranyer Din Ratri.

Sharmila Tagore, the only surviving member of the principal cast apart from Simi Garewal, sent a heartfelt message for the audience. “I am so sorry that I am not able to come to Kolkata to attend the premiere of Manikda’s Aranyer Din Ratri re-release,” she wrote, recalling the “magical time” shooting in the forests and villages with Soumitra Chatterjee and others.

“It is amazing that even after 55 years, Aranyer Din Ratri feels so contemporary. I am proud to have been a part of it,” the 80-year-old actress added.

Dungarpur, who led the restoration in collaboration with The Film Foundation of Martin Scorsese, stressed the importance of preserving the original essence of film. “Restoration is not about making it look HD-clean. The grains are the DNA of cinema,” he said. He credited Pratima Dutta, whose family produced the film, for preserving the original camera negatives.

He also revealed that discussions to restore Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Pratidwandi were already underway. “Hopefully Kanchenjungha and many other films from Kolkata will follow,” Dungarpur added.

Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, who joined the panel, spoke of the film’s enduring influence. “Aranyer Din Ratri taught me about the power of strong, independent women. Every time you watch it, you learn something new,” he said, citing the film’s iconic memory game sequence as an example of Ray’s layered storytelling.

Ashoke Vishwanathan described Aranyer Din Ratri as “one of Ray’s most entertaining yet introspective works,” highlighting its exploration of human vulnerability and moral greyness.

Earlier this year, the restored film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, introduced by Tagore, Dungarpur and filmmaker Wes Anderson, a longtime admirer of Ray’s work.