The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has unveiled a restored 4K version of Fear (1965), a staff film directed by legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. The restored film has been released on FTII’s official YouTube channel, offering cinephiles and students of cinema a glimpse into one of Ghatak’s lesser-known works.​

Conceived as a training exercise for students of the acting Course, Fear features Subhash Ghai, Sudha Rani, Urvashi Dutta, Govardhan Sharma, and Asrani — names that would go on to leave an indelible mark on Indian cinema — in key roles.

Shot in Hindi, the film captures a chilling moment of existential dread: with the alarm sounded that a hydrogen bomb is about to be dropped, a cross-section of humanity is herded into an experimental shelter. Yet, even with annihilation looming, the entrenched divisions, prejudices, and behavioural patterns remain unchanged — a theme that resonates deeply with Ghatak’s broader oeuvre, known for its piercing examination of societal decay and human resilience.​

The technical team — Lall Jaswaney (photography), U.C. Sinha (sound), and V.V. Revankar (editing) — crafts a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere, heightening the emotional and psychological stakes of the story.​

During his brief but impactful tenure at FTII, Ghatak mentored a generation of filmmakers who would go on to redefine Indian cinema. Among his notable students were Kumar Shahani, Mani Kaul, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Saeed Akhtar Mirza and John Abraham.

Ghatak’s creative brilliance was recognised nationally and internationally — he was awarded the Rajat Kamal for Best Story at the National Film Awards in 1974 for his magnum opus Jukti Takko Aar Gappo. In 1970, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri for his contribution to arts.​

The restoration of Fear is part of FTII's broader initiative to preserve and share the works of its notable alumni. Under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM), FTII has been digitising and uploading restored versions of classic student films to its official YouTube channel. This includes rare early performances by actors like Irrfan Khan, and filmmakers like Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani.