A 4K restored version of Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri, which premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May, is set to release in PVR INOX theatres on January 9.
"Re-releasing Aranyer Din Ratri is a privilege, and it excites us immensely that people will get to watch this gorgeous film on the big screen. At PVR INOX, we believe cinema is a living archive of our cultural memory, and Satyajit Ray’s films continue to speak powerfully across generations. Bringing this timeless classic back to the big screen is our way of honouring his legacy while inviting younger audiences to experience the depth, relevance, and sheer cinematic brilliance of his storytelling,” Niharika Bijli, lead strategist at PVR INOX Ltd, told PTI.
The theatrical chain will release the movie with English subtitles in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune.The film was earlier released in Kolkata in November.
Starring Sharmila Tagore, Simi Garewal, Soumitra Chatterjee and Aparna Sen, the 1970 classic is adapted from Bengali author Sunil Gangopadhyay’s eponymous novel. The film follows a group of urban men from Calcutta — played by Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, and Rabi Ghosh — as they head out for a weekend in the wilderness.
Aranyer Din Ratri was originally released on 16 January 1970. The film 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 Cannes screening of the restored classic was attended by Tagore and Garewal, the only living members of the cast. Filmmaker Wes Anderson and Purnima Dutta, the head of Piyali Films and producer of Aranyer Din Ratri, also attended the screening.