Shyam Benegal (1934 – 2024) is one of India’s most venerated filmmakers whose early films were iconic in India’s Parallel Cinema movement.
His 1976 film Manthan ('The Churning') is a potent, political landmark in Indian independent filmmaking. ‘Crowd-funded’ by 500,000 dairy farmers who each contributed two rupees to its production, Shyam Benegal’s groundbreaking film is a powerful exploration of gender, class, and caste inequalities in rural Gujarat.
With luminous cinematography that captures the rhythms and textures of village life, Manthan is a remarkable synthesis of artistic vision and social commitment. Benegal’s film is a testament to the enduring power of cinema to inspire social change.
Manthan is presented from a beautiful new 4K restoration by Film Heritage Foundation, and includes footage from the 2024 Indian premiere, with an interview with the late director Shyam Benegal and other cast and crew members; an interview with Film Heritage Foundation founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and renowned actor Naseeruddin Shah at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, plus a booklet with new writing by Omar Ahmed.
