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.
• Manthan (1976) presented from the new 4K restoration by Film Heritage Foundation.
• Manthan Reborn: A film on the history and restoration of the film, including footage from the 2024 Indian premiere, and an interview with the late director Shyam Benegal.
• Manthan at Cannes 2024: Film Heritage Foundation founder Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and actor Naseeruddin Shah interviewed by broadcaster Anupama Chopra.
• 24-page booklet with new writing by Omar Ahmed, and words by Shyam Benegal, Naseeruddin Shah, cinematographer Govind Nihalani plus Shivendra Singh Dungarpur on the restoration.
• New English subtitle translation.
• Region free Blu-ray (A/B/C).
• World premiere release on Blu-ray.
Directed by Shyam Benegal
Based on a story idea by Verghese Kurien and Shyam Benegal
Screenplay - Vijay Tendulkar
Dialogue - Kaifi Azmi
Cinematographer - Govind Nihalani
Editors - Bhanudas Diwkar, Ramnik Patel
Art director – Shama Zaidi
Sound - Hitendra Ghosh
Music - Vanraj Bhatia
Production controller - G. B. Ghaekar
Main Cast
Girish Karnad - Dr Manohar Rao
Smita Patil - Bindu
Naseeruddin Shah - Bhola
Sadhu Meher - Mahapatra
Amrish Puri - Mishra
Kulbhushan Kharbanda - Village Headman (Sarpanch)
with Anant Nag, Mohan Agashe, Rajendra Jaspal, Abha Dhulia,
Anjali Paigankar and the people of Sanganva
More gems of Asian and international cinema
are also available on Second Run
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1977 National Film Award / Winner: Best Feature Film in Hindi
1977 National Film Award / Winner: Best Screenplay
2024 Cannes Film Festival / Official Selection: Cannes Classics
“Through my films I can say, ‘Here is the world, and here are the possibilities we have.’” Shyam Benegal
“[Manthan] will remind the world of the power of cinema as a vehicle of change.” Shyam Benegal
“Manthan is a microcosmic picture of transformative politics... Benegal offers a brilliant social critique.”
Sangeeta Datta, World Director Series: Shyam Benegal
“Benegal’s film often seemed to be in synch with India’s fragile political and cultural consciousness. His films interrogated gender, power, privilege, and identity while foregrounding voices often marginalised in mainstream narratives, emerging as one of Indian cinema’s most empathetic filmmakers.”
Omar Ahmed
“The story of the making of Manthan sometimes surpasses the film itself. Financed by half a million farmers contributing Rs 2 each, Manthan remains as a rare and unique example of a film that was funded by its subjects... Manthan again exposes exploitative structures and power politics in a rural setting [...] Manthan’s success lies in the impact it was capable of
making.”
Sourajit Saha, Shyam Benegal’s Rural Trilogy
“The restoration of a Shyam Benegal film has been on Film Heritage Foundation’s wish list for years as he is one of India’s most venerated filmmakers whose early films were iconic in India’s Parallel Cinema movement. Manthan is not only one of his finest films from that time, but also the story behind it was so unique... The film was integral to spreading the message of the benefits of the cooperative movement to farmers across the country and a vital part of building that movement [...]
The restoration process has been an incredible experience, especially working so closely with Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani to painstakingly bring the film back to life. Almost half
a century later, the power of the narrative and the compelling performances of the actors, especially Smita Patil, remains undiminished. I wish she was here to see the beauty of the restoration.”
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Film Heritage Foundation
