Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: upcoming Cannes Film Festival 2025, scheduled from May 13 to 24, will feature the world premiere of the restored 4K version of Satyajit Ray’s 1970 classic Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest)—a significant moment for Indian cinema on the global stage.
The Film Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, Janus Films, and The Criterion Collection, has restored the film, which stars Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, and Rabi Ghosh in leading roles.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the Film Heritage Foundation wrote, “Satyajit Ray’s masterpiece Aranyer Din Ratri (1970) restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project… will be screened at Cannes 2025.“
Also set for screening at the festival is the Sinhalese classic Gehenu Lamai by Sumitra Peries, another painstakingly restored film project led by the foundation.
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director of the Film Heritage Foundation, described the restoration of Aranyer Din Ratri as an “incredibly moving experience.” He highlighted the film’s “haunting score,” the “grace of Sharmila Tagore,” and Ray’s “sensitive portrayal of the Santhal tribals.” He also shared his emotional connection to Gehenu Lamai, recalling the late Sumitra Peries’ handwritten notes and the urgency to save the film from deterioration.
The Cannes premiere of Aranyer Din Ratri will be graced by several eminent personalities, including:
- Wes Anderson, filmmaker and board member of The Film Foundation
- Sharmila Tagore, lead actress of the film
- Simi Garewal,
- Purnima Dutta, producer
- Margaret Bodde, Executive Director, The Film Foundation
- Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Film Heritage Foundation
- Peter Becker and Fumiko Takagi from Criterion Collection / Janus Films
Wes Anderson, in praise of the film, said: “Anything signed by Satyajit Ray must be cherished and preserved… but this nearly-forgotten gem is modern, novelistic, and deeply perceptive about class, gender, and human folly.“
Sharmila Tagore expressed her excitement to attend the event in person. “It’s a very special moment for me,” she said, recalling the film’s demanding shoot and Ray’s masterful direction, particularly in the memorable memory-game scene. She believes the film’s themes remain strikingly relevant even today and thanked the Film Heritage Foundation for bringing it back to life.
The screening at Cannes will spotlight not only Ray’s enduring cinematic brilliance but also India’s growing efforts in film restoration and preservation on an international platform.