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Amrish Puri wore the same clothes for 45 consecutive days despite the blistering heat while filming the movie “Manthan”

During the shooting of “Manthan” in the village of Sanganva, Gujarat, director Shyam Benegal instructed his cast, including Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Girish Karnad, and Amrish Puri, to wear the same clothes for the duration of 40-45 days, reflecting the local reality of scarce water resources.

The film, known for its intense portrayal of rural life, is set to be showcased at the 77th Cannes Film Festival alongside other Indian entries, marking a significant presence of Indian cinema at the event. Among the featured films are Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light,” Sandhya Suri’s “Santosh,” Karan Kandhari’s “Sister Midnight,” and Maisam Ali’s “In Retreat,” highlighting diverse narratives and talent from India.

“Manthan,” Shyam Benegal’s third film following “Ankur” and “Nishant,” is a semi-fictionalized depiction of India’s successful cooperative movement in the dairy industry, initiated by Dr. Verghese Kurien, the founder of Amul. The movie highlights the transformative impact of this movement, known as Operation Flood or the “White Revolution,” which aimed to provide accessible milk to every household in India.

Commissioned by Dr. Kurien, the film won National Awards for Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay in 1977 and was India’s submission for the Oscars that year. Now, the restored version of “Manthan” is set for a revival with a screening in the Classics Section of the Cannes Film Festival. Despite Benegal’s absence due to health reasons, key figures like Naseeruddin Shah and Prateik Babbar, along with Dr. Kurien’s family members and possibly farmers involved in the cooperative, are expected to attend. Post-Cannes, the film is planned for release in 40 cities across India.

Shivendra Dungarpur, known for his efforts in preserving old film prints, returns to the Cannes Film Festival for the third consecutive year with Shyam Benegal’s classic “Manthan.”

The film, India’s first crowd-funded project, involved 500,000 farmers from the Kheda district contributing Rs 2 each. Nirmala Kurien, daughter of Dr. Verghese Kurien, recalls Smita Patil’s remarkable performance as Bindu, a village woman in the film. Despite the passage of nearly 50 years, Benegal fondly remembers the shoot, highlighting the camaraderie among the cast and crew during their stay in the village.

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