In May, the 77th Cannes Film Festival will feature the restored edition of Shyam Benegal's acclaimed 1976 film, Manthan. This award-winning feature is centred around Dr Verghese Kurien's groundbreaking milk cooperative movement, known as the White Revolution in India.
Produced by five lakh dairy farmers associated with the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which operates under the renowned Amul brand, the film depicts the inspiring narrative of collective effort and innovation in the dairy industry.
The film has been newly restored by Film Heritage Foundation, will be screened at Cannes (May 14-25) in its Classics section.
At Cannes, Manthan joins All We Imagine As Light, In Retreat, and Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know. British filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s Santosh will also feature.
The film's lone song, "Mero Gaam Katha Paarey," composed by Vanraj Bhatia and sung by Preeti Sagar were later featured in their TV commercials. Manthan exemplified early crowdsourcing, with farmers financing its production costs.
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