Pakeezah 4K Restoration Premieres at Festival Lumière
The Film Heritage Foundation's 4K restoration of Pakeezah gets its world premiere in Lyon, with a sold-out BFI Imax gala in London on Oct. 18.
Film Heritage Foundation's 4K restoration of Pakeezah is back in front of audiences. Thierry Frémaux presents the world premiere of the restored film at Festival Lumière in Lyon, according to Variety.
The restoration then plays a gala at the BFI London Film Festival's BFI Imax on Oct. 18. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, the foundation's director, will introduce the BFI Imax gala with Tajdar Amrohi, Rukhsar Amrohi and Bilal Amrohi.
Dungarpur said the BFI Imax screening sold out in no time. The 4K restoration was carried out with the Amrohi family, with Kamal Amrohi's descendants taking part in the London presentation.
Background
On Feb. 3, 1972, prints of Pakeezah arrived at Bombay's Maratha Mandir cinema in a palanquin pulled by four horses. Meena Kumari, who played Sahibjaan opposite Raaj Kumar's Salim, died on March 31, 1972, weeks after the film opened.
Amrohi conceived Pakeezah in the mid-1950s around Kumari, and shooting began in 1956 in black-and-white before moving to Eastmancolor and then CinemaScope. The production stalled in 1964 when the couple separated. Cinematographer Josef Wirsching died partway through the film, and composer Ghulam Mohammed died in 1968 after writing the songs, leaving Naushad to complete the background score.
Quick answers
When does the Pakeezah 4K restoration premiere?
The world premiere is at Festival Lumière in Lyon, presented by Thierry Frémaux, with a gala at the BFI London Film Festival's BFI Imax on Oct. 18.
Who is behind the Pakeezah 4K restoration?
Film Heritage Foundation carried out the 4K restoration with the Amrohi family.
Can I still get tickets for the BFI Imax screening?
The BFI Imax screening sold out in no time, according to Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.