Meena Kumari's 'Pakeezah' 4K Restoration To Premiere At The London Film Festival

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Sep 2 (IANS) The Film Heritage Foundation's 4K restoration of Kamal Amrohi's 1972 classic 'Pakeezah' will be making its world premiere at France's Festival Lumière in Lyon. It will also be shown at the BFI London Film Festival.

The restoration has been done by the non-profit organisation Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), along with the Amrohi family.

Expressing his excitement, Tajdar Amrohi, Son Of Kamal Amrohi, said,“I was at the grand premiere of 'Pakeezah' in 1972 with my father and Choti Ammi (Meena Kumari), and the film cans arrived at Maratha Mandir in a palanquin. I never imagined that I would be presenting the restored film with my family at the gala premiere in London fifty-four years later."

Sharing some fond memories associated with the iconic drama, he added, "I remember when I was a child, my father was deep into the making of Pakeezah. Everything in our lives revolved around Pakeezah. My father had put everything he had into the film and whenever we asked him for anything as children, his response would always be,“After Pakeezah.” Pakeezah was his life's mission. I have so many memories of the film as I would regularly visit the sets on Floor No. 3 at Filmistan where much of the film was shot. The film has influenced generations of filmmakers and even today I am sometimes asked how he achieved some of the shots.”

Rukhsaar Amrohi, daughter of Kamal Amrohi, shared that 'Pakeezah' was her father's obsession, something which gave meaning to his life.

She shared, "No one else could have played the role of Pakeezah, but Choti Ammi (Meena Kumari). She was Pakeezah. My father nurtured the film for over fifteen years like a child till it was fully matured and ready to be presented to the world. As a thirteen-year-old, I witnessed the countless sacrifices my father made and the relentless dedication and perfectionism in the face of almost insurmountable challenges to make his vision a reality."

"I only wish my father were alive to see his creation restored and reborn for the world to see fifty-four years after it was released," Rukhsaar concluded.

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