Shyam Benegal's 1976 film 'Manthan' is set to be screened at Cannes 2024. It was crowdfunded by 5 lakh farmers and showcased the milk cooperative movement in India.
It is a landmark moment for Indian film and cinema as India's first crowdfunded film, 'Manthan', is all set to make its debut at Cannes 2024. The Cannes Film Festival will screen the restored version of the 1976 film directed and written by Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal, starring Smita Patil.
'Manthan' portrays the revolutionary dairy cooperative movement steered by Verghese Kurien, an Indian milk engineer who is known as the 'Father of the White Revolution'. Kurien's efforts transformed India into the largest producer of milk globally and led to the development of the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited (KDCMPUL), which later became the billion-dollar enterprise we know as Amul.
The film was a huge success and reflected the strength of the public, as it was completely funded by 5,00,000 farmers. Everyone donated Rs 2 each, making it India's first crowdfunded film.
Initially, the film had a budget of Rs. 10–12 lakh, but the producers were not able to meet the cost, so they asked for donations from the farmers. After the release, all the farmers packed the cinema to watch the film, making it a box-office hit.
Breaking the news on the internet, Amitabh Bachchan made a post on X (formerly Twitter), sharing his excitement and pride over it. He wrote, "T 4992 - So proud that Film Heritage Foundation will be at the Cannes Film Festival for the third year in a row with another world premiere of a remarkable restoration - Shyam Benegal's film "Manthan" that had compelling performances from an exceptional cast including Smita Patil. Just amazing the work that Film Heritage Foundation does to preserve, restore and showcase the best of India's film heritage to the world."
T 4992 - So proud that Film Heritage Foundation will be at the Cannes Film Festival for the third year in a row with another world premiere of a remarkable restoration - Shyam Benegal's film "Manthan" that had compelling performances from an exceptional cast including Smita… pic.twitter.com/TBVb1QmQxj
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan)
In 1997, Manthan secured two National Film Awards for Best Feature Film in Hindi and Best Screenplay, credited to Vijay Tendulkar. Additionally, it represented India as the official submission for the 1976 Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category. The film's title track, "Mero Gaam Katha Parey" performed by Preeti Sagar, became a household jingle after being featured in Amul advertisements.
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