Nagarjuna unveils 'Shiva' restoration at IFFI 2025
Nagarjuna just revealed the newly restored version of the classic 1989 thriller Shiva at IFFI in Goa.
Using 4K visuals and Dolby Atmos sound, Annapurna Studios brought this cult film back to life—even though the original negatives were badly damaged.
Nagarjuna said, "Since this is the 50th year of Annapurna Studio, we thought what better film to do this than Shiva, which remains a cult classic."
The restoration journey: Tech, teamwork, and a bit of luck
Restoring Shiva wasn't easy. The team started before 2019, using ultrasonic cleaning to salvage old reels and then scanning everything in ultra-high definition.
Audio was an even bigger challenge—two reels were totally ruined—so they tracked down original prints from almost 20 different exhibitors across Telugu states to fill in the gaps.
All that effort paid off with a fresh version that honors the original while making it shine for today's audience.