Satyajit Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri' restored version heads to TIFF
Satyajit Ray's classic 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) is making a comeback, with its newly restored version premiering this Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)—North America's biggest film fest.
The restoration kicked off back in 2019, at the urging of director Wes Anderson and led by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, using original negatives sent to Bologna for a crisp 4K upgrade.
Restoration brought together many industry stalwarts
This project brought together folks like Purnima Dutta, Sandip Ray, The Film Foundation, and Film Heritage Foundation. The film stars Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee as part of a story about four friends from Calcutta navigating life in Bihar's Palamau forest.
TIFF's Robyn Citizen called it "dreamlike," even if it isn't Ray's most famous movie. After showing at Cannes earlier this year, Aranyer Din Ratri is continuing its festival journey—keeping Ray's legacy alive for new audiences.