National Film Archive of India

We are happy to announce that the 35mm prints of the Malayalam film Amma Ariyan (1986), directed by John Abraham and produced by the filmmaking collective Odessa Movies, preserved in the archival collection of the National Film Archive of India since 1988, have been used for the 4K restoration of the film.

The two 35mm prints of the film have been part of the National Film Archive of India's collection for more than 38 years, highlighting the crucial role played by film archives around the world in the preservation and access to precious and, sometimes, forgotten films, while enabling new 4K restorations.

The new 4K restoration of the film was carried out by the Film Heritage Foundation which will premiere at the 79th edition of the .

The NFDC-National Film Archive of India had the honour of welcoming Dr. K. K. Nirala, Joint Secretary (IP-II), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, to the Archive today.

During his visit, he was taken on a detailed tour of the second phase of the Archive and was briefed on the ongoing work and initiatives being undertaken under the National Film Heritage Mission.

To celebrate the birth anniversary of Satyajit Ray, join us at the NFDC-National Film Archive of India on 2nd May 2026 (Saturday) for:

Shatranj Ke Khilari
1977 | 113 mins | Hindi, Urdu | Satyajit Ray | 35mm

TIME: Saturday, 2nd May, 5 PM
VENUE: National Film Archive of India, Law College Road, Pune

Attendance on first come, first served basis.
Please note that priority will be given to members of the Film Circle.

We look forward to your attendance.

Welcome back to Quiztime at the Archives! 🐝

Name the film.
Name the character played by the actor in the film.

Welcome back to Quiztime at the Archives!

Name the film.
Name the character played by the actor in the film.

Join us at the NFDC-National Film Archive of India on 27th April 2026 (Monday) for:

Mahapurush Dr. Ambedkar
1968 | 18 mins | Marathi | Namdeo Vatkar | Restored 2K
A rare biographical portrait of the anti-caste reformer and architect of the Indian constitution, Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Chomanna Dudi
1975 | 140 mins | Kannada | B.V. Karanth | Digitized 2K
A bonded labourer (M.V. Vasudeva Rao) turns to his drum as the heavily caste-ridden world that he is part of fails him endlessly.

TIME: Monday, 27th April, 6 PM
VENUE: National Film Archive of India, Law College Road, Pune

Entry free! We look forward to your attendance.

We are pleased to share a glimpse into the new additions to the National Film Archive of India’s collection of ancillary filmic materials. The Research and Documentation section of NFAI houses a precious collection of materials spanning across every period of Indian cinema. We welcome researchers to access our digitized collections.

We would like to extend our gratitude to Fehmida Begum, Mohammad S., and Israr Mansoori for graciously sharing their collections of song booklets, glass slides, photographs & lobby cards with us.

Drop an email at [email protected] to book a visit.

We join music lovers around the world to mourn the passing away of the musical legend, Asha Bhosle (1933 - 2026). Born into an illustrious musical family, Asha Bhosle's formidable musical life spanned more than eight decades with one of her first filmic appearance being in the Marathi film Mazhe Bal (1943).

Nationally and internationally, her voice, skill and style were sought by pioneering musical composers including Vasant Desai, Usha Khanna, Khayyam, OP Nayyar, Manna Dey, Roshan, SD Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan, Hemant Kumar, Madan Mohan, Salil Chowdhury, RD Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji, Ilaiyaraaja, Bappi Lahiri and AR Rahman among several important others creating generation-defining songs that epitomise the moods of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s across languages including Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Assamese among others. Her signature style lent a remarkable timelessnes with "Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar" from 1956 being as much a chart-topper as was Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko in 1973 and Tanha Tanha from Rangeela in 1995.

Besides film songs, Asha Bhosle also inhaboted the worlds of theatre, international pop, ghazals and abhangs to name a few. Here, she is seen on the cover of a 45 RPM record of Marathi songs released in 1963.

Transcending generations, her voice endures.

NFDC–National Film Archive of India is pleased to announce that R.D. Bansal’s classic Bengali film “Saat Paake Bandha” (1963), restored under the National Film Heritage Mission, has been selected for screening in the ‘Out-of-Competition’ section of the 48th Moscow International Film Festival.

The film has been restored from a 35mm release print preserved by NFDC–National Film Archive of India. The 35mm film element was scanned at 4K resolution on a state-of-the-art ARRI film scanner, while the optical soundtrack was digitized for audio restoration. The scanned film element exhibited numerous issues, including dust, dirt, line scratches, splice marks, stains, static scratches, film tears, image instability and flicker, all of which were meticulously addressed through frame-by-frame restoration. This restoration was carried out by NFDC–National Film Archive of India under the National Film Heritage Mission.

Directed by Ajoy Kar and produced by R.D. Bansal, the film features Soumitra Chatterjee and Suchitra Sen, and returns to the same festival where Suchitra Sen received the Best Actress award in 1963.

The restored film will be screened at the festival commencing April 16, 2026. “Apart from the films that Baba went on to make with Satyajit Ray, this was one film from the 30-odd that he produced that he was particularly fond of and very proud to have backed. Again, an unconventional story of its time, beautifully depicting the ego clash between a husband and wife, which unfortunately separates them forever, even in a loving marriage”, said Varsha Bansal, granddaughter of producer R.D.Bansal who will be presenting the film at Moscow.

The NFDC-NFAI welcomed Shri Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, to the National Film Archive of India today.

The Secretary undertook a comprehensive tour of the Archive, visiting key sections including the projection room, theatre, film section, vaults, library, and documentation wing, gaining insights into the preservation and access of India’s cinematic heritage.

The visit also included a walkthrough of the Phase II facility, where digitization work under the National Film Heritage Mission is actively underway.

We are happy to announce our Annual Membership for the NFDC-National Film Archive of India Film Circle 2026-27!

For the past several decades, the NFDC-National Film Archive of India has been holding dedicated screenings of films in 35 mm, 16 mm and digitally restored formats for the Film Circle, a membership-based weekly film screening programme with the objective of making its rich collection of Indian and international films accessible to audiences of film lovers, students, historians and academics.

Showcasing the remarkable film collection of the archive, the selected films represent countries ranging from the USA, France, Italy and Germany to Hungary, the erstwhile Czechoslovakia, Japan, Iran and Russia among others. From silent cinema and classics from golden ages of studio systems in these countries to rare and little-seen masterpieces of independent cinema, the screenings aim to create a robust community of film lovers.

Membership Form is on our website, link in bio!