Satyajit Ray’s restored ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ to release nationally this Nov

KOLKATA: Satyajit Ray’s 1970 masterpiece ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ (Days and Nights in the Forest) has inspired generations of city-dwellers to escape into the wilderness with friends, to leave behind the chaos and rediscover themselves amid the forest’s calm. Based on Sunil Gangopadhyay’s eternal story, this cult classic was recently restored in 4K and made waves at the 78th Cannes Film Festival when it premiered in May this year.

And now, come November 7, cinephiles across India can finally watch this iconic film on the big screen again. Yes, the 4K restored version of ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ will be screened at select theatres and multiplexes nationwide. What’s more, Aparna herself, Sharmila Tagore, is likely to attend a special screening at Kolkata’s Priya Cinema.

The following day, November 8, the film will also be screened at Nandan as part of the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), where Sharmila is likely to make an appearance too.

Arijit Dutta of Priya Cinema believes Aranyer Din Ratri continues to have one of the strongest recall values among Ray’s films.

“The restored version is bound to mesmerize audiences once again,” he said. “We’ll have a special show at Priya on November 7, with discussions on Ray and ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’. My mother, Purnima Dutta, is planning a conversation with the second generation of the film’s cast and crew. Sharmila Tagore should be there too.”

Interestingly, Purnima’s father-in-law Nepal Dutta and husband Ashim Dutta were the producers of ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’, and members of their family were present at the Cannes premiere earlier this year. Many cine lovers consider ‘Aranyer Din Ratri’ to be Ray’s finest work after the ‘Apu’ Trilogy, a film that continues to speak to every generation that dares to pause, wander, and rediscover life.