Rekha, Muzaffar Ali's Indian Classic ‘Umrao Jaan' Returns in 4K Restoration
India's biggest multiplex chain PVR Inox is bringing Rekha and Muzaffar Ali's 1981 classic 'Umrao Jaan' back to the country's theaters in a 4K restoration beginning June 27. The film, starring Rekha in her Indian National Film Award-winning performance as a courtesan-poetess in 19th-century Lucknow, has been restored by the National Film Development Corporation-National Film Archive of India under the National Film Heritage Mission.
The restoration was supervised by director Ali himself, working from a 35mm release print preserved at the NFAI after original negatives proved too fragile. Ali is also releasing a limited-edition coffee table book featuring behind-the-scenes photographs and production materials.
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''Umrao Jaan' was not just a film — it was a journey into the soul of a lost culture,' Ali reflected. Rekha added that the character 'lives within me, breathes through me, even now.'
The re-release is part of PVR Inox's Timeless Classics initiative, celebrating landmark Indian cinema.
Nippon TV has launched Gyokuro Studio in Tokyo and Nippon TV LA Business Office to accelerate international expansion. The Tokyo-based Gyokuro Studio, headed by Kenichiro Akiyama, aims to develop 10 unscripted titles annually, reaching 100 titles over 10 years through global co-creation with top talent and production houses. Meanwhile, Tom Miyauchi will lead the Los Angeles hub focusing on North American and LATAM content sales, IP distribution, and local production partnerships. The Japan entertainment powerhouse, which owns nearly 90% of its content IP and streaming giant Hulu Japan, seeks to build sustainable global presence beyond its Emmy-winning 'Dragons' Den'/'Shark Tank' format success.
Award-winning Indian documentary 'Turtle Walker,' directed by Taira Malaney, will screen at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, June 9-13. The Tiger Baby and Emaho Films production, made with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, follows sea turtle conservationist Satish Bhaskar's journey along India's coastlines in the late 1970s. The film won the Grand Teton Award at Jackson Wild Media Awards and premiered at Doc NYC in November 2024. ''Turtle Walker' is a quintessential Indian story focused on the wildlife of our country,' said producer Zoya Akhtar. The international co-production aims to inspire marine conservation efforts globally.
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