The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa is screening restored versions of classic Indian films, ranging from Dadasaheb Phalke's 1919 film Kaliya Mardan to Satyajit Ray’s 1971 feature Seemabaddha. The NFDC-National Film Archive of India made a concerted effort to restore these films under the NFHM in order to preserve the best of Indian cinema's film heritage. The titles that the festival will screen include the following:
Awaara
This critically acclaimed 1951 film tells the love story of a tramp (Raj Kapoor) and a rich woman (Nargis). The couple are head over heels in love with each other, but they face the biggest hurdle to their union in the form of a stubborn man, the woman's father (Prithviraj Kapoor), who feels that a criminal's son can only be a criminal. Featuring a stellar soundtrack by Shankar–Jaikishan, remarkable performances from the three leads, and great visuals by Radhu Karmakar, the film makes you wonder what between nature and nurture is more important.
Devadasu
This 1953 film, based on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Devdas, tells the story of a man who becomes an alcoholic, drowning his sorrow in the bottle, after a failure in his love life. The Vedantam Raghavayya directorial stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao as the titular character, Savitri as Parvati, and Lalitha as courtesan CHandramukhi, among others.
Hum Dono
This 1961 film, featuring Dev Anand in a dual role, is set against the Second World War. Directed by Amarjeet from a screenplay by the legendary Vijay Anand (Guide, Jewel Thief), the film tells the story of a man who is tasked with telling the family of his fellow army officer that the latter is no more. The catch is that both officers look the same; only, one does not have a moustache. Besides Dev Anand's acting, Hum Dono is known for composer Jaidev's soundtrack, featuring tracks such as 'Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar,' sung by Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle.
The other films to be screened at the IFFI 'Restored Classics' section include Saat Hindustani, featuring Amitabh Bachchan in his acting debut, and Tapan Sinha's 1976 film Harmonium.
