4K Restoration of Pakeezah to Premiere at Lyon Festival

The iconic 1972 Bollywood film Pakeezah, starring Meena Kumari, has been meticulously restored in 4K and is set for its world premiere at the Festival Lumière in Lyon, France, in October 2026. The restoration, a two-year project led by the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), will be followed by a gala screening at the BFI London Film Festival. The restoration process was a significant undertaking, as the original camera negative was found in severely deteriorated condition. FHF Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur described the initial inspection, stating, "When I went to inspect the original camera negative, I saw that it had almost melted." He noted that other film elements suffered from faded colors, scratches, and mold. The team relied on original film stills discovered during research and consultations with the Amrohi family to guide the restoration of Kamal Amrohi's original vision. Pakeezah itself has a legendary production history, spanning 15 years from its conception in the mid-1950s. The film, a tribute to Kumari's beauty, began shooting in black-and-white in 1956 before shifting to Eastmancolor in 1958. Production was halted in 1964 when Amrohi and Kumari separated.