Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Restored Pakeezah Set for France and UK Festival Premieres
Pakeezah is a famous Indian movie starring Meena Kumari and directed by Kamal Amrohi.
It was made as a tribute to Meena Kumari, who was Amrohi’s wife at the time.
The movie took 15 years to finish and came out in 1972.
Over the years, the film materials became badly damaged.
The original camera negative was almost melted, and other copies had scratches, mold and faded colors.
The Film Heritage Foundation spent two years restoring the movie in 4K.
The restored version will first be shown in Lyon, France, in October.
It will then be screened at the BFI London Film Festival in London.
The film remains an important work in Indian cinema.
The Film Heritage Foundation completed a two-year restoration of Kamal Amrohi’s 1972 classic Pakeezah.
The restored 4K print will have its world premiere at Festival Lumière in Lyon, France, in October.
The film will later receive a gala screening at the BFI London Film Festival, including a presentation by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and members of the Amrohi family.
Restorers found the original camera negative nearly melted, while other surviving materials had faded colors, scratches and mold damage.
Starring Meena Kumari, Pakeezah took 15 years to complete and was released on February 4, 1972.
- Who
- The Film Heritage Foundation led the restoration, with the Amrohi family involved; Pakeezah was directed by Kamal Amrohi and starred Meena Kumari.
- What
- A newly restored 4K version of Pakeezah will receive a world premiere and a subsequent London screening.
- When
- The restored film will premiere in October; the original film was released on February 4, 1972.
- Where
- The world premiere will take place at Festival Lumière in Lyon, France, followed by a screening at the BFI London Film Festival in London.
- Why
- The restoration was undertaken to bring severely damaged surviving film materials as close as possible to the movie’s original form.
- Film
- Pakeezah
- Original release
- February 4, 1972
- Restoration format
- 4K print
- Restoration duration
- Two years
- Restoration organization
- Film Heritage Foundation, in association with the Amrohi family
- World premiere
- Festival Lumière in Lyon, France, in October
- Additional screening
- Gala screening at the BFI London Film Festival
- Film length
- 153 minutes
