Naseeruddin Shah 'could hardly hold back tears' as 'Manthan' screened at Cannes 50 years after release

Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah turned nostalgic and recalled being part of the film of his 1976 film 'Manthan' at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, nearly 50 years after its release. He described the experience as deeply emotional, expressing a newfound sense of pride in the film. Walking the red carpet and participating in the festival felt unreal to him, the veteran star shared.

Speaking about his experience to Brut India, Naseeruddin said, "It felt unreal to me. I have always seen the red carpet ceremony either on video or in photographs. I have seen all these lovely ladies parading themselves in their gorgeous costumes. I never dreamt I'd be a part of that one day. So, my wife and I decided to keep it as simple as possible. And, of course, it was a terribly emotional experience. Because there were so many friends who were in the film. Girish was a friend and my teacher. He was the director of FTII. Smita was a dear friend and so was Amrish. None of them are there any longer." Getting emotional, he added, "So many faces which one had sort of slipped one's memory. To see all those people again who used to, who were almost everybody in the unit got dragged in... I felt very proud, prouder of this film than I have ever felt. I've always treasured this film very dearly to my heart. So it was a moving experience, I could hardly hold back the tears. And I find that the film has really stood the test of time."

'Manthan', directed by Shyam Benegal, took inspiration from the pioneering milk cooperative movement led by Verghese Kurien. Set against the backdrop of India's White Revolution, the film received funding from 500,000 farmers, each contributing ₹2. Alongside Naseeruddin, the movie boasted a cast including Girish Karnad, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Smita Patil, Mohan Agashe, Anant Nag, and Amrish Puri, among others.