Sharmila Tagore and the late Soumitra Chatterjee have been one of the most iconic onscreen pairs of Bengali Cinema, of all time. They have worked with the legendary Satyajit Ray in several films, each celebrated for some noteworthy performances and classic filmmaking. The three films by Satyajit Ray that brought Sharmila Tagore and Soumitra Chatterjee together were Devi, Aranyer Din Ratri, and The World of Apu.
Yesterday, the Film Heritage Foundation announced that a restored 4K version of the 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri is headed to be screened at the Cannes 2025 Film Festival. The film had Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, and Rabi Ghosh in key roles.
The post shared by the Film Heritage Foundation read, "Satyajit Ray's masterpiece Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest, 1970) restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project at L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with Film Heritage Foundation, Janus Films, and the The Criterion Collection."
For the unversed, Aranyer Din Ratri is an adaptation of Sunil Gangopadhyay's eponymous novel. The plot revolves around four men, played by Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Samit Bhanja, and Rabi Ghosh. They belong from Calcutta, the story unravels when they make plans to spend time in the wilderness, over a weekend.
As for the attendance of the cast for this momentous occasion at Cannes 2025, Sharmila Tagore and filmmaker Wes Anderon will be present. Purnima Dutta, Head of Piyali Films and producer of the movie, Film Foundation Executive Director Margaret Bodde and Film Heritage Foundation member Shivendra Singh Dungarpur will also be seen gracing the occasion at one of the most celebrated Film Festivals in the world.
Another milestone for the film was when Aranyer Din Ratri was nominated for Best Film at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival in 1970.
The 78th Annual Cannes Film Festival will occur from May 13 to May 24, 2025.
