Mumbai, Jun 2 (IANS): After its world premiere at Cannes last month, Shyam Benegal's iconic 1976 film, 'Manthan', restored by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's Film Heritage Foundation, was screened for the first time in the country on Saturday night.

June 1 was World Milk Day, and it was appropriately selected for the nationwide screening of the restored film because it is based on the life of the man who is known as India's Milk Man, Dr Verghese Kurien. And it had been crowd-funded by over 500,000 milk producers of Gujarat, who paid Rs 2 per head for the film to be made.

The film's triumphant return to the silver screen, which continues to stand out because of its powerful narrative and timeless relevance, was celebrated at a special screening in Mumbai on Saturday night.

It was attended by its lone surviving star, Naseeruddin Shah, and his actress wife, Ratna Pathak Shah, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Prateik Babbar, son of the late Smita Patil, who was launched with the film, his girlfriend, Priya Banerjee, Vardan Puri, grandson of the late Amrish Puri, another members of the film's stellar cast, and Jackie Shroff, Ali Fazal, Richa Chadha, radiating elegance in a blue sari, and Swara Bhaskar, who came dressed in a tissue sari.

'Manthan' holds a unique place in the history of Indian cinema, and it was rightly given its pride of place at the Cannes Classics section at the prestigious film festival.

The film's ensemble cast, featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Girish Karnad, and Amrish Puri, delivered performances that have stood the test of time, immortalising the film in the annals of Indian cinema.

Through its portrayal of the milk cooperative movement, 'Manthan' sheds light on the resilience and spirit of rural India, while also highlighting the transformative power of collective action and community empowerment.