"It has been my dream to restore Pakeezah"
The newly restored 4K version of Pakeezah made its UK debut at the BFI London Film Festival on October 18, drawing a sold-out audience to the BFI IMAX.
The restoration by Film Heritage Foundation was selected as the festival’s closing gala screening from a highly competitive international field of restored films.
Tickets sold out within a single day of booking, underlining the continued interest in the Hindi classic more than five decades after its original release.
The screening was attended by members of late director Kamal Amrohi’s family, including Tajdar Amrohi and Rukhsaar Amrohi, alongside Kamal Amrohi’s grandson, Bilal Amrohi, who worked closely with the Film Heritage Foundation on the restoration.
Fourteen members of the family travelled from India to attend the event.
The evening began with an introduction by Film Heritage Foundation director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and the Amrohi siblings.
Introducing the film, Dungarpur spoke about his personal connection to Pakeezah and the challenges involved in restoring it.
He said: “I first watched this film when I was three years old with my grandmother in the cinema.
“This film is incredibly close to my heart and will always be intertwined with my memories of her. It has been my dream to restore Pakeezah ever since I established the Film Heritage Foundation in 2014.
“Because we did not have the original camera negative and the surviving material was in exceptionally poor condition, seeing it back on the big screen today feels like a miracle.
“We spent two years painstakingly working on this restoration.
“The audio element proved to be a significant challenge, but I was determined to do justice to Kamal Amrohi’s magnificent vision.
“I am profoundly grateful to the BFI for providing such a prestigious global platform to showcase this labour of love.”
The presentation became an emotional tribute to Amrohi’s legacy as his children addressed the audience ahead of the screening.
Tajdar Amrohi drew a poignant parallel between the restoration of Pakeezah and the final days of his stepmother, the film’s star Meena Kumari, who died in 1972:
“My Choti Ammi, Meena Kumari, was in a coma before she passed away.
“In many ways, the negative of Pakeezah was also in a coma and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur has brought it back to life.
“I am deeply emotional today. I arrived with so many things I intended to say, but standing before this beautiful audience, the words have left me.
“I simply want to breathe this moment in and restore all of you in my heart forever.
“Thank you all for coming; I wish I could embrace each one of you. I truly feel the presence of my father here today, blessing us.
“Our deepest gratitude goes out to Shivendra and the Film Heritage Foundation for their tireless devotion.”
Rukhsaar Amrohi added: “When he made Pakeezah, my father created an absolute wonder true to his name, Kamal.
“It is a work for which he deserves to be eternally remembered and honoured.
“I want to thank Shivendra Singh Dungarpur for the sheer dedication that made it possible for us to stand before you today. I am entirely overwhelmed.”
The UK premiere marks another major milestone for the Film Heritage Foundation, which has presented significant restorations at leading international film festivals throughout 2026.
Films have included In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989) at the Berlin International Film Festival and Amma Ariyan (1986) at the Cannes Film Festival.
