"Do Bigha Zamin changed the face of Indian cinema."
Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin (1953) remains a classic of Indian cinema that stands the test of time.
In exciting news for classic Bollywood fans, the movie is set to be restored in 4K and will be re-released, with its premiere occurring at the 2025 Venice Film Festival.
This announcement coincides with Roy’s 116th birth anniversary. He was a visionary filmmaker who also helmed classics including Biraj Bahu (1954), Devdas (1955), and Bandini (1963).
Do Bigha Zamin had a screenplay written by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. It told the story of a farmer named Shambhu Maheto (Balraj Sahni).
Along with Sahni, the film also starred Nirupa Roy (Parvati ‘Paro’ Mahato), Ratan Kumar (Kanhaiya Mahato), and Nana Palsikar (Gangu Mahato).
The legendary star, Meena Kumari, also made a maiden guest appearance as Thakurain.
The presentation in Venice will be led by Bimal Roy’s family including his daughters Rinki Roy Bhattacharya and Aparajita Roy Sinha.
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Director of the Film Heritage Foundation, will also be involved in leading the premiere.
Delving into the event, Dungarpur said: “When I was working as an assistant to Gulzar Sahab, he would often speak about his guru, Bimal Roy.
“This spurred me to watch all his films right from the time he was a cameraman on P.C. Barua’s Devdas to his first Bengali film as a director, Udayer Pathey to Do Bigha Zamin.
“In his films, I was struck by the poetic visuals, the silences, the deep humanism and compassion that he showed in the social themes of his films that highlighted the plight of the marginalised, the issues of migrant labour, and the urban-rural divide that are still so relevant today.
“For me, Do Bigha Zamin changed the face of Indian cinema that brought filmmakers out of the studio to begin shooting on the streets.
“I am so happy that we were able to collaborate with The Criterion Collection / Janus Films to restore not only Do Bigha Zamin, but other classics of Bimal Roy like Devdas, Madhumati and Bandini, which are in the process of being restored.”
In a joint statement, Rinki and Aparajitan added:
“Today, on our father’s 116th birthday, the announcement that the restoration of his film Do Bigha Zamin has been selected for a world premiere at the Venice Film Festival is a dream come true for us.
“This would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Shivendra Singh Dungarpur of Film Heritage Foundation and Fumiko Takagi of the Criterion Collection.
“Our heartfelt thanks to both of them for their unwavering dedication to restoring and celebrating cinema.
“Do Bigha Zamin is especially fitting for this prestigious platform, as it holds a unique connection with Italian cinema.
“After watching Vittorio De Sica’s film Bicycle Thieves, our father hoped Indian cinema would follow its deeply moving humanist vision.
“Do Bigha Zamin is an unspoken autobiography of Bimal Roy who was cast off from his home in East Bengal in a similar episode as the hero, peasant, Sambhu Mahato.
“He never recovered from this cruel separation from his beloved birthplace.
“In the brief lifetime accorded to our father, he transformed the profile of Indian cinema and was able to stir collective consciousness with his cinematic parables.
“Our father was a silent cinema poet and a visionary of profound humanism whose work shall continue to act as a beacon whenever dark forces threaten.”
The veteran poet and lyricist Gulzar enthused: “It’s amazing that Do Bigha Zamin is restored and will be shown in Venice.
“This film is historic as it changed the way films were made in India.
“After Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar which won an award at the Cannes Film Festival, this was the second Indian film to win at the Cannes Film Festival and receive international recognition.
“The most important element is that all his films right from the Bengali ones which he made and the Hindi films which he made, all these films were based on literature.
“Not many people know that Do Bigha Zamin is from a poem by Rabindranath Tagore, which was also called Do Bigha Zamin.
“The script was done by Salil Chowdhry. I started working with Bimal Da, who we used to call ‘Dada’, from the film Kabuliwala when I was his chief assistant.
“I have very fond memories of that time. People would say that Bimal Da was like a married print.
“In those days, the picture and sound negatives were separate and when they were brought together optically to make the release print, it would be called a married print.
“Bimal Da would shoot two shifts in a day – 7 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 10 pm, and would then sit in the editing room working till late night at Mohan Studios.
“People would say that he is married to films. Bimal Roy was the coolest director I have ever seen.”
“I learnt not only filmmaking from him, but the art of patience and stamina.
“Shivendra Dungarpur – your work through Film Heritage Foundation is beyond filmmaking.
“You are the director of directors and maker of makers.”
For Do Bigha Zamin, Bimal Roy won the first Fimfare ‘Best Director’ award in 1954.
The film’s restoration and Venice premiere promises to be a landmark event in the annals of Bollywood.
See stills of Bimal Roy and Do Bigha Zamin in our special gallery:
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