RESTORING TIME: Silent-era gem ‘Muraliwala’ revives India’s film heritage at IFFI 2025

New Delhi, Nov 24: Day 4 of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) offered a rare cinematic journey into the past, as audiences witnessed a special screening of Muraliwala (1927), a silent film revived with live orchestral accompaniment, recreating the authentic ambience of the 1920s.

The screening formed part of a special package of 18 restored films curated by NFDC–NFAI under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM). The NFHM, one of India’s most ambitious cultural preservation initiatives, has restored masterpieces across Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam and Marathi cinema. Each film has been revived with meticulous attention to original artistic intent, a testament to India’s growing expertise in film restoration and archival technology.

 SILENT ERA COMES ALIVE

As musicians performed live from the front row, viewers were transported to the early decades of Indian cinema, experiencing what film screenings felt like nearly a century ago. NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum said the intent was to “revive the silent film experience for today’s generation,” while composer Rahul Ranade,  who led the musical recreation, described the task as “an honour and a challenge,” bringing to life a film nearly 100 years old. Muraliwala, directed by pioneering filmmaker Baburao Painter, is one of the few surviving Indian silent films and among the rarest archival treasures restored under NFHM. The screening was especially poignant with the presence of Painter’s two daughters in the audience, adding a personal touch to a historic moment.

This year’s special curation carries deep archival and emotional resonance. It marks 125 years of V. Shantaram’s legacy: centenary tributes to Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P. Bhanumati, Bhupen Hazarika, Salil Choudhury and K. Vaikunth, 50 years of NFDC and a special tribute to Shyam Benegal’s Susman, honouring his lasting imprint on Indian storytelling

Launched by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in 2016, the National Film Heritage Mission aims to preserve India’s cinematic legacy through conservation, digitisation and full-scale restoration. From master negatives to rare prints sourced from private collectors and international archives, each film has been brought back to life frame by frame, with several restorations undertaken in consultation with the original filmmakers or their close collaborators.

Highlights include: Subarnarekha – restored from a rare 35mm master positive under the guidance of cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay. Umrao Jaan – restored from a preserved 35mm release print after its original negative decayed, with Muzaffar Ali personally supervising the colour grading These revived films, iconic, diverse and artistically vital, ensure that India’s cinematic heritage is not just preserved but relived, with new audiences discovering the creative spirit that shaped Indian filmmaking across generations.

So far 18 titles have been restored which includes Murliwala (Silent, 1927), Umra Jaan, Pyaasa, Shaheed, Subarnarekha, CID, Party, Malliswari, Gaman, Ek Doctor Ki Maut, Githanjali, and Susman, reminding cinema lovers that how today’s cinema is truly travelled through time.