1927 Film Murliwala’s Magic Revives the Silent Era at IFFI 56
By Gajanan Khergamker
Day 6 of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) unfolded like a rare cinematic time capsule as audiences were transported straight into the 1920s during the special screening of the restored silent classic Murliwala. The National Film Development Corporation and National Film Archive of India showcased the film as part of an 18-title Indian Panorama Special Package curated under the National Film Heritage Mission.
The evening recreated the ambience of the silent era with live musicians performing in front of the screen, echoing the tradition of early film exhibitions. NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum said the intent was to reintroduce this immersive experience to young viewers. He added that with composer Rahul Ranade leading the musical revival, the screening carried the charm and grandeur of the period.
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| A grab from the screening of the film at IFFI 56 |
For Ranade, recreating the score of a film made 98 years ago was both an honour and a challenge. He said the team aimed to match the innovation of filmmaker Baburao Painter whose 1927 creation remains one of the few surviving silent films in India. The screening became even more poignant with the presence of Painter’s daughters in the audience.
This year’s restored package carries deep historical significance. The festival marks 125 years of V. Shantaram and pays centenary tributes to Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, Bhupen Hazarika, P. Bhanumati, Salil Choudhury and K. Vaikunth. It also celebrates 50 years of NFDC and offers a special salute to Shyam Benegal’s Susman.
Launched in 2016, the National Film Heritage Mission remains one of India’s most ambitious archival efforts. The mission focuses on preservation, conservation and digitisation of the country’s cinematic holdings collected from rights holders, private collectors and global institutions. Each film restored for IFFI 2025 reflects intense technical work supervised by filmmakers or their close collaborators.
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| Baburao Painter's daughters at the IFFI 56 screening where they saw the film for the first time |
Ritwik Ghatak’s Subarnarekha returns after restoration from a 35 mm master positive while Muzaffar Ali personally oversaw the colour grading of Umrao Jaan which was rebuilt from a release print after the original negative deteriorated. Together, the restored titles honour and protect the creative legacy of India’s most influential storytellers.
The Indian Panorama Special Package includes Umrao Jaan, Malliswari, Rudaali, Gaman, Fear, Subarnarekha, Murliwala, Party, CID, Pyaasa, Ek Doctor Ki Maut, Ek Hota Vidushak, Kireedam, Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, Susman, Musafir, Shaheed and Geethanjali.
With Murliwala at its heart, the showcase reaffirmed IFFI’s spirit of celebrating cinematic memory and bringing India’s earliest moving images back into the light for a new generation.
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