In a moment that beautifully bridges the past and present of Indian cinema, the Venice Film Festival has officially announced the world premiere of the newly restored 4K version of Bimal Roy’s 1953 classic Do Bigha Zamin at its 2025 edition.
This landmark restoration will be presented in Venice by the Bimal Roy family—his daughters Rinki Roy Bhattacharya and Aparajita Roy Sinha, son Joy Bimal Roy—alongside Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder and director of the Film Heritage Foundation.
The restoration is a result of a passionate collaboration between the Film Heritage Foundation, The Criterion Collection, and Janus Films. Do Bigha Zamin, a cornerstone of Indian neorealism, holds historic significance as the first Indian film to win the Prix International at Cannes in 1954. It also garnered accolades at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and swept several other awards.
Gulzar, who began his career as Bimal Roy’s assistant, reflected warmly on the film and its legacy: “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... 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. He is the coolest director I have ever seen. I learnt not only filmmaking from him, but the art of patience and stamina.”
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur added: “For me, Do Bigha Zamin changed the face of Indian cinema... I am so happy we could collaborate with The Criterion Collection / Janus Films to restore this and other Bimal Roy classics.”
The Roy family shared their emotional response to the announcement: “The news of Do Bigha Zamin premiering in Venice is a dream come true. The film, deeply inspired by Italian neorealism, holds personal meaning—it mirrors our father’s own story of displacement from East Bengal.”
The restoration, completed in 4K by Criterion Collection and Janus Films in partnership with L’Immagine Ritrovata, Resillion, and the Film Heritage Foundation, drew from the finest surviving materials: the 35mm picture and sound negatives preserved at the NFDC–National Film Archive of India, and a combined dupe negative held at the British Film Institute (BFI).
As Bimal Roy’s poetic realism returns to the global stage, Do Bigha Zamin promises to once again stir hearts—this time, with renewed clarity and enduring power.