Amul’s Manthan to premiere in Los Angeles

Manthan, the critically acclaimed 1976 film directed by Shyam Benegal and produced by the 5 lakh dairy farmers of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), has been selected for screening at the prestigious Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The film will be showcased as part of Emotion in Colour: A Kaleidoscope of Indian Cinema, a specially curated selection of 12 iconic Indian films, on March 10, 2025.

The selection marks another milestone for Manthan, following its 4K restoration by the Film Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Amul. This painstaking restoration process led to its official red-carpet world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, where it was the only Indian film featured under the Cannes Classics section.

The 12-film retrospective at the Academy Museum has been meticulously curated by Shri Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founding director of the Film Heritage Foundation, a not-for-profit organization committed to preserving India’s cinematic heritage.

“Manthan is inspired by the visionary milk cooperative movement led by Dr. Verghese Kurien, the Father of India’s White Revolution. The film played a significant role in motivating millions of farmers to form dairy cooperatives, ultimately making India the world’s largest milk producer in 1998, a position it has maintained since. Manthan was India’s official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1976, and we are deeply honoured to see it screened in 2025, the International Year of Cooperation declared by the United Nations,” said Jayen Mehta, Managing Director, GCMMF.

Starring legendary actors like Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad, and Amrish Puri, Manthan tells the powerful story of poor farmers uniting to establish a dairy cooperative, overcoming hardships, and transforming India’s dairy industry. The film underscores the remarkable journey of India’s self-sufficiency in milk production and its profound socio-economic impact.

A landmark in Indian cinema, Manthan was the country’s first crowdfunded film, made on a budget of Rs. 10 lakhs, with 5 lakh dairy farmers contributing Rs. 2 each towards its production. The film stands as a testament to the transformative potential of grassroots movements and collective action.

Honoured with the 1977 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and Best Screenplay (Vijay Tendulkar), Manthan continues to inspire generations and remains an unparalleled depiction of India’s cooperative movement. Its screening at the Academy Museum further cements its legacy as a cornerstone of socially relevant Indian cinema.

Also Read: Amul's shout out to Zoya Akhtar & Reema Kagti's 'Made in Heaven Season 2'