Overview

• The 1981 Muzaffar Ali film starring Rekha will return to cinemas nationwide in a 4K restoration led by NFDC-NFAI under the National Film Heritage Mission.
• PVR INOX will present the revival as part of its Timeless Classics initiative to reintroduce the film’s lyrical exploration of 19th-century Lucknow.
• Restoration teams overcame deteriorating original negatives by using a preserved 35 mm release print, with Muzaffar Ali supervising color grading.
• Rekha’s award-winning performance as the courtesan-poetess, which earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress, remains the film’s emotional anchor.
• The re-release coincides with Kajol’s horror drama Maa, creating a rare box office face-off between two women-led films.