Cannes 2024: Naseeruddin Shah 'Could Hardly Hold Back Tears' During 'Manthan' Screening At The Prestigious Film Festival

Almost 50 years after its release, the cult classic 'Manthan' was screened at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. 'Manthan' actor Naseeruddin Shah attended the screening with his wife Ratna Pathak Shah and his co-star Smita Patil's son Prateik Babbar. It was a surreal moment for everyone. Naseeruddin Shah remembered his co-stars Girish Karnad, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri. He called Smita “a dear friend'' of him. He told Brut India that it was a "terribly emotional experience". 

On walking the red carpet, Naseeruddin said it felt "unreal" to him and the actor never dreamt that he would be part of it one day. He added he has always seen the red carpet ceremony either on video or in photographs. "I have seen all these lovely ladies parading themselves in their gorgeous costumes. I never dreamt I'd be a part of that one day. So, my wife and I decided to keep it as simple as possible,'' said the veteran actor.

Shah, 73, called it an emotional experience because there were so many friends who were in the film. ''Girish was a friend and my teacher. He was the director of FTII. Smita was a dear friend and so was Amrish. None of them are there any longer,'' he said.

He continued, "So many faces which one had sort of slipped one's memory. To see all those people again who used to, who were almost everybody in the unit got dragged in... I felt very proud, prouder of this film than I have ever felt. I've always treasured this film very dearly to my heart. So it was a moving experience, I could hardly hold back the tears. And I find that the film has really stood the test of time."

'Manthan', directed by Shyam Benegal, was a pathbreaking film which was inspired by milk pioneering movement of Verghese Kurien who is known as 'The Milkman of India'. The film also starred Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Anant Nag and Mohan Agashe among others.