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The National Film Archives of India (NFAI) will screen the classic ‘Kalpana’ (1948) – directed by dancer Uday Shankar – at the Pune Law College premises on Saturday. The show, which will start at 6.30pm, is open to all on a first come, first serve basis.
Since the Union Government’s decision to merge the Film Archive with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) came into effect from January this year, screenings of films to the public have almost stopped. The Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) – in which NFAI has been involved since its inception – did not screen any films in its film archives earlier this year in its 21st edition.
Kalpana, starring Uday Shankar and his wife Amala, is about a young dancer’s dream of establishing a dance academy. The film is based on Shankar’s life and the academy he founded – called Almora. Despite being a pioneering film in the way it showcased dance performances, and helped bring Indian classical dance to the world, it has seen very limited distribution in India. Shankar did not make another film after that.
Jasbir Singh Bidwan, director of NFDC-NFAI, said the screening is part of the Archives Film Circle’s annual schedule, but the management has decided to open it to the public. “We have about a hundred members in our film circle. The show was organized for them. But since we have the capacity to accommodate 330 viewers, we decided to open the show to the public,” said Bidwan, adding that more public screenings are in the pipeline.
We have planned a few events for the general public in the coming days. “We will announce the schedule as soon as the plans are ready,” Bedouin said.
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