When Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film Aranyer Din Ratri ( Days and Nights in the Forest ) returned to Cannes this May, it was far from a faded relic. Restored by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and the Film Heritage Foundation, the film, in ravishingly revived form, was selected for the prestigious Cannes Classics section as a testament to Ray’s enduring influence on world cinema through classics like 1955’s Panther Panchali, which is the first film in the director’s celebrated Apu Trilogy .

To mark the occasion, The Hollywood Reporter India spoke with three individuals deeply touched by the film and its creator: legendary Indian actress Sharmila Tagore, a frequent Ray collaborator; Wes Anderson, whose work bears Ray’s influence; and Dungarpur, whose archival work revived the film.

When Satyaj

See Full Page