Mohanlal's cult classic 'Kireedam' to make a return to theatres in 4K
Chennai, June 17
Malayalam superstar Mohanlal on Wednesday delighted his fans by announcing that his much loved cult classic, 'Kireedam', was to return to theatres in 4K shortly.
Taking to his social media timelines, he wrote, "The crown returns. Bigger. Clearer. Stronger. Kireedam in 4K - Coming Soon."
Interestingly, Mohanlal had expressed delight at the National Film Archive of India (NFDC) managing to restore his cult classic film 'Kireedam' from a 35mm release print late last year. Last November, he had expressed the opinion that it would be an honour to witness the classic return to the screen.
Taking to his X timeline to share the news that the world premiere of the restored 4K version of the film was to be presented as part of the Special Screenings at the International Film Festival of India that was held in Goa last year, Mohanlal had said that the final grading had been supervised by the film's cinematographer S Kumar.
He wrote, "Delighted to share the world premiere of the 4K restoration of Kireedam (1989), presented as part of the Special Screenings at the 56th IFFI, Goa. The film has been meticulously restored by NFDC - National Film Archive of India from a 35mm release print, thankfully preserved by the archive for several decades after the original camera negative had decomposed. The final grading was supervised by the film's cinematographer, S. Kumar. It is an honour to witness this classic return to the screen."
The actor had then gone on to say, "It is heartening to see 'Kireedam' revived under the National Film Heritage Mission. My best wishes to NFDC-NFAI as they continue preserving and presenting India's cinematic heritage for future generations, in both digital and analog form."
For the unaware, director Sibi Malayil's Malayalam film 'Kireedam', which released in 1989, featured Mohanlal, Thilakan, Parvathy Jayaram and Mohanraj in the lead roles. The film, which is hailed as a cult classic, fetched Mohanlal his first National Award. The National Award (Special Mention) was presented to Mohanlal for portraying a young man's agony and pain exceedingly well and in a unique fashion.The film, which went on to emerge a huge commercial success at the box office, was also hailed by the critics and to this day, remains one of Malayalam cinema's most iconic films.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally! I've heard so much about this film from my parents. They say it's a masterpiece. I'm glad they're restoring classics like this instead of just churning out remakes. Hope more such restorations happen for other regional cinema gems too. 🤞
As someone who appreciates world cinema, I'm thrilled about this. Kireedam is not just a Malayalam classic, but a landmark in Indian cinema. The fact that they're using the original 35mm print and doing the grading under the cinematographer's supervision shows real dedication to quality. This is how film heritage should be treated.
A small request to Mohanlal sir and the team: please release it in all major cities, not just Kerala. Many of us Malayalis in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi badly want to watch this on the big screen! 🙏 Also, will there be any bonus content about the restoration process? That would be fascinating.
Honestly, I hope they don't just do a cash grab with this. The 4K restoration is great, but tickets should be priced reasonably so that genuine fans can afford to watch it. The whole family wants to go, but if it's too expensive, many will miss out. Still, kudos to NFDC for the preservation work.
This is why I love Indian cinema. You guys truly respect your classics. In the West, many old films are just forgotten or badly digitized. The fact that Mohanlal himself is personally invested in this restoration speaks volumes. I might just plan a trip
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