Sharmila Tagore, Simi Garewal's Aranyer Din Ratri Gets Standing Ovation At Cannes Film Festival 2025 (VIDEO)
In a historic moment, the restored version of Satyajit Ray's classic Aranyer Din Ratri, starring Sharmila Tagore, was screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, and it received a standing ovation at the global platform from the audience. The film was screened under the Cannes Classics section.
Veteran actors Sharmila Tagore attended the screening of the film at Cannes 2025 on Monday evening. She was accompanied by actress and talk-show host Simi Garewal, who was also a part of the ensemble cast of the 1970 Bengali classic.
Sharmila's daughter Saba, who accompanied her to the French Riviera, shared a slew of photos and videos from the showcase, and in one of them, the audience can be seen giving the film a standing ovation. The veteran actors extended heartfelt thanks to the audience and the organisers of the film festival for screening the restored 4K version of the Ray classic after over five decades.
"A little more.... of moments. Standing ovation. A beautiful celebration of life. Team that made it all possible. Congratulations! @filmheritagefoundation," Saba wrote, sharing glimpses from Cannes.
Hollywood filmmaker Wes Anderson, who spearheaded the six-year-long restoration work for Aranyer Din Ratri, was also seen next to Sharmila and Simi.
Aranyer Din Ratri also featured late actors Soumitra Chatterjee, Subhendu Chatterjee, Kaberi Bose, Samit Bhanja, Rabi Ghosh and Aparna Sen. "Everybody else has passed on. So, I will see my old friends on the screen and relive those lovely moments," Sharmila stated before the premiere at Cannes.
The restored version of Aranyer Din Ratri was presented and restored by Martin Scrosese's The Film Foundation through its World Cinema Project initiative at L'Immagine Ritrovata in collaboration with Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's Film Heritage Foundation, Janus Films, and the Criterion Collection.
Titled 'Days and Nights in the Forest' in English, the film explores themes of alienation, class, and modernity. It follows the story of four urban men who escape to the forests of Palamau (now in Jharkhand) for a carefree holiday, only to undergo a journey of self-discovery.
news