Shyam Benegal: Revisiting Manthan
A Film Screening and Conversation
Half a million farmers made a film. Now, see it reborn.
In 1976, 500,000 Gujarat dairy farmers each gave two rupees to make Manthan (The Churning) — Shyam Benegal's landmark film about caste, class, and collective power. Now beautifully restored in 4K by the Film Heritage Foundation and premiered at Cannes, it looks even better than the original.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 · 5:00 PM · Roosevelt House, NYC
Screening followed by a conversation on films and resistance — how Manthan reimagined what cinema could do, and why it still resonates today.
With: Dev Benegal, film maker, who worked with Shyam Benegal on Manthan and Arohan, and Debashree Mukherjee, Associate Professor, Columbia University, author of Bombay Hustle, moderated by Hari Sreenivasan, broadcast journalist PBS (New Hour, Amanpour & Company, Take On Fake).
