At BIFFes, film preservation expert calls for urgent institutional action to archive, restore and safeguard classic Kannada films
Bengaluru, NFAPost: The survival of Kannada cinema’s rich legacy depends not on nostalgia alone, but on sustained institutional commitment, warned noted film preservation and restoration expert Aparna Subramanian at the 17th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes). Speaking at a session titled “Collection, Preservation and Restoration of Cinema”, she urged the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy to take a more proactive role in conserving classic Kannada films.
Addressing filmmakers, archivists and cinephiles, Subramanian emphasised that cinema is not merely entertainment, but cultural memory—and once lost, it cannot be recreated.
“The Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy must focus seriously on the preservation and restoration of old Kannada films,” she said. “What we lose today will never return tomorrow.”
Classic Films, Fading Prints
Subramanian pointed out that several classic films screened at the festival revealed worrying signs of neglect.
“After watching some of the old classics screened at the festival, it became clear that their quality has deteriorated significantly,” she observed. “This is a warning sign.”
She stressed that while producers are naturally focused on commercial returns, preservation often remains an afterthought.
“Producers are concerned about profits, not long-term conservation. As a result, many negative prints have deteriorated beyond repair.”
Unless systematic archiving and restoration efforts are undertaken, she warned, entire chapters of film history risk being erased.
Preservation Is Expensive—but Essential
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, Subramanian explained that film restoration is a highly resource-intensive process.
“At the very least, restoring a single film costs around ₹20 lakh,” she said. “This makes preservation an expensive and demanding task.”
Because of these costs, she argued, the responsibility must lie with public institutions rather than individuals.
“In many countries, governments allocate up to $350 million for film preservation. Even then, they say it is not enough,” she noted.
“In our context, even an allocation of ₹1 crore would barely scratch the surface.”
National Efforts and Individual Interventions
Referring to the work of the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Subramanian said the institution has made notable progress despite limitations.
“So far, NFAI has preserved around 5,000 films, and restoration work on another 2,500 films is currently underway,” she said.
Sharing a personal contribution to this effort, she added:
“I personally collected and submitted the Tamil classic Ratha Kanneer, starring M R Radha, to the National Film Archive of India.”
Her example, she suggested, shows how individual initiative can complement institutional responsibility—but cannot replace it.
A Rare Conversation at a Film Festival
Thanking the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy for organising the session, Subramanian noted that discussions on preservation are often sidelined at film festivals.
“Usually, festivals focus only on screenings,” she said. “I am grateful that this festival created space to talk about preservation.”
Such conversations, she argued, are critical if cinema is to be treated as heritage rather than disposable content.
Saving Cinema for the Future
Subramanian concluded with a strong reminder: films are historical documents, artistic expressions and cultural records rolled into one.
Without urgent, large-scale preservation and restoration efforts—especially for Kannada cinema—future generations may never experience these works as they were meant to be seen.
At BIFFes, her call resonated as both a warning and an opportunity: to act now, before irreplaceable reels fade into silence.
