A digitally restored version of Satyajit Ray’s Bengali classic Mahanagar (The Big City) will be released on April 18, in select theatres in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pune, under the PVR Director’s Rare banner.

Made in 1963, Mahangar is based on Narendranath Mitra’s short story ‘Abataranika’, stars Madhabi Mukherjee as Arati, a housewife who takes a job of a saleswoman and unsettles her family in the process. Madhabhi Mukherjee once in an interview talked about the restoration of Mahanagar, she said, “I’m very glad that the film has been restored to its pristine glory. Theatrical and home video releases will help the film talk to a new generation of viewers who might have missed Ray’s film earlier.”

The film, which was originally released in September 1963, will be re-released with English subtitles.

Mahanagar was digitally restored by the RDB organisation under the leadership of Mr. Kamal Bansal to mark 50 years of the film last year. It was screened at various venues across United Kingdom.

Satyajit Ray won the ‘Siver Bear’ at the 14th Berlin International Film Festival in 1964 for Mahanagar.