Marking legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak's birth centenary, six of his films restored under India's National Film Heritage Mission are being showcased at the ongoing Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Italy.

The films are being screened as part of the 40th anniversary edition of the acclaimed festival, regarded as one of the world's leading platforms for restored and archival cinema, stated a release issued by Pune-based Cameo Media Labs, which carried out the audio restoration of the films.

The six films include some of Ghatak's most celebrated works — Meghe Dhaka Tara, Subarnarekha, Ajantrik and Jukti Takko Aar Gappo — known for their storytelling and social themes, the release said.

According to the release, Cameo Media Labs was entrusted with the audio restoration of the films under NFHM. The restoration process focused on preserving the original sound characteristics while ensuring they meet contemporary international exhibition standards.

The restored films are also being showcased through a month-long retrospective at BFI Southbank in London as part of Ghatak's centenary celebrations, it said.

"For everyone working in film preservation, seeing these restored classics reach prestigious international platforms is immensely gratifying. Audio restoration is often an invisible craft, but it plays a vital role in preserving the artistic integrity of a film and the original intent of a filmmaker," said Purab Gujar, co-founder of Cameo Media Labs.

The restoration project was undertaken under the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM), an initiative aimed at preserving and restoring India's cinematic legacy. The programme is being implemented by the National Film Development Corporation and the National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.