Manthan

For other uses, see Manthan (disambiguation).

Manthan
Directed byShyam Benegal
Written byKaifi Azmi (dialogue)
Screenplay byVijay Tendulkar
Story by
StarringSmita Patil
Girish Karnad
Naseeruddin Shah
Amrish Puri
CinematographyGovind Nihalani
Edited byBhanudas Divakar
Music byVanraj Bhatia
Production
company
Release date
Running time
134 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Manthan, also released under the translated title The Churning, is a 1976 Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal, inspired by the pioneering milk cooperative movement of Verghese Kurien, and is written jointly by him and Vijay Tendulkar.[1] It is set amidst the backdrop of the White Revolution of India. Aside from the great measurable success that this project was, it also demonstrated the power of "collective might" as it was entirely crowdfunded by 500,000 farmers who donated Rs. 2 each.[2][3][4] Manthan is the first crowdfunded Indian film.[5]

The film won the 1977 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and National Film Award for Best Screenplay for Vijay Tendulkar, and was also India's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for 1976.[6] A restored version released in the Cannes Classics section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.[7]

The title song ("Mero Gaam Katha Parey") was sung by Preeti Sagar. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for that year.[8] The song was later used as the soundtrack for the television commercial for Amul.[9] [10][11]

  1. ^ "How a farmers' servant painted the nation white" (PDF). UNDP quoting Hindustan Times. 9 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference hin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference sscnet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Milkmen turned producers". The Hindu. 5 July 2014. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Did you know Shyam Benegal's Manthan was India's first crowdfunded film?". Mid-Day. 1 June 2019. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  6. ^ Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
  7. ^ "Restored version of Shyam Benegal's Manthan to be screened at Cannes". The Indian Express. New Delhi. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  8. ^ Us Salam, Ziya (12 September 2012). "Manthan (1976)". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  9. ^ Kaur, Chehneet (7 January 2023). "When Amul made 'Manthan' reach every home - ET BrandEquity". ETBrandEquity.com. The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Prateik Babbar On Mom Smita Patil's 1976 Film 'Manthan' Screening At Cannes 2024: A Symbolic Moment For Me". Outlook India.
  11. ^ "Manthan: The Indian film at Cannes made by half a million farmers". BBC News.