Shyam Benegal’s Manthan, the award-winning 1976 feature film produced by 5 lakh dairy farmers of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), has been selected for screening at the 77th Cannes Film Festival 2024.

The GCMMF, which sells milk and milk products under the brand name Amul, is celebrating its golden jubilee. To commemorate the milestone, the Federation joined hands with the Film Heritage Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, to restore Manthan in 4K.

The 4K restoration of Manthan has been selected for the official red-carpet world premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in May. Noteworthily, Manthan is the only Indian film to be selected under the Cannes Classic section of the festival this year.

“Manthan is inspired by the pioneering milk cooperative movement of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the father of the White Revolution of India. The film has had a huge impact on the dairy cooperative movement. It inspired millions of farmers across the nation to come together to form local dairy cooperatives and has contributed immensely towards India’s journey to self-sufficiency in milk production. Manthan made people believe that cattle rearing and milk production can be a sustainable and prosperous means of livelihood. India became the world’s largest milk producer in 1998 and has retained the position since,” said Jayen Mehta, Managing Director, GCMMF.

Starring iconic actors like Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad and Amrish Puri, Manthan’s story revolves around the struggles and triumphs of a small set of poor farmers, who come together to form a dairy cooperative to improve their economic conditions. It depicts the story of the inception of an extraordinary dairy cooperative movement that transformed India from a milk-deficient nation to the world’s largest milk producer. 

Made at a budget of Rs. 10 lakh, Manthan was also the first crowdfunded Indian film, with 5 lakh dairy farmers of GCMMF contributing Rs. 2 each to fund its production cost. The film showcases the transformative potential of community-driven initiatives and marks a significant chapter in Indian cinema’s socially relevant narratives.

Manthan won the 1977 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and National Film Award for Best Screenplay for Vijay Tendulkar. It was also India’s submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1976. 

Today, milk is the largest agricultural crop of India and more than 10 crore farmers, including crores of women, depend on milk for their livelihood. A film produced with a budget of Rs. 1 million has been instrumental in generating milk output of Rs. 10 lakh crore annually.