Cannes Film FestivalJohn AbrahamAmma AriyanFilm Heritage FoundationIndian Cinema
Restored Version of John Abraham's 'Amma Ariyan' to Premiere at Cannes
Published: May 8, 2026
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The 4K restoration of John Abraham's 'Amma Ariyan' is scheduled to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, according to Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation. The film, made in 1986, is the only Indian feature film selected for a world premiere at the festival this year.
The restoration process was challenging, with the team having to work with the last surviving unsubtitled print from the National Archives, and took close to 5-6 years to complete, with the restoration work alone taking 2 years.
The Film Heritage Foundation has previously restored other notable Indian films, including Aravindan's 'Thamp', Aribam Syam Sharma's 'Ishanou', and Satyajit Ray's 'Aranyer Din Ratri', which were also premiered at Cannes.
The film's editor, Bina Paul, and cinematographer, Venu, were involved in the restoration process, with Paul noting that the film has a timeless quality and stands the test of time. The film's premiere at Cannes is expected to bring deserved recognition to John Abraham and make the film available to a wider audience.
The Cannes Film Festival will resume on May 16 with the premiere of 'Amma Ariyan', and the Film Heritage Foundation is expected to announce further plans for the film's distribution and release.