This film was made almost entirely from donations of five lakh Indian farmers and boosted a brand that is now worth Rs 52000 crore
In a day and age when big-budget films rule the roost, it is hard to imagine a time when Bollywood resorted to crowdfunding for a film, and that too, one that had known faces and names. But this is what was done nearly half a century ago, for an experimental film that initially found no takers. When producers refused, farmers from across the country stepped up.
The film that was crowdfunded by farmers
In 1978, Shyam Benegal was making Manthan, a film inspired by the pioneering work of Dr Verghese Kurien and his White Revolution, which brought about a dairy revolution in India. But producers did not want to put their money in what they felt was not a commercial project but an ‘art film’, from what was then called ‘parallel cinema’. Eventually, when no backers were found, the dairy farmers of India decided to support ‘their film’. As many as 5 lakh farmers donated Rs 2 each, contributing Rs 10 lakh out of the film’s eventual Rs 12-lakh budget.
Manthan’s release and legacy
Manthan starred Smita Patil in the lead, along with Girish Karnad, Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Mohan Agashe, and Anant Nag. It was the first major role for Smita and Shah was also not established. All other actors were thespians but not commerciall. Hence, the film was not expected to do well at the box office. Upon its release, the film was a success at the box office, earning several times its budget and becoming profitable. It remains the first ever crowdfunded commercial film of India.
Manthan’s return to the big screen
This year, the film has been digitally restored to a better quality and will be screened at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The 4K restoration has been part of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF’s) initiatives to mark its golden jubilee. “To commemorate the milestone, the federation joined hands with the Film Heritage Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation, 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. Manthan is the only Indian film to be selected under the Cannes Classic section of the festival this year,” GCMMF stated. The GCMMF markets its product under the brand name Amul. The film’s song Mero Gaam Katha Parey was even used as Amul’s jingle in the 80s and 90s. The film is said to have given a huge boost to Amul, which is now a Rs 52000-crore brand.
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