Restored version of Pakeezah sells out in a single day at London Film Festival

Film Heritage Foundation's 4K restoration of Kamal Amrohi's Pakeezah (1972) made its UK debut as the closing gala screening of the BFI London Film Festival on October 18, 2026, at BFI IMAX. The screening sold out within a day of tickets going on sale.

The event was attended by Film Heritage Foundation Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Kamal Amrohi's children Tajdar and Rukhsaar Amrohi, and grandson Bilal Amrohi, who collaborated on the restoration. Fourteen members of the Amrohi family travelled from India for the occasion.

Dungarpur said the restoration had been a long-standing dream since the foundation's establishment in 2014. With the original camera negative unavailable and the surviving material in poor condition, the team spent two years restoring the film, overcoming significant audio challenges.Tajdar Amrohi paid tribute to Dungarpur and the foundation for bringing the film back to life, while Rukhsaar Amrohi praised her father's enduring cinematic legacy and the dedication behind the restoration. The screening marked another milestone in a landmark year for Film Heritage Foundation, which also presented restorations of In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones (1989) at the Berlin International Film Festival, Amma Ariyan (1986) at Cannes, and English, August (1994) at Venice. (Agencies)

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