Did you ever wish you could colour all the classics and enjoy watching them? Then definitely the days are really close when your wishes will be fulfilled. Two great Classics of Hindi cinematic history- B R Chopra's 1957 hit NAYA DAUR (New generation) and K Asif's 1960 hit MUGHAL-E-AZAM will henceforth wear a new look.
MUGHAL-E-AZAM is one of the biggest films ever made. It is a historical romance revolving around Mughal emperor Akhbar's son Jahangir and his love for a courtesan Anarkali. And NAYA DAUR is a story of two friends, Shankar (Dilip Kumar) a tongawala, and Krishna (Ajit) the woodcutter who later turn foes with a chain of events that follow. The film is based on industrial revolution starring Dilip Kumar, Vaijayanti Mala, Ajit, Jeevan and Johny Walker.
The black and white films will get a new format with coloured prints and songs rerecorded. According to the sources, the revamped movies will be released with Dolby digital sound effects. The negatives will be transformed into colour using software techniques. Technicians from Hollywood and Bollywood have joined forces to bring out these colour versions. While a Florida-based company, Westlake Inc, has been commissioned to undertake the colourisation process a complements of 50 technicians are working on the project in Goa at present. The colouring procedure will cost about Rs 3 crores. Another 65 lakhs will be spent on the redesigning of the sound into present generation technology. Sterling Productions has commissioned Indian Academy of Arts and Animation for the project and is busy with publicity material and soon the promos will hit the small screen.
Filmmaker Ravi Chopra (of BAGHBAN fame) is all set to revive his father B.R.Chopra's 1957 black-and-white classic NAYA DAUR. He said that the work on the colourisation of NAYA DAUR is on its way to completion. Six other titles from BR Film's black and white library AFSANA, EK HI RAASTA, SADHANA, DHOOL KA PHOOL, KANOON and GUMRAAH will be taken up for colourisation after NAYA DAUR is ready for release. Chopra believes that the re-release of well-loved films like these is more a necessity than a mere business proposition.
MUGHAL-E-AZAM is receiving more than just a new coat of colour. The soundtrack is also being upgraded. The film's original composer, veteran music director Naushad is closely involved with the digital makeover of the film's legendary music. The original notes will be rerecorded but the voices of the singers will be retained, says Naushad, who is recreating his compositions with help from music director Uttam Singh.
A large section of today's audience will remain deprived of the opportunity to savour these classics if they are not revived in a new format, says thespian Dilip Kumar, the protagonist of both NAYA DAUR and MUGHAL-E-AZAM.
The new versions would be treated like other new releases and distributed in movie theatres and also be sold to a satellite TV channel. The sale of the satellite rights of the colour format of NAYA DAUR could apparently fetch BR Films up to Rs 1.5 crore for a five-year period. The new millennium filmgoers aren't too keen to watch black-and-white films and by colouring these classic films, we are only seeking to widen the audience base, says distributor Raj Bansal.
The classics are poised for resurrection with the release of new, improved, all-colour prints by the end of this year. If the films click with today's youth, there is a strong possibility that many other classic masterpieces will be revived.
Did you ever wish you could colour all the classics and enjoy watching them? Then definitely the days are really close when your wishes will be fulfilled. Two great Classics of Hindi cinematic history- B R Chopra's 1957 hit NAYA DAUR (New generation) and K Asif's 1960 hit MUGHAL-E-AZAM will henceforth wear a new look. 
MUGHAL-E-AZAM is receiving more than just a new coat of colour. The soundtrack is also being upgraded. The film's original composer, veteran music director Naushad is closely involved with the digital makeover of the film's legendary music. The original notes will be rerecorded but the voices of the singers will be retained, says Naushad, who is recreating his compositions with help from music director Uttam Singh.
A large section of today's audience will remain deprived of the opportunity to savour these classics if they are not revived in a new format, says thespian Dilip Kumar, the protagonist of both NAYA DAUR and MUGHAL-E-AZAM.
