<p>"I have not been informed about the film being shown anywhere in the country. There has been no intimation, officially or verbally," Ray's son Sandip told PTI here when asked about reports that it will be be shown at the India International Centre in Delhi on October 27.<br /><br />"There has been no official correspondence with us from any side on the issue and I was only informed by some members of the press in mid-September that the ban was being lifted and they sought my reaction," he said.<br /><br />"Needless to say I will always welcome such a move as people will get a chance to see my father's film," added Sandip.<br /><br />The film, a documentary on the Chogyal dynasty, was commissioned by the last Chogyal (king) of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, at the behest of his US born queen, Hope Cooke.<br />Recalling the days of the film's shooting, Sandip said he had accompanied his father to picturesque spots like Namchi in the then Himalayan kingdom in 1970.<br /><br />"After shooting on location for my father's feature film 'Seemabaddha' in Darjeeling we headed to Sikkim where the shooting went on for some days with hospitality provided by the Chogyals."</p>.<p>When the film was complete and the rushes were shown, the queen, Hope Cook, suggested a few cuts which apparently showed the opulence of the royals in contrast to the stark poverty of the people, Sandip said.<br /><br />"One shot showing the poor rummaging through left over food dumped beside the palace was not liked by the royal family," Sandip said.<br /><br />"The final cuts were not liked by my father, but he could not do much since it was their production," Sandip recollected.<br /><br />He said the film, restored by well-known restorer Joseph Lindwall, was last screened at a French film festival in 2006 at a retro on Ray.<br /><br />"There could have been other screenings, private or otherwise elsewhere, which I am not aware of," he said.<br /><br />"I had seen a print at the British Film Institute which is in good condition and was screened at the French festival. It was scheduled to be shown at 14th Kolkata International Film festival in 2008, which fell through due to the ban," Sandip said.<br /><br />There is another print of the film with the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences in the US.The print in US is not in very good condition, while the master negative is traceless," he said.<br /><br />The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had given a 'U' certificate for 'unrestricted public viewing' in 2002, but there was no screening as there was no concrete announcement on the status of the ban from the Information and Broadcasting ministry. </p>
<p>"I have not been informed about the film being shown anywhere in the country. There has been no intimation, officially or verbally," Ray's son Sandip told PTI here when asked about reports that it will be be shown at the India International Centre in Delhi on October 27.<br /><br />"There has been no official correspondence with us from any side on the issue and I was only informed by some members of the press in mid-September that the ban was being lifted and they sought my reaction," he said.<br /><br />"Needless to say I will always welcome such a move as people will get a chance to see my father's film," added Sandip.<br /><br />The film, a documentary on the Chogyal dynasty, was commissioned by the last Chogyal (king) of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, at the behest of his US born queen, Hope Cooke.<br />Recalling the days of the film's shooting, Sandip said he had accompanied his father to picturesque spots like Namchi in the then Himalayan kingdom in 1970.<br /><br />"After shooting on location for my father's feature film 'Seemabaddha' in Darjeeling we headed to Sikkim where the shooting went on for some days with hospitality provided by the Chogyals."</p>.<p>When the film was complete and the rushes were shown, the queen, Hope Cook, suggested a few cuts which apparently showed the opulence of the royals in contrast to the stark poverty of the people, Sandip said.<br /><br />"One shot showing the poor rummaging through left over food dumped beside the palace was not liked by the royal family," Sandip said.<br /><br />"The final cuts were not liked by my father, but he could not do much since it was their production," Sandip recollected.<br /><br />He said the film, restored by well-known restorer Joseph Lindwall, was last screened at a French film festival in 2006 at a retro on Ray.<br /><br />"There could have been other screenings, private or otherwise elsewhere, which I am not aware of," he said.<br /><br />"I had seen a print at the British Film Institute which is in good condition and was screened at the French festival. It was scheduled to be shown at 14th Kolkata International Film festival in 2008, which fell through due to the ban," Sandip said.<br /><br />There is another print of the film with the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences in the US.The print in US is not in very good condition, while the master negative is traceless," he said.<br /><br />The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had given a 'U' certificate for 'unrestricted public viewing' in 2002, but there was no screening as there was no concrete announcement on the status of the ban from the Information and Broadcasting ministry. </p>