Is there a simple answer to this question? I wish there were.
The negative has been damaged because of ridiculously poor storage at Prasad Labs, Madras.
The restoration costs have skyrocketed and no one wants to pay for this.
So- the DVD gets delayed beyond what I had imagined.
Why can’t we see the film in the cinemas again?
I spoke with several distributors- young and not so. They all said the same thing- the film is too old, no one will come to see it. Period.
I think the Long Tale is something they need to wag.
So when do we get a DVD?
Once I complete my new film I’ll get around to seeing how to restore English, August and bring it back to life.
But it’s painful. I dislike looking back.
Playing on iTunes After Six from the album “White Bread Black Beer” by Scritti Politti
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Please update on your new movie with abhay deol.
Good to see you back, after a really long time…
But heartbroken after reading the post.
Your earlier replies to ‘English, August’ were quite optimistic. Reading this one, it seems like a uphill task to bring it back to life. Sue Prasad Labs…
Thanks to my instincts that i stayed up late and watched it on Star Movies
, at least i can die peacefully…
Finished ‘Cuckold’ a few days back. Loved it.
Will be waiting for ‘Road, Movie’, Ramanujan ??
Desperately seeking the DVD of English August…Any luck?
I think you underestimate this movie. It’s such a popular book and Rahul Bose has so many fans. This could be a ’sleeper hit’ that keeps running for ages. I hope the DVD comes out soon.
It’s been really, really long. Am currently doing my PhD at The Ohio State U. After all this talk of Slumdog putting Mumbai on the world map, I have been thinking of Split Wide Open and you even more than I normally do. If the English August DVD sees the light of the day, I hope SWO is not too far behind. All’s well I hope!
Hi Dev, I firmly the beleive that the concept of the book/film has no preiod restriction.
Think it’s been a decade since Star Movies telecast it and I’ll always regret the fact that I managed to catch only a bit of it….
I’ve read the book multiple times over the past 11-12 years at differnet phases and I’ve always been as entralled by the work.
Like Monica mentioned, the film has sufficient potentional even it today’s times. Inspite of the disaster ot Prasad Labs,I sincerely hope there’s some positive outcome on the DVD/Film!
Regards,
Siddharth
Hi Dev, I firmly the beleive that the concept of the book/film has no preiod restriction.
Think it’s been a decade since Star Movies telecast it and I’ll always regret the fact that I managed to catch only a bit of it….
I’ve read the book multiple times over the past 11-12 years at differnet phases and I’ve always been as entralled by the work.
Like Monica mentioned, the film has sufficient potential even it today’s times. Inspite of the disaster ot Prasad Labs,I sincerely hope there’s some positive outcome on the DVD/Film!
Regards,
Siddharth
Greetings from Germany!
My question is: If there are 35mm cinema prints of “English, August” still available, why not put an intermediate DVD out — based on a telecine from a 35mm cinema print instead of waiting too long for a preservation of the demaged production negative?
A “special director’s edition” could still come later on Blu-Ray…
I mean it will not look like a master piece but it would be seemingly better than VHS copies circulating from old Indian TV broadcasts.
Any rights available internationally, e.g. for Germany?
best regards,
Joachim Polzer
festival curator
Globians Doc Fest Berlin
http://www.globians.com
It’s sad to hear that such a recent work could be in such a terrible condition.
I don’t think it’s wise to listen to those film distributors. Let’s persuade them. I strongly believe that English August would have a successful second release if you do your best to bring it back on the screen. The sense and sensibilities of the people have changed. There’s local audience for such work today – we included.
Please release the dvd as soon as possible at this time i feel its needed the most
I just posted at the /surrender blogsite, and now I came across this blog. Dev, are you listening? Do you hear our anguish and desperation? At least please tell me if the Split Wide Open VCD is generally available in India, or, a specific outlet has to be contacted. Do you seriously mean that a work like English, August will be lost to posterity because of the aholes at Prasad Labs?
Can’t wait to see your new film.
Peter,
I’ll be writing about this soon.
But the one word answer is YES.
The negative of English, August is lost forever.
I am tying to see if the negative can be restored. But it looks slim.
Split Wide Open- YES. VCD’s are in the market.
Dev,
Been an ardent fan of yours for a long long time..
2 suggestions:
a) I’m sure this movie will have lots of success in any of the major Asian-american or Indian-american movie festivals here in the US and will create a lot of curiosity with the audience here (will be a right time at the right place kind of a movie)
b) I know it may have crossed your mind as a passing thought: Would it be possible to get the same actors to the extent possible back together on a remake of English, August made with the latest hazaar fishing technologies
Cheers
Dev,
I found your website, whilst reading about Ramanujan (yeah the mathematician) on Wikipedia. Quite an intriguing body of work you have!
Whatever happened to the movie you were making about him?
and I like the “Mice and Men” post. I miss those days when I could shop at a book-store where a human-being gave me better information that a kiosk
Btw, you are on my reading list on google reader now
Shiva: It’s coming up soon!!!
I’m finishing my new movie which should be ready August 09.
Dear Mr. Benegal,
I have been following your posts and threads on the DVD release of English August for a while now and I can’t express how sorry I am to know that it might never be released. I was wondering if the movie might be available on tape and/or VCD? I had watched the movie just once as a little girl and have been trying to get a copy ever since.
I truly hope to able to find some form of this movie’s print. Well, looking forward to your new movies.
Best wishes
Abheera
Respected Dev
Its heart breaking to hear that the DVD might never get released…..Thats a great loss to the industry & I think the film faternity should take some serious steps to overcome issue like this…I do hope that there should be atlest a copy of the movie somewhere…Pls try to get it & it will be a dream come true to watch the movie be availabe in dvd….Pls its a heartiest request to u
Dear Mr. Benegal,
You’ll find I have written to you earlier, I am currently studying in the United States and after making a few inquiries I have found that copies of English, August (DVD as well as VHS,PAL) are officially available only at three Libraries in this country – American University, Washington DC, Cornell Univ. in Ithaca, NY and Stanford Univ. in California.
Considering my proximity with the American University and the fact that I am a member here I can easily get a copy of the movie with your due permission. I am already in touch with the Librarian, who would make me a copy of the movie if he sees a letter directed to me for the same from you, which I would be more than glad to forward to you. In case you find this a round-about way you could mail them directly, and probably get a good enough copy or the original itself, if you please I could put you in touch with the Librarian at AU.
I am almost determined not to let such a priceless piece of Indian cinema be lost in this manner and would be more than grateful if you could email me an authorization letter to have a copy if you see fit. My email is already with this post.
I eagerly look forward to your reply,
best regards
Abheera
Please do that Abheera
I am begging on my knees
Abheera,
Its the best piece of information I have seen on this site since I began following it to try and get a DVD of the EA.
Mr Benegal,
Please tell me this is possible.
Regards,
Abhijit
Hi Abheera, thanks a lot for the great news. Hope we’ll get to see the movie sometime soon
I am a nineteen year old student, but I have read Chatterjee’s masterpiece countless number of times, and have always been enamoured. My profs tell me that this movie was a masterpiece, and believe me, I have rummaged through all possible sources to get hold of a copy of the movie. Mr.Benegal, if you are listening, please, please, please do whatever is necessary to gift us this marvellous film. It’s a request from me, personally.
Warm regards
Anurag Rudra
Hi Anurag, Abheera, Abhijit, Jhangra and everyone else dropping by this occasional weblog. I’m going to be posting an update of the English, August DVD. We are making slow progress on this and I would like to share the process. It has its fair share of pain and agony with pleasure not in sight at the moment.
And yes, a sneak peek from the new movie too.
Dear Mr. Benegal
Thank you for the warm response. I can make out the rigmarole you are, and which you will have to go through in the process of restoring the film. But please, take your time…we want to see the movie, at any cost. We’ll just have to extend our wait for a longer time. Kindly keep us updated on the progress, if your jam-packed schedule permits. May the good God be with you in this HERCULIAN endeavour.
Warm Regards
Anurag Rudra
BA 2nd year
English Lit.
Cotton College
Guwahati
PS: I am, without a grain of doubt, the biggest English August fan in this part of the world. Believe me!
Thanks to Gutenberg, we atleast have the book.
And Mr. Upamanyu Chatterjee, you’re a genius!
Mr. Benegal, apart from all the inquisitive queries, let me tell you something…though i’ve not seen the film, I’d like to say…THANK YOU…for making such a wonderful book into, what i believe, is a spectacular, stupendous movie.
Hi there
This can be a very unusual way but still
a) there is no e-mail id mentioned or contact tab to write to you.
b)You dont write very often
c)zilch is the amount of info one gets on your work and your movies
d)how on earth is one supposed to know more about contemporary film makers who are just not ACCESSIBLE???
P.S.- you talk about 0 mails in your inbox when they should be in minus or uinmaginary surd or whatever non existent mathematical fractions.
Any solution Mr. Benegal
Regards
I love this rant.
Neglected weblog needs attention.
Will get some love soon.
Is DVD out? Where can i get VCD? Is their one? I live in US.
Dev,
Please add my email address: gyanesh[a]thoughtcircle[0]com
I am keen to buy English, August in what ever form.
Sad to see on how the negative was handled! Unfortunate.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE email me when you have the DVD out …
Thanks
Gyanesh
Hey Dev,
There was this time in my life in 2004-05 when i was fresh out of college and working in some place about 150 kms away from Bangalore and the place was such a mess with absolutely no Digital TV or mobile connections. The good old doordarshan was my only friend.
I could only come back to bangalore during the weekend and leave on Sunday night.
It was during this time that i came across English,August and how very beautiful feeling it was.
I could not identify with the character more (experimenting with the grass too!!)
It is one of those memories which has been etched in time and with that i have been able to overcome and deal successfully with a lot of situations in life.
I also came to know about the movie and felt so helpless to hear about the negatives.
If English, August ever come out on DVD or anything please let me know.
I really want to watch it.
Joachim; your post got trapped in SPAM. You have a point there. The issue is there is one 35mm print available with subtitles at the Directorate of Film festivals in Delhi. The Taiwan Archives has another print. 20th Century Fox the distributors have shut shop in India and have no clue where the old prints may be.
I mentioned in a post that we have located an NTSC Digital Master of the film from the negative and are now getting it ready to make a DVD.
So I’m hoping that we’ll see something in 2010.
Wow! That’s great news! I was about to suggest that all fans can pool in and contribute to restore the damaged print…
cheers!
Shrini…
Dev,
I had been waiting for ages to get a copy of English, August. I distintcly remember seeing the movie 7 days in a row when it got released, I was in college. I had read the book in school and appreciated your adaptation when I saw the movie. Since then I have been waiting patiently for a copy to own and revisit the movie. Now, my son is growing up and I am desperately collecting stuff from my growing up years (films, books which I had read/owned, music, toys/artifacts, posters) to give him a feel of a by gone era; yes, I am saying this as those “pre-Globalization” days in India can not be felt today. There is a generation or two/three (now the time-line of generation is so fast changing) who are growing up will not know and not able to study how impactful a movie like English, August was. Any updates when we can see a release of English, August on DVD or Blue-Ray?
Had been a great admirer of your work since then. For a lot of people like me at that time in India, it was a seminal piece of art.
Looking forward to Road, Movie. The trailer seems very interesting with some nice camera angles and lighting.