Should Pather Panchali be made in colour? Mumbai-based Sankranti Communications, a firm that works on animation and restoration of films, plans to seek the West Bengal government’s permission to come out with a colour version of Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali. With this, the controversy over remaking classic films in colour has once again become part of drawing room discussions and newspaper editorials.

Rajiv Dwivedi, head of Sankranti Communications which came up with the colour version of K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam, will write to the West Bengal government, asking for permission to make Pather Panchali in colour, even though the state government has already said no to the idea.

“Earlier we were working through emissaries but now we will write directly to the state government. I believe I will be able to remove any misgivings people might have about the plan,” Dwivedi told The Indian Express.

“We have received no formal proposal but even if we get one, we will not accept it. We don’t think classics should be remade in colour,” said Dilip Chakrabarty, principal secretary, department of information and culture, West Bengal government, which is the producer of the film that was released in 1955.

About two months ago, when Dwivedi broached the idea through his emissaries to Sandip Ray, Satyajit Ray’s son, he opposed it. This time, Dwivedi said he hoped to get in touch with the government directly and convince them of his plan.

But Sandip Ray said he would oppose any such move. “It is atrocious. Can films like Pather Panchali, Battleship Potemkin and Bicycle Thief be made in colour? If you do it, you will end up destroying the film. Even if the state government accepts the proposal, we will protest strongly,” Ray told The Indian Express.

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