Mohanlal celebrates Kireedam 4K world premiere at IFFI, calls it an honor
The 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa featured the world premiere of the 4K-restored classic Malayalam film Kireedam, with actor Mohanlal expressing his appreciation for the efforts to preserve Indian cinema.
The ongoing 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa is witnessing a revival of an age-old piece of cinematic history, with the world premiere of the 4K restoration of the Malayalam classic. kiridam (1989). Veteran actor Mohanlal – who played the iconic lead role in the film – expressed happiness that the restored film was screened under the special screening section of the festival.
The restoration was carried out by the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), under the banner of the National Film Heritage Mission. The collection consisted of works from 35 mm release prints, which were carefully preserved for decades after the original camera negatives were dismantled. Cinematographer S. Kumar supervised the final grading to ensure that the visual integrity of the film was maintained.
Expressing his excitement on the X, Mohanlal wrote, “Happy to share the world premiere of the 4K restoration kiridam (1989), presented as part of the special screening at the 56th IFFI, Goa. The film has been carefully restored by the NFDC-National Film Archive of India from a 35 mm release print, thankfully preserved by the archive for several decades after the original camera negative was dismantled. The final grading was supervised by the film’s cinematographer S. Kumar did it. It’s an honor to see this classic return to the screen.
The Thudaram actor said, “It is a pleasure to see Kireedam being revived under the National Film Heritage Mission. My best wishes to NFDC-NFAI as they continue to preserve and present India’s cinematic heritage in both digital and analog forms for future generations.”
Directed by Sibi Malayil and written by AK Lohithadas, Kireedam is one of the most talked about dramas of Malayalam cinema. The film narrates the tragic journey of Sethumadhavan (played by Mohanlal), a young man whose dream of becoming a police officer is shattered by a twist of fate – a performance which won Mohanlal a National Award Special Jury Mention.
screening of kiridam It is part of the much-awaited Indian Panorama Special package of IFFI 2025, which includes 4K restorations of 18 historical films in Hindi, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu and other languages. This comprehensive curation underlines India’s commitment to preserving the cinematic heritage passed down across generations. In addition to classics like kiridamThe restored lineup honors decades of Indian cinema history – from gems of the early silent era to milestones of the modern era.
On the work front, Mohanlal was last seen hridayapurvamwhere he played a pivotal role that connected strongly with family-drama audiences. The actor will be seen next taurusDirected by Nand Kishore, a Telugu-Malayalam bilingual period action drama is set for theatrical release this Christmas.