At the prestigious 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa, Telugu superstar Nagarjuna and his technical team unveiled the remarkable journey behind the 4K restoration of the cult classic film 'Siva'. The session revealed an extraordinary conservation effort that faced numerous obstacles including deteriorating film reels and lost audio elements.
The Daunting Restoration Challenge
The restoration project, led by CV Rao, Chief Technology Officer at Annapurna Studios, began planning phases even before 2019. The team recognized the urgent need to preserve the 1989 blockbuster as the original negatives were deteriorating at an alarming rate. With film labs shutting down across the country, maintaining proper storage conditions became increasingly difficult.
Nagarjuna, who played the lead role in the original film, expressed his amazement at the final result during the IFFI session. "The remastered version of 'Siva' is stunning. I see so many films coming to life with this," he stated, adding that he had discussed with veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy about similarly restoring classics like 'Sholay'.
Technical Nightmares: Sticky Reels and Torn Frames
The restoration team encountered their first major hurdle when they attempted to access the original picture negatives. CV Rao described how the film reels had become so sticky that they couldn't be unrolled for initial inspection. The team had to conduct four to five rounds of ultrasonic cleaning just to make the film dry and rollable enough for scanning.
After successfully completing the 4K scan, the team's relief was short-lived. They discovered the footage was plagued with extensive damage including scratches, dust accumulation, and numerous torn frames. The painstaking process of cleaning the film frame by frame took an astonishing eight to ten months to complete.
The Hunt for Missing Audio
Perhaps the most dramatic challenge emerged when the team examined the original audio elements. Two reels of the sound negative were completely damaged beyond repair, threatening to derail the entire restoration project. The team initially turned to YouTube sources but found the audio quality insufficient for theatrical presentation.
In a desperate search, Annapurna Studios' distribution team reached out to passionate exhibitors across Telugu states who still stored old film prints. After contacting nearly 20 such exhibitors, the team finally located two surviving reels that contained the missing audio, allowing them to complete the Dolby Atmos sound restoration.
The restored version of 'Siva', which originally starred Nagarjuna alongside Amala and Raghuvaran with music by Ilaiyaraaja, was re-released on November 14, 2025, and screened at the ongoing 56th IFFI. The restoration marks a significant achievement in Indian film preservation and sets a precedent for future projects of similar magnitude.
