Indian Cult Classic 'In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones' Revived for Berlinale Classics 2026
The Berlinale Classics section for 2026 is shaping up as a truly global showcase. This year, it features ten restored films from nine different countries. For the first time, Ukraine joins the lineup. The section also breaks new ground by including animation, with Yoshiaki Kawajiri's cult anime 'Ninja Scroll' making its debut.
An Indian Film's Remarkable Journey from Obscurity to Restoration
One of the most eagerly awaited premieres comes from India. The film is Pradip Krishen's 'In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones.' This movie nearly vanished from public memory after its initial release. The Film Heritage Foundation spearheaded the restoration effort. They recovered the best surviving elements, including the original 16mm camera and sound negatives stored at the National Film Archive of India.
The restoration team faced extensive damage to the film materials. They completed the painstaking work at L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna. The process took over a year. It involved manual repair, digital restoration, color grading, and sound reconstruction. The result is a pristine 4K version ready for screening.
Why This Restoration Matters for Indian Cinema
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation, emphasizes the film's significance. He calls it a pathbreaking work. The film is irreverent and idiosyncratic. Dungarpur argues it represents India's first true 'English' film. He clarifies it is not British or American English, but distinctly Indian English, full of texture and specificity.
Director Pradip Krishen shares his perspective on the film's original context. Shot on 16mm, it captured a uniquely Delhi-inflected Indian English. The characters were westernized, irreverent, and politically restless architecture students. They existed outside mainstream Indian cinema conventions, inventing their own language, humor, and social hierarchies.
The Film's Cult Status and Legacy
'In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones' was written by and stars Arundhati Roy. It portrays student life at a Delhi architecture school in the mid-1970s. After a single television broadcast on Doordarshan, the film quietly disappeared. For years, it circulated only as a rumor and a cult memory among film enthusiasts.
In her recent book, Arundhati Roy reflects on the film's unexpected reach. She notes it was never intended to be more than fun, fringe cinema. However, that one television broadcast allowed it to reach millions of viewers. An audience of that size would have been impossible for such a film through regular theatrical release.
The film also features a young Shah Rukh Khan in a small role, early in his career. It earned two National Awards: one for Best Screenplay and another for Best Film in a Language Other Than Those Specified in Schedule VIII of the Indian Constitution. This recognition underscores its unique place in Indian cinematic history.
The Berlinale festival is scheduled to run in Berlin from February 12 to 22, 2026. The restoration of 'In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones' highlights the festival's commitment to preserving and celebrating diverse global cinema, giving new life to films that risk fading into obscurity.
