The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) acquired 594 metres of surviving footage from the 1919 silent film Bilwamangal from the Cinémathèque Française in France. The archive described the material as 28 minutes at 18 frames per second—not the complete film, which it said originally ran about 132 minutes.
What came back to India—and what did not
NFAI’s 2016 announcement called the acquisition a “landmark acquisition for NFAI.” The reported 594 metres represent a fragment of the original 12,000-foot film. The announcement does not describe the acquisition as a complete print or say that the film has been restored in full. [NFAI]
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That distinction matters: archival custody is not the same as public access. NFDC-NFAI describes film viewing and research services generally, but its service information does not confirm that this particular footage is available to view, stream, or purchase. [NFDC-NFAI]
The film and its story
Directed by Rustomji Dotiwala and produced by Elphinstone Bioscope Company in Calcutta, Bilwamangal was released in 1919. The company was later renamed Madan Theatres Ltd. NFAI identifies it as Elphinstone’s second film; the company’s first, Satyavadi Raja Harischandra, was made in 1917. [NFAI]
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NFAI describes the story as an adaptation of a popular retelling of the Bilwamangal legend. Bilwamangal’s attachment to the courtesan Chintamani leads, through a revelatory journey during a storm, toward his transformation into the saint poet Bhakta Surdas. Miss Gohur played Chintamani and Dorabji Mewavala played Bilwamangal. The archive’s note also highlights Gohur’s long dance sequence and the film’s ornate sets. [NFAI]
The press note says foreign technicians worked with Madan and describes their involvement in Bilwamangal as “highly likely,” not confirmed. It should therefore not be treated as an established technical credit. [NFAI]
The exchange described by NFAI
Alongside the acquisition, NFAI said it would provide the Cinémathèque Française a digital copy of Jamai Babu (1931), directed by Kalipada Das, under a mutual exchange policy within the FIAF framework. The announcement describes an intended reciprocal arrangement; it does not independently confirm that the digital copy was transferred. [NFAI]
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why a surviving fragment matters
NFAI’s 2016 press note said nearly 1,300 Indian silent films had been produced between 1913 and 1932, and that nearly 28 incomplete silent films were preserved in its storage at that time. It attributed the loss of most Indian silent films to their nitrate base. These are figures and an explanation from the archive’s 2016 announcement, not current inventory totals. [NFAI]
The acquisition adds surviving footage of a film from an early period of Indian cinema to the archive. The announcement does not establish how much of the original film survives elsewhere or whether the acquired fragment is available for public viewing.
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