Where To Watch Manthan On OTT: The 1976 Smita Patil – Naseeruddin Shah Film That Technically Earned 12,800 Crore In 2023 Helping Grow ‘The Taste Of India’
Manthan helped grow the taste of India that technically earned 35 crore every single day in 2023. Know more about Smita Patil's film.
Manthan Was Screened At Cannes Film Festival 2024 (Photo Credit – IMDb)
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Smita Patil’s Manthan is currently in the news for being screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. Helmed by Shyam Benegal, the film was iconic in its stature. The film’s lead actor, Naseeruddin Shah, and Smita Patil’s son, Prateik Babbar, are at Cannes to celebrate the screening.
This socio-political drama was released in 1976 and went on to make some of the greatest records! In the recent reports, you must have read how this was the first crowd-funded film in India that was made with the help of farmers.
500,000 Farmers Of Gujarat As Producers!
The film was made on a budget of around 12 lakhs, out of which 10 lakh was donated by 5 lakh farmers who contributed Rs 2 each to the film, which later helped establish one of the biggest brands in India! The idea of Manthan came while Verghese Curian was brainstorming thoughts with Shyam Benegal.
The film, led by Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, and Girish Karnad, was a commercial success.It was farmers who boarded trucks to watch this film set against the backdrop of White Revolution in India. But the film offered more than just a story. It offered a revolutionizing brand in India. A brand that was Amul!
In its biggest marketing move, Amul used the song from Manthan Mero Gaam Katha Parey as its promotional song that ran on Doordarshan extensively cementing it as the go-to-dairy product of India, monopolizing the market like none. And it was Manthan that helped Amul create its brand in such a smart move.
Amul’s turnover in the year 2023 was reported as 12,800 crore, which is roughly 35 crore a day. This would not have been possible if something iconic like Manthan had not established the brand in the biggest marketing move of that decade. So, Kudos to this film made on 12 lakh INR, making a brand that today dominates its category, bringing a 12 thousand crore turnover in a year!
Manthan Awards
Amul and Shyam Benegal bagged the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 1976 for Manthan, and Vijay Tendulkar was awarded the National Film Award for Best Screenplay. It was also India’s submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film that year.
Where To Watch Manthan?
The film is rated 7.6 on IMDb, and the official synopsis says, “A young veterinary surgeon, Dr. Rao, makes a visit to a village, where he intends to commence a co-operative society dairy for the betterment of the rural people.” Manthan is available to stream free on Zee 5.
