After Mughal-e-Azam and Naya Daur, now Dev Anand has started work on colouring Hum Dono which he claims will be the best coloured film 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, June 1, 2007 - 13:19 IST
It's not just B.R Chopra's Naya Daur that will be re-released in the coloured version. Dev Anand has also started work on colouring his last black and white film Hum Dono that released in 1961. Say the evergreen actor, “Hum Dono is a timeless classic. It is a recognized film and everybody knows about it. It is being coloured to recreate the magic.”
Hum Dono which was one of Dev Anand's most successful films was also nominated in the Berlin Film Festival. It is the only film where Dev Anand plays a double role. Under his Navketan banner, Dev Anand along with Goldstone Media Ltd. has already started working on the colourization process. Goldstone Media Ltd. is a Hyderabad based company into the colorization business for the past 5-6 years.
The technicians behind this refurbished film claim that the coloured version of Hum Dono will be much superior to Mughal-e-Azam that was coloured in 2004 and Naya Daur which will be released soon. They are using enhanced technologies, reportedly the best in world today, to get optimum output. While the earlier films that were coloured only had around 16 to 32 colours in a frame, the technology used in Hum Dono will enable them to virtually align 65000 shades of colours in one single frame.
So confident are the makers that they will soon be giving out a demo to the media of a small portion of the film that they have already coloured by now. Dev Anand is equally positive and says, “Goldstone technicians know what they are doing. So they will handle any problem whatsoever”.
Jagan Mohan, the CEO of Goldstone Media Ltd. speaks about why the chose to colour this particular film, what are the challenges they are facing and how will they enhance the cinematic experience of Hum Dono for the current generation audience.
How did the idea of colouring Hum Dono originate?
Technically, the technology we are using is unique and the best presently available. Till date whatever technology was used worldover, only 8-bit files were used which are limited to only 16 colours per frame. When one scans a black and white movie into an 8-bit file, there are only 16 scales of grey shade in an image. So one is restricted to use only 16 colours; maximum 32 colours with extraordinary arrangements.
For the first time in the world we are scanning image as a 16-bit data that is approximately equal to 48-bit grey shade file which consists of approximately 65,000 greyshades. So we can virtually align 65,000 shades of colours in one single frame. Thus after you see the movie, you won't believe that the film was black and white initially. You'll feel it was originally made in colour. In short, in comparison with the coloured Mughal-E-Azam and the upcoming B R Chopra's Naya Daur, Hum Dono will look way better since the software used is 4 generations ahead of the one used for both the movies.
For Hum Dono, we can virtually align 65,000 shades of colours in one single frame.
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Why did you choose Hum Dono over any other movie?
Firstly, Hum Dono is Dev (Anand) Saab's last black and white film. And this is the only film in which he has done a dual role. The film has all the required drama and more importantly Dev Saab is with two beautiful heroines - Nanda and Sadhana, so we can promote it like a brand new film. When we were looking for a film, we thought this was the ideal movie to introduce the new technology with.
Did Dev Anand have any hand in influencing you to take up this film or is it entirely your choice?
The decision was solely at our discretion. We had many opportunities as we spoke to many people. But we decided to finally announce this project with a demo. We also have lined up other movies but as of now we want to concentrate on Hum Dono.
Did the coloured version of Mugal-E-Azam (that released in 2004) inspire you to colour Hum Dono?
Not really. We have been providing service to the U.S. companies. Moreover, this technology is new and the best around and whatever is best is more costly. So we never focused on Indian films because here budget is always a major issue of concern. Finally, we decided to enter the scene as Navketan was insisting us to work on an Indian film.
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We never focused on colouring Indian films because here budget is always a major issue of concern.
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What is the status quo of the work done on the film?
The work is still going on. We have just finished colouring a small demo which we will be showing to the world during the announcement of the film. We want this to be the breaking news as something of this class is happening for the first time in Indian cinema. We are expecting to finish the work by the end of December.
What is the budget of the colorization of the film?
As this is the joint venture between us and Navketan films, budget is not really our issue of worry. We are colouring and releasing the movie and we have come to a consensus with Navketan about the budget.
What are the technical challenges faced while coloring this film?
There are 3 issues of concern. Firstly, we are showing 65,000 shades of colour in a single frame of the movie. Secondly, in India, there is no screen where we can show 35mm photo. Every screen has become wide screen. So, this movie had to be converted into cinemascope to be screened. So we are converting the film into cinemascope using an inhouse built technology of a company based outside India. Thirdly, we are converting the sound into Dolby 6.1. So in short, the sound is converted to 7-channel, the film is converted to cinemascope and it is being colourised. You would be surprised to see the film on a wide screen.
Will attempts like re-releasing old classics give the new age audience a feel of the golden era?
Yes, absolutely and that is what our aim is. We aim to reintroduce one of the greatest classics to the new generation who just refuse to watch anything that is black and white. That the classic is in colour will encourage them to watch the film.
B R Chopra's Naya Daur is also re-releasing in the coloured version. Will that be a competition to Hum Dono?
There is absolutely no competition for Hum Dono because of the technology used. Hum Dono is going to look much better than Naya Daur. I am praising the work because I am the head, but I am praising because India has actually not come across such well- made coloured remakes. You will believe what I am saying only after seeing the film.
Any other films which are in the process of being colored?
Yes, we have already signed 6 Telegu films and 3 Tamil films. We have already finished work on 10 minutes of a Kannada film. In India not many films have been coloured since the past 15 years. We aim to finish at least 12 movies in the coming 3 years which nobody has ever accomplished.
Are there any Hindi films in the pipeline?
Yes, there are. But we don't want to divulge any details as now we want to concentrate on Hum Dono or else we will get people's attention diverted and divided. |
The story of 'Hum Dono'
Captain Mahesh Anand and Major Manohar Verma (both played by Dev Anand) are look-alikes. So when Major Verma goes missing during war, he is believed to be dead. Mahesh now has to break the news to his family. Unfortunately, when Mahesh reaches Major Verma's place, he is mistaken to be Verma. The Major's mother and sick wife Ruma (Nanda) think that it is Manohar. Unable to tell the family the truth he takes the identity of Manohar. But Mahesh is in love with Meeta (Sadhana) who ends up thinking that he doesn't love her anymore. On the other hand Ruma thinks that her husband is in love with another woman. Mahesh cannot confide the truth to anyone and that forms the most interesting part of this film. |
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