Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones’ returns as 4K restoration on March 13, 2026

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• 🔥 Quick Facts
• A Lost Gem Returns to the Big Screen After Nearly Four Decades
• The Delhi Architecture School Drama Nobody Expected to Love
• Where to Watch and What’s Next for This Rediscovered Treasure
• Why This Lost Film Captured Hearts at Berlin Film Festival and Will Again Here
• Is This the Beginning of a Bigger Movement to Recover India’s Lost Cinema?

Shah Rukh Khan’s rare early appearance shines bright as In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones returns in stunning 4K restoration on March 13, 2026. This cult classic 37-year-old film resurrected from obscurity just premiered at Berlin International Film Festival, and now you can catch it on the big screen across India.

A Lost Gem Returns to the Big Screen After Nearly Four Decades

In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones vanished from public memory in 1989 after a single broadcast on Doordarshan. The 1 hour 52 minute film remained essentially lost until Film Heritage Foundation Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur discovered its importance. The breakthrough came when director Pradip Krishen donated his archived materials in 2024, including the 35mm release print and original 16mm negative.

The restoration journey took 18 months of meticulous work. Conservators battled perforation damage, tears, scratches, mold, and color fading across decades. The team transferred materials from National Film Archive of India to L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in Bologna, Italy, where true magic happened. The result, frame by frame, preserves Rajesh Joshi’s original cinematography while honoring Pradip Krishen’s artistic vision.

The Delhi Architecture School Drama Nobody Expected to Love

Set in mid-1970s Delhi, the film captures student life at an elite architecture school with raw authenticity. The protagonist Annie, played by Arjun Raina, is a perpetually failing fifth-year student who keeps chickens in his dorm room. His witty circle includes Radha, portrayed powerfully by screenwriter Arundhati Roy herself. The ensemble cast includes Roshan Seth, Rituraj Singh, and Isaac Thomas.

Arundhati Roy states that the film captures something radical about freedom: young people unconcerned with materialism, unconstrained by social pressure, and unbothered by competition. The humor stems from their unique Delhi slang and irreverent approach to academy hierarchy. School antagonist Prof Yamdoot represents institutional rigidity, while the students celebrate each other’s eccentricities without judgment.

Where to Watch and What’s Next for This Rediscovered Treasure

City	Release Date	Special Screening
Mumbai	March 13, 2026	6:30 p.m., Inox Nariman Point
Delhi	March 14, 2026	PVR Plaza, Connaught Place
Other Cities	March 13 onwards	14 cities, 19 cinemas total
Ticket Booking	From March 9	BookMyShow, PVR Cinemas app

Special screenings will feature Pradip Krishen, cast members, crew, and Film Heritage Foundation Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur. The theatrical release spans Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Goa. International festival circuits already await invitations following the Berlin standing ovation.

“If not for the Film Heritage Foundation and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’s several years-long dogged perseverance and stubborn love for the film, and if not for Pradip’s carefully archived material, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones would not have had the opportunity to take a bow in the real world before retiring to a resting place in some dim archive.”

— Arundhati Roy, Screenwriter and Actor

Why This Lost Film Captured Hearts at Berlin Film Festival and Will Again Here

The restoration’s Berlinale premiere on February 16, 2026 sparked a standing ovation that shocked seasoned festival audiences. Wim Wenders, chairing the international jury, witnesses cinema history. The film achieved double honors: National Film Award for Best Screenplay and National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English upon original release.

What explains enduring love for a 37-year-old comedy about Delhi college students? Critics identify raw authenticity and timeless themes. The film’s unique English patois, campus camaraderie, and small rebellions resonate across generations. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur noted that viewing the restored print proved how contemporary the story felt decades later, capturing uncertainties and pressures that transcend any era.

Is This the Beginning of a Bigger Movement to Recover India’s Lost Cinema?

The restoration demonstrates Film Heritage Foundation’s vital mission since 2014, operating as India’s only non-governmental organization dedicated entirely to film preservation. Director Dungarpur received the prestigious Vittorio Boarini Award in 2025 for outstanding contributions to safeguarding cinema as cultural heritage. His documentary Celluloid Man won two National Film Awards, cementing the foundation’s credibility.

The success of this restoration sparks hope for other forgotten masterpieces languishing in archives. Thousands of Indian films risk deterioration unless someone steps forward with resources and expertise. Pradip Krishen himself walked away from cinema in 1994, believing his films would disappear forever. The Annie restoration proves nothing stays lost permanently when passion meets preservation science.