/> Uday Shankar's 1948 dance-ballet on film Kalpana has been restored by Martin Scorcese's film-restoration company. It's all set for a premiere at Cannes on 17 May.

It's a moment of great joy for the late dancer-actor's family. Daughter, actress-dancer Mamata Shankar could barely contain her joy.

"We've waited very long for this. I feel specially happy for my mother (Amala Shankar) who has been hoping and praying Kalpana would one day be in a condition to be screened again. She's the most excited among us.

My sister- in-law Tanushree and I are accompanying her more like baby sitters, Yes, my 94-year old mother is as excited as a little child about the premiere at Cannes in May 17. "

The three ladies fly next week to Nice via Dubai for their 3-day sojourn in Cannes.

With the joy comes the sobering realization of how little we value our classics.

Says Mamata softly, "My mother has gone through years of struggle to get Kalpana restored. No one paid any attention to her plea. She approached so many influential people and the Bengal government.

But no one was interested. And then this cineaste from America comes along like a saviour. We can't thank Mr Martin Scorcese enugh for doing what our own people didn't. "

Recalling the events leading to the huge historic happening Mamata Shankar says, "It was actually my Kaka, Pandit Ravi Shankar who took the initiative for the restoration. Kaka met Martin Scorcese who said he was a big fan of Kaka's brother, my father Uday Shankar's Kalpana and that he'd love to restore the film. We immediately agreed. " Unfortunately Kalpana got into a legal issue.

Says Mamta, "As soon as news broke out that Kalpana was going to be restored—it was actually you who broke the news— suddenly people woke up to the film. We even had a litigation to deal with.

Someone claimed copyrights over the film. It took us a while to liberate the film from the litigation. But the effort took its toll on all of us. We began to wonder why the film became important here in our country only when Mr Scorcese showed interest in it?

Where was everyone before that? Actually even Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali got recognition only after the West saw its merits. "

Mamata and her mother can't wait to see the film at Cannes. "We want it to be now reach out to new generations of movie-goers who have so far had no access to the film. We are not sure of how the film will be treated after Cannes and how it goes forward. At the moment we're just focusing on revelling in the screening at Cannes. "

The proud daughter reveals that there are many version of Kalpana. "My father edited the film repeatedly. Do you know, he thought he was too old to be dancing on screen in Kalpana?

So after shooting 80 solo and partnered dance sequences he edited out nearly all of them. My mother insisted on putting at least 3-4 of his dance sequences. That's how you see the at least some of his dancing in the film. "

Mamta ends, "When the film is screened at Cannes I am sure Baba will be smiling down. "