MUMBAI: Made 40 years ago, the premiere of Satyajit Ray‘s documentary Sikkim was held in Gangtok recently.

The screening of the documentary coincided with the birth anniversary of the last Chogyal (king) of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, who had produced the film in 1971.

The 57-minute documentary on the north-eastern state has been earlier screened at various places, including the Kolkata Film Festival, but none of the screenings were officially recognised, said Art & Culture Trust of Sikkim managing trustee Ugyen Chopel. The NGO owns the exclusive rights of the film.

Ever since it was made by the Oscar-winning director in 1971, Sikkim has always been surrounded by controversies. First, the Chogyals banned the film because a few scenes went against their liking.

When the Himalayan kingdom merged with India in 1975, the Indian government also banned it.

In the year 2000, after the copyright of the film was transferred to the trust, a damaged print of the film was restored by it with the support of The Academy of Motion Pictures, Art and Science in California.

After the Ministry of External Affairs lifted the ban on the film last September, the Censor Board granted a ‘U‘ certificate to the film .

Speaking on the way forward and growing importance of the Sri Lanka-India partnership, Wizcraft International director Sabbas Joseph said, “Our work with the Unicef, Habitat for Humanity and the discussions at the FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum, will bring focus to the development and reconciliation process in Sri Lanka. With the glamour quotient being at an all time high we are delighted that all roads lead to Colombo, as IIFA puts on a grand three day show in the heart of Sri Lanka. ”