From Ruined Reels to 3D Glory: The Epic Restoration Journey of “Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari”

One of the biggest hits in the history of Telugu cinema and a landmark film in Megastar Chiranjeevi’s career, Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, is all set to return to theatres to entertain audiences once again. On the occasion of its 35th anniversary, this iconic film will be re-releasing on May 9, in both 2D and 3D formats.

The memorable socio-fantasy drama was directed by visionary filmmaker K. Raghavendra Rao, with legendary producer Ashwini Dutt backing the project. Ashwini Dutt continues to regard this film as a game-changer for his prestigious banner, Vyjayanthi Movies.

Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari featured iconic stalwart Sridevi as the female lead. Talented actors like Amrish Puri, Allu Ramalingaiah, Kannada Prabhakar, Brahmanandam, Tanikella Bharani, Rami Reddy, Baby Shalini, and Baby Shamlee played important roles in the movie.

Restoring this classic was a challenging journey for the makers, as the original negative was missing for over three years. Even when a copy was found, it was severely damaged. However, with relentless effort and dedication, the team managed to restore the film in association with Prasad Corporation and successfully converted it into a 3D format with the help of Prime Focus.

The team revealed that they had started searching for the negative back in 2018. Due to poor storage, the original reels were spoiled, completely destroyed, and decomposed. The makers tirelessly made phone calls to every possible contact in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, even reaching out to small theatres in hopes of finding a usable reel.

After an extensive search lasting three years, in 2021, a usable print was finally found with a person named Appa Rao in Vijayawada. Despite being in poor condition, filled with oil, dust, and bearing a pinkish magenta tone, it became the starting point of the restoration process.

The film had to be repaired where it was cut, and then carefully scanned. Digital scratches present throughout the film were removed frame by frame. Eventually, the film was digitised at 8K resolution, which was then downconverted to 4K output. In an ambitious move never before attempted in Indian cinema, the team decided to convert the film into 3D format as well. Now, after years of effort and care, this timeless classic is ready to be experienced like never before on the big screen.

Experience this magical film once again in theatres, from May 9, in both 2D and 3D formats.