Bimal Roy's classic film 'Do Bigha Zamin' is set to be screened in a newly restored 4K version at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. The announcement coincides with the 116th birth anniversary of the legendary filmmaker. The film will be presented under the "Venice Classics" section, which celebrates restored masterpieces from around the globe. The 82nd Venice International Film Festival will be held from August 27 to September 6.

'Do Bigha Zamin', released in 1953, is a landmark film in Indian cinema, known for its realistic portrayal of the struggles of a poor farmer. The film stars Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy. It tells the story of Shambu, a farmer who is forced to become a rickshaw puller in Calcutta to save his land from being seized by a landlord. The film is based on Rabindranath Tagore's poem "Dui Bigha Jomi" and Salil Chowdhury's short story "Rickshawalla".

The restoration of 'Do Bigha Zamin' was a collaborative effort between the Film Heritage Foundation (FHF), The Criterion Collection, and Janus Films. The restoration process began in 2022 and took over three years to complete. It involved extensive repair of damaged negatives stored at the National Film Archive of India, and missing elements were sourced from a 1954–55 dupe negative preserved at the British Film Institute (BFI). The film was restored in 4K at the film restoration laboratory L'Immagine Ritrovata and film restoration and digitisation company Resillion.

The screening at the Venice Film Festival will be presented by Roy's children – Rinki Roy Bhattacharya, Aparajita Roy Sinha, and Joy Bimal Roy – along with Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director of the Film Heritage Foundation. Bimal Roy's family expressed joy and gratitude for the Venice premiere, calling it a "dream come true". They specifically acknowledged the dedication of Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and Fumiko Takagi of the Criterion Collection for making it possible.

'Do Bigha Zamin' was the first Indian film to win the Prix International at the Cannes Film Festival in 1954. It also received accolades at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and won Best Film and Best Director at the inaugural Filmfare Awards. The film was the second Indian movie to bag an award at the Cannes Film Festival. Gulzar, who worked as Roy's chief assistant during the 1961 film "Kabuliwala", called the restoration "amazing" and "historic". He credited 'Do Bigha Zamin' with taking Indian cinema out of studio settings and onto real locations, effectively transforming the filmmaking landscape.

The restored version of 'Do Bigha Zamin' joins a distinguished lineup of restored cinematic masterpieces at the Venice Film Festival, including "Matador" by Pedro Almodovar, "Roma Ore 11" by Giuseppe De Santis, "Przypadek" by Krzysztof Kieślowski, and "Lolita" by Stanley Kubrick. Other films by Bimal Roy, including 'Devdas' (1955), 'Madhumati' (1958) and 'Bandini' (1963), are also set to be restored.