The 73-year-old was candid about his subsequent disillusionment with mainstream commercial films. "I'm stuck in this mediocrity, condemned to do films I hate which are forgettable as soon as they are made. The theatre has kept me sane."

Nearly 50 years later, a pristinely restored “Manthan” has appeared for a red-carpet world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday (May 18), alongside classics from Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, and Wim Wenders.