As Hindi cinema remembers one of its most influential filmmakers, Ultra Play, the Hindi-language OTT platform from Ultra Media & Entertainment Group, has announced ‘Shakti Samanta@100: A Celebration of Timeless Cinema’ to commemorate the legendary director’s 100th birth anniversary on January 13. The tribute takes the form of a month-long film festival featuring 32 of Samanta’s most iconic works, many of them digitally restored, streaming on Ultra Play throughout January.

According to a press release issued by Ultra Media, the festival brings together a carefully curated selection from the filmmaker’s celebrated catalogue, allowing audiences to rediscover classics that shaped popular Hindi cinema across decades. Titles such as ‘Aradhana’, ‘Amar Prem’, ‘Kati Patang’, ‘An Evening in Paris’, ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Ajanabee’, ‘Anuraag’, ‘Amanush’, ‘Balika Badhu’, ‘China Town’, ‘Aar Paar’ and ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’ are among the films being showcased, with several presented in enhanced picture and sound quality while retaining their original cinematic essence.

Shakti Samanta’s films are remembered not only for their storytelling but also for the cultural milestones they created. Amar Prem gifted Hindi cinema some of its most enduring moments, including the iconic “Pushpa, I hate tears” dialogue, while ‘Aradhana’ played a pivotal role in establishing Rajesh Khanna as the industry’s first true superstar. ‘Kati Patang’, powered by R.D. Burman’s music, continues to find resonance with newer audiences, while films such as ‘An Evening in Paris’ and ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’ broke new ground with extensive outdoor and overseas shooting, redefining scale and visual appeal in their time.

Speaking on the centenary celebrations, Sushilkumar Agrawal, CEO of Ultra Media & Entertainment Group, said Shakti Samanta’s cinema struck a rare balance between emotion, music and human connection. He noted that films like Amar Prem, Aradhana and Kati Patang continue to resonate because their stories and songs remain relevant even today, adding that the festival is Ultra’s way of honouring a filmmaker whose work still inspires generations of viewers.

Alongside the film festival, Ultra Gaane, India’s first audio-visual music streaming app, is also featuring restored and colourised songs from Shakti Samanta’s films, giving audiences an immersive way to revisit timeless tracks from ‘Amar Prem’, ‘Aradhana’, ‘Kati Patang’ and more.

The Shakti Samanta Birth Centenary Film Festival will be highlighted across Ultra Play through curated collections, editorial discovery and themed showcases, reinforcing the platform’s focus on preserving and presenting India’s cinematic heritage for the digital age. Ultra Play currently offers over 5,000 hours of content across 1,800 titles and continues to expand its library, driven by restoration-led storytelling and thoughtful curation for contemporary audiences.