It is my favourite go-to movie to this day: Boney Kapoor on The Godfather

For a generation growing up on Netflix, the difficulty and challenges of finding a rare Hollywood film in VHS may be hard to understand. Producer Boney Kapoor was among the cinephiles who was on the lookout for films when Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972) first hit Indian shores.

The film, a Hollywood classic, celebrates the 50th anniversary of its release next month. Starring Marlon Brando, James Caan, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire and Diane Keaton, the film is considered by many to be among the greatest and most influential of all time. From Mani Ratnam's Nayakan (1987) to Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar (2005), Indian cinema has shared that influence in many ways.

Speaking to Cinestaan.com, Kapoor recalled the buzz about the film's India screening at a festival in Delhi back in the 1980s. He said, "Earlier most film festivals would be held in Delhi. Many people from all over the country had descended on Delhi to watch the film."

Kapoor himself was unable to catch it at the festival, but the buzz was strong enough to get his attention. "I was not among the fortunate ones who saw it in Delhi, but I later saw the censored version here [in Mumbai]," he said. "When I went abroad, I bought the complete DVD. In fact, I have got a set of The Godfather series, the trilogy."

The Mr. India (1987) and Valimai (2022) producer also remarked that Mario Puzo's bestseller was one of the few books he had read. "In those days, if you spoke about The Godfather, or had seen it, you were considered among the sensible cinephiles," he said. "I read the book as well, and there are very few books I have read."

Needless to say, the version in Indian theatres was heavily censored. The story of a Mafia family in America, The Godfather was known for some shocking scenes of violence, including a severed horse's head and the brutal killing of Sonny Corleone.

"I was a little disappointed watching the slaughtered version on the Indian screen, but then I made it a point to see the uncut version," Kapoor said. "Those are my favourite go-to films. They showed the life of the Mafia/underworld, but even their company worked with principles. What The Godfather brought out was the realistic approach with which the underworld would go about its business. Whatever they did, they treated it as a business."

The film has been re-released in some cities in India today as part of the 50th anniversary celebration. The film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Mario Puzo, and nominated for seven Oscars. It won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (Puzo and Coppola) and Best Actor (Marlon Brando).