Prasad Film Laboratories Urges Owners to Collect Unclaimed Film Negatives
In a recent notice from Prasad Film Laboratories, filmmakers are being urged to collect any unclaimed film negatives and celluloid materials from their facilities in Chennai, Trivandrum, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. This notice, published in the Complete Cinema magazine on June 20, 2026, highlights the urgency for rightful owners to act quickly.
The company has set a deadline of 30 days for owners to retrieve their materials. After this period, any unclaimed negatives or other film assets may be permanently destroyed, in line with pollution-control regulations.
This announcement is crucial for producers, studios, distributors, and even legal heirs who may have left original films or related items at the laboratories over the years. As many older films are stored on physical media, failing to collect these items could lead to the irreversible loss of significant cinematic history.
Stakeholders are encouraged to check their records and reach out to the nearest Prasad Film Laboratories if they believe they have materials still stored there. Owners should be prepared to provide documentation to verify their claims.
A source shared that Prasad Lab had closed down a while ago but had kept the negatives in cold storage, charging a rental fee for their preservation. Now, as they phase out this cold storage service, it becomes essential for rightful owners to take notice. There have been previous instances where film negatives were destroyed, leaving no backups or copies available.
One notable case is the film Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar featuring Manoj Bajpayee and Tabu. Director Hansal Mehta recently reflected on this loss, revealing that the film’s negatives were destroyed when the storage facility sent a notice to the producers, warning them to collect the negatives within a month. Unfortunately, the response was either missed or ignored, leading to the permanent loss of the film’s record.
In light of this situation, it is a reminder for filmmakers to be vigilant about preserving their work and to act swiftly in claiming any stored materials before they are lost forever.
