Monsoon Colour Lab, founded by the team behind Harkat Studios and cinematographer Krish Makhija, marks a major revival in India’s analogue film ecosystem. As younger creatives return to physical media like film and vinyl, the lab is restoring long-lost motion-picture processing infrastructure and bringing celluloid production back home.
Monsoon Colour Lab — a newly formed collective co-founded by Karan and Michaela Talwar of Harkat Studios and cinematographer Krish Makhija — has acquired all the equipment from the recently closed Filmlab India and rehired staff to carry on the lab’s legacy, which dates back to 1946. The new group aims to make Super 8, 16mm, and 35mm film processing, along with full logistical and post-production support, more accessible to South Asian filmmakers working with analog media.
This revival illustrates a broader global trend towards analogue media. After years of smooth digital workflows, many young creators are now opting for physical formats like 35mm and medium-format 120 film in photography, Super 8 and 16mm film in cinema, cassette tapes, and vinyl records. Industry statistics show record-high vinyl sales and a recent increase in film camera acquisitions. More than market trends, many young artists value the unique qualities and constraints of physical media. Shooting on film imposes limits on takes, duration, and control, but it also offers a surprising sense of freedom. This medium demands time, careful attention, and patience — skills that are increasingly rare in digital workflows known for their ease of use and abundance.
In India, the analog revival movement has been hindered by a lack of domestic infrastructure. For years, homegrown filmmakers had to ship reels overseas for processing, navigating high costs and long waits. Monsoon Colour Lab solves these problems by restoring the infrastructure for processing analog media in the country.
Monsoon Colour Lab is also developing new training programs to help emerging filmmakers, students, and artists learn how to shoot on film from the ground up. The founders see the lab as an open, community-centered knowledge space — a continuation of the experimental, archival, and public-oriented work Harkat Studios has been involved in for years. Several projects are already underway, with the lab’s first film negatives expected to be shown in theaters this year.
Follow @monsooncolourlab to learn more.
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