Tom Daniels

Restoring Classic Indian Cinema

YouTube: tommydan55

Thomas Daniels — known to all as Tom — has spent years lovingly cleaning up old Hindi films and uploading them to his YouTube channel. Despite immense challenges, from sourcing obscure prints to fending off false copyright claims, he has continually striven to put the best possible version of each film before the public. Hindi film enthusiasts owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. Some of these films might never have entered the public domain were it not for his remarkable dedication.

Business Standard, 2019

Hawaiian Healer

A retired commercial fisherman in Hawaii shows his love for vintage Hindi and Urdu films by carefully restoring them at home — Ranjita Ganesan

When Thomas Daniel first travelled to India, the country did not capture his imagination in the best way. He spent a short week here during a trans-Asian journey with a school friend — flying visits to West Bengal, Delhi, and the Taj Mahal in Agra. The sights, sounds, and swarms of people overwhelmed him. He remembers waiting in line to buy a train ticket to Delhi as a malnourished woman with a baby in her arms touched his feet asking for money. He also vividly recalls crossing the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata. Years later, he would come to love a film by that very name — Howrah Bridge (1958), starring Madhubala and Ashok Kumar — and Hindi and Urdu cinema would become, for him, a far more favourable way to traverse the Indian subcontinent.

Daniel now lives in rural Hawaii where, having retired from commercial fishing and driving tour buses, he devotes the majority of his time to painstakingly restoring classic films from India and Pakistan, mainly from the 1930s to the early 1950s.

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Restored Films on Tom's YouTube Channel

1. 12 O'Clock (1958)
2. Aab-e-Hayat (1955)
3. Aag (1948)
4. Aan (1952)
5. Aaram (1951)
6. Aar Paar (1954)
7. Aarzoo (1950)
8. Aasha (1957)
9. Aawaz (1956)
10. Achhut Kanya (1936)
11. Adhikaar (1938) Bengali
12. Afsana (1951)
13. Albela (1951)
14. Alibaba (1937) Bengali
15. Amar Jyoti (1936)
16. Amar (1954)
17. Amber (1952)
18. Anarkali (1953)
19. Andaz (1949)
20. Angulimala (1960)
21. Anhonee (1952)
22. Anjaan (1956)
23. Anmol Ghadi (1946)
24. Anokhi Ada (1948)
25. Aurat (1940)
26. Awara (1951)
27. Azaad
28. Baap Re Baap (1955)
29. Baarish (1957)
30. Baazi (1951)
31. Babul (1950)
32. Badal (1951)
33. Bada Bhai
34. Bade Sarkar (1957)
35. Badi Bahen (1949)
36. Bahar (1951)
37. Bahen (1941)
38. Baiju Bawra (1952)
39. Bambai ka Babu (1960)
40. Bandi (1957)
41. Bandish (1955)
42. Baradari (1955)
43. Barsaat (1949)
44. Barsaat ki Raat (1960)
45. Basant (1942)
46. Bawre Nain (1950)
47. Bazar (1949)
48. Beqasoor (1950)
49. Bhabhi (1938)
50. Bhagam Bhag (1956)
51. Bipasha (1962) Bengali
52. Boot Polish (1954)
53. Boyfriend (1961)
54. Buzdil (1951)
55. Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958)
56. Chandralekha (1948)
57. Char Dil Char Raahein (1959)
58. Chhao Paoa (1959) Bengali
59. Chhoo Mantar (1958)
60. China Town (1962)
61. Chor Bazar (1954)
62. Chori Chori (1956)
63. Chaudhvin ka Chand (1960)
64. C.I.D (1956)
65. College Girl (1960)
66. Daaera (1953)
67. Daag (1952)
68. Damad (1951)
69. Dard (1947)
70. Dastan (1950)
71. Deep Jweley Jai (1959) Bengali
72. Dekh Kabira Roya (1957)
73. Devdas (1936)
74. Devdas (1955)
75. Dhool ka Phool (1959)
76. Dholak (1951)
77. Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960)
78. Dillagi (1949)
79. Dilruba (1950)
80. Diwana (1952)
81. Do Bhai (1961)
82. Do Bigha Zamin (1953)
83. Do Ustad (1959)
84. Dupatta (1952)
85. Ek Do Teen (1953)
86. Ek Hi Rasta (1956)
87. Ek Thi Ladki (1949)
88. Elaan (1947)
89. Gateway of India (1957)
90. Gharana (1961)
91. Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959)
92. Gumnaam (1965)
93. Harano Sur (1957)
94. Howrah Bridge (1958)
95. Hyderabad Ki Nazneen (1952)
96. Intezaar (1956) Pakistani
97. Indrani (1958) Bengali
98. Insan Jaag Utha (1959)
99. Jagte Raho (1956)
100. Jailor (1938)
101. Jawab (1955)
102. Jeet (1949)
103. Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955)
104. Jiban Maran (1938) Bengali
105. Jiban Trishna (1957) Bengali
106. Jogan (1950)
107. Johnny Walker (1957)
108. Jugnu (1947)
109. Kagaz ke Phool (1959)
110. Kala Pani (1958)
111. Kali Ghata (1951)
112. Kalpana (1948)
113. Kangan (1959)
114. Kanoon (1960)
115. Karigar (1958)
116. Kashmir ki Kali (1964)
117. Khandaan (1942)
118. Khazanchi (1941)
119. Khazanchi (1958)
120. Khota Paisa (1958)
121. Kismet (1943)
122. Koel (1959)
123. Komal Gandhar (1961) Bengali
124. Kundan (1955)
125. Laila Majnu (1953)
126. Lajwanti (1958)
127. Lakhon Mein Ek (1967) Pakistani
128. Lal-e-Yaman (1933)
129. Lal Haveli (1944)
130. Madhumati (1958)
131. Mahal (1949)
132. Mai Baap (1957)
133. Mangala (1951)
134. Manthiri Kumari (1950) Tamil
135. Mastana (1954)
136. Mela (1948)
137. Mem Sahib (1956)
138. Mirza Ghalib (1954)
139. Mirza Sahiban (1947)
140. Missamma (1955) Telugu
141. Miss Frontier Mail (1936)
142. Miss India (1957)
143. Miss Mary (1957)
144. Mr & Mrs 55 (1955)
145. Mr Sampat (1952)
146. Mousiqar (1962)
147. Mujrim (1958)
148. Mujhe Jeene Do (1963)
149. Munimji (1955)
150. Musafir (1957)
151. Musafir Khana (1955)
152. Muqabla (1942)
153. Nagin (1954)
154. Najma (1943)
155. Namoona (1949)
156. Nastik (1954)
157. Nau Bahar (1952)
158. Nau Do Gyarah (1957)
159. Nau Jawan (1951)
160. Naukri (1954)
161. Naya Andaz (1956)
162. Neend (1959)
163. New Delhi (1956)
164. Nirala (1950)
165. Nirmala (1938)
166. Nishan (1949)
167. Nooran (1957)
168. Parash Patthar (1959) Bengali
169. Parda (1949)
170. Parineeta (1953)
171. Parvarish (1958)
172. Parwana (1947)
173. Patanga (1949)
174. Patey Khan (1955)
175. Paying Guest (1957)
176. Penn (1953)
177. Pocketmaar (1956)
178. Police (1958)
179. Potho Holo Deri (1957) Bengali
180. Prem Kahani (1937)
181. Prithvi Vallabh (1943)
182. Pukar (1939)
183. Pyaasa (1957)
184. Pyar ki Baten (1951)
185. Raagini (1958)
186. Raj Hath (1956)
187. Raj Nartaki (1941)
188. Railway Platform (1955)
189. Ram Rajya (1943)
190. Rattan (1944)
191. Reshmi Rumal (1961)
192. Roti (1942)
193. Saat Pakey Bandha (1963) Bengali
194. Sabar Ooparey (1955) Bengali
195. Sadanander Mela (1955) Bengali
196. Sagarika (1956) Bengali
197. Sahara (1958)
198. Saharer Itikatha (1960) Bengali
199. Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam (1960)
200. Saiyan (1951)
201. Samadhi (1950)
202. Sangdil (1952)
203. Sangram (1950)
204. Saptapadi (1961) Bengali
205. Saqi (1952)
206. Sazaa (1951)
207. Sautela Bhai (1962)
208. Seema (1955)
209. Shaair (1949)
210. Shaap Mochan (1955) Bengali
211. Shabab (1954)
212. Shahejehan (1946)
213. Shama Parwana (1954)
214. Sheesh Mahal (1950)
215. Shikast (1953)
216. Shokhiyan (1951)
217. Shree 420 (1955)
218. Shrimatiji (1952)
219. Sikandar (1941)
220. Silent India – Part 1 (1928)
221. Silent India – Part 2 (1928)
222. Silpi (1956) Bengali
223. Sitaron Se Aagey (1958)
224. Solva Saal (1958)
225. Sonar Harin (1959) Bengali
226. Suno Baranari (1960)
227. Surjashikha (1963) Bengali
228. Surya Toran (1958) Bengali
229. Tamasha (1952)
230. Tansen (1943)
231. Tarana (1951)
232. Taxi Driver (1954)
233. The Tiger and the Flame (Jhansi Ki Rani) (1953)
234. Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957)
235. Ujala (1959)
236. Upahaar (1955) Bengali
237. Uran Khatola (1955)
238. Uttar Phalguni (1963) Bengali
239. Waris (1954)
240. Yahudi (1958)
241. Yakkewali (1957)
242. Yasmin (1955)

Tom also runs Tommydan333, a second channel featuring clean, beautifully restored song videos.