Shiraz (film)
| Shiraz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Franz Osten |
| Written by | William A. Burton |
| Produced by | Himansu Rai |
| Starring | Himansu Rai Enakshi Rama Rau Charu Roy Seeta Devi |
| Cinematography | Emil Schünemann Henry Harris |
| Distributed by | British Instructional Films UFA Himansu Rai Film |
Release date |
|
Running time | 118 minutes |
| Countries | India United Kingdom Germany |
Shiraz (Shiraz: A Romance of India) (Das Grabmal einer großen Liebe in German) is a 1928 silent film, directed by Franz Osten and starring Himansu Rai and Enakshi Rama Rau. It was adapted from a stage play of the same name by Niranjan Pal, and based on the story of the commissioning of the Taj Mahal – the great monument of a Mughul prince for his dead queen. Due to the public's apathy towards silent films, a sound version was also produced in 1929. While the sound version has no audible dialog, it features a synchronized musical score with sound effects along with a theme song.[1]
Plot
Shiraz (Rai) is a potter's son, who is brought up as brother to Selima (Rau), a girl of unknown but royal lineage who was rescued from an ambush in childhood. Shiraz falls in love with Selima as a young adult and when she is kidnapped by slavers and sold to Prince Khurram, Shiraz follows her to Agra, where he will risk a horrible death to protect her and one day design her great memorial.[2]
Cast
- Himansu Rai as Shiraz
- Enakshi Rama Rau as Selima/Empress Mumtaz Mahal
- Charu Roy as Prince Khurram/Emperor Shah Jahan
- Seeta Devi as Dalia
Music
The sound version of the film featured a theme song entitled “The Song of Shiraz (An Oriental Reverie)” by Eric Valentine (words) and Harry Collman (music).[3]
Production
The film was shot in Jaipur.[2] It was an Indian/British/German co-production, and the second of three silent films made on location in India by star and producer Himansu Rai. The others are Prem Sanyas (The Light of Asia, 1926) and A Throw of Dice (Prapanch Pash, 1929).[4]
Restoration
Shiraz was restored from original film elements by the BFI National Archive in 2017, and had its premiere as a gala screening at the 2017 London Film Festival, accompanied by a new score composed and performed by Anoushka Shankar. The Guardian's film critic Peter Bradshaw praised the film as " a startlingly ambitious epic weepie-romance".[5] The restored version subsequently played in a number of venues in India in late 2017.[6][7] The film was shown as part of the BFI London Film Festival's lineup at We Are One: A Global Film Festival in 2020.[8]
References
- ^ The British Film Catalogue, 1895-1970 (1973), London: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5572-4, LCCN 72007861, OCLC 447306
- ^ a b Hoberman, J. (16 January 2019). "'Shiraz,' a Silent Spectacle of India, Returns" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Wlaschin, K. (2009). The Silent Cinema in Song, 1896-1929: An Illustrated History and Catalog of Songs Inspired by the Movies and Stars, with a List of Recordings. United States: McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.
- ^ "Review: Landmark 1928 Indian silent film 'Shiraz: A Romance of India'". Los Angeles Times. 21 January 2019.
- ^ "Inside the British Film Institute archives — and an Indian gem sparkles again". The Financial Times. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
- ^ "Shiraz: A Romance of India review – 90-year-old epic stands test of time". The Financial Times. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
- ^ "YouTube". YouTube. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
- ^ Kay2020-05-27T12:20:00+01:00, Jeremy. "We Are One global film festival announces line-up". Screen.
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External links