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Shiraz: A Romance of India, movie after its world premiere in 61st BFI London Film Festival is all set to hit the Indian theatres again. The film screening is a part of the UK/INDIA2017 YEAR OF CULTURE which is a year-long celebration of the long-standing relationship between India and the UK. It is the result of the key initiative taken by British Council that the film first released in 1927 has been brought back to theatres.
Franz Osten’s brilliant direction has a star cast of Himansu Rai, Charu Roy & Seeta Devi. This Indian silent classic has been meticulously remastered by the conservation team at the BFI National Archive. A world leader in film restoration, the BFI holds the original negative material of Shiraz in the archive. The film will take a tour of four major Indian cities starting with Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai in India from 1 November to 5 November. The highlight of this restored film screening will be the live performance of a specially commissioned score by Grammy® -nominated leading contemporary Indian composer and Sitar player, Anoushka Shankar and an orchestral ensemble.
Shiraz is a love story of the 17th-century princess who inspired the construction of the Taj Mahal. For the classic film lovers, the appeal of Shiraz is the extreme rarity of a sophisticated silent feature film with gorgeous settings, costumes and the glories of the spectacular fort at Agra and of course the iconic Taj Mahal, a central character here in its own right. Two ‘infamous’ kisses that take place in the film will definitely surprise present-day audiences and is quite extraordinary for Indian Cinema of that period. Shiraz was adapted from Niranjan Pal’s play, the first Indian playwright to have his work performed in the West End.
World-renowned classical Sitarist & musician, Anoushka Shankar studied exclusively from the age of nine under her father and guru, the late Ravi Shankar. She made her professional debut as a classical sitarist at the age of thirteen. By the age of 20, she had made three classical recordings and received her first Grammy® nomination, thereby becoming the first Indian female and youngest-ever nominee in the World Music category.
Tickets for the live score screenings of Shiraz in India can be bought from BookMyShow and via a process of pre-registration, expected to reach more than 4000 people. The tour has been made possible with the support of Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Foundation in Hyderabad, Sangit Kala Mandir in Kolkata and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Delhi.
Following the Indian tour, Shiraz will screen around the UK in January 2018 and be released on Blu-ray by BFI.
Speaking about the film, Alan Gemmell OBE, Director, British Council India said, “For over 100 years film has connected the UK and India. With the British Film Institute and Anoushka Shankar, we are bringing one of the most famous on-screen kisses and iconic Indian films back to life. Shiraz is a highlight of the British Council’s programme for Prime Minister Modi’s UK-India Year of Culture. A programme that will celebrate the UK and India’s relationship, connect with young people in both countries and inspire them to build a relationship for the next 70 years”.
Venues and Dates
1 November Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad
3 November Sangit Kala Mandir, Kolkata
4 November Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi
5 November Sri Shanmukhananda Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Auditorium, Mumbai
Book Tickets Here
- Tickets for Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai: Book my show
- Tickets for screening in Kolkata will be available here: https://www.eventsforce.net/britishcouncil/1119/home
The post This Silent Film of 1927 has One of the First Kissing Scenes of Indian Cinema, Don’t Miss Its Screening! appeared first on The Other Brain Inc..
