Shiraz: A Romance of India, the 1928 movie, was restored and screened with a new score by sitarist-composer Anoushka Shankar
What do you get when a silent movie from 1928 gets a score that accompanies it liveIJ An experience of a lifetime, for sure.
Shiraz: A Romance of India, a historical set in the Mughal Empire directed by Franz Osten and starring Himanshu Rai, the founder of Bombay Talkies Studio and Seeta Devi has been painstakingly restored by the British Film Institute. But that was not the only thing which made the movie screening special. While it played, Grammy award nominee, sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar along with her troupe sat on the stage and created melodies that seemed to gel so completely with the action on-screen, that it seemed to have been crafted in consultation with the director.
The scene opened with a caravan carrying a young princess being transported and later attacked by marauders. The score in keeping with the scene was fast paced and built up the tempo.
Abandoned and alone, the princess is found and raised by a potter, only to be abducted by slave-traders and later sold to Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor. Shiraz, the son of the potter, pursues them and tries to rescue her, unaware of her real identity.
When he gets caught in the endeavour, the king sentences him to death by being crushed under the elephant’s foot. As the elephant approaches, it was the musical score that really builds up the tension. And when Shiraz does get saved, one heard a collective sigh of relief being let out by the audience.
Shiraz is Anoushka’s first film score. And full marks to her for not just striking a balance between music that would appeal to the modern audience and music contemporary to the 17th century — in which the film was set.
But what was even more difficult was that Anoushka had to perform live while the movie was being screened.
Sitar, bansuri and a variety of Indian percussion instruments were used to provide authenticity and violin, clarinet, cello and piano to add depth and breadth.
The movie along with the performance has already been held at Hyderabad and Kolkata.