Shiraz: A Romance of India
BFI Restorations
•
Classics, Romance, UR
The ravishing, romantic story behind the Taj Mahal, has been newly restored with a sumptuous new score from Anoushka Shankar.
Shiraz is based on the true story of the 17th-century Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, his queen and the building of the world’s most beautiful monument to love, the Taj Mahal.
Shot entirely in India, it features lavish costumes and gorgeous settings, including the extraordinary fort at Agra. Himansu Rai (also the film’s producer) stars as the humble potter Shiraz, who follows his childhood sweetheart Selima (Enakshi Rama Rau) when she is sold by slave traders to the future emperor.
Newly restored by the BFI National Archive, and looking better than it ever has, the film also features a new score from world-renowned sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar.
Up Next in BFI Restorations
-
Big Banana Feet
Working with cinematographer David Peat directors Murray Grigor and Patrick Higson capture Billy Connolly at his brilliant best, as the comedian employs his trademark humour and no small amount of roguish charm to navigate the political tensions of 1970s Dublin and Belfast.
-
Hotel Splendide
Powell’s amiable ‘Quickie’ comedy stars music hall veteran Jerry Verno as a lowly clerk who inherits a hotel, but gets more than he bargained for when various guests turn out to be crooks. (Watch out for the cameo from Powell himself). The production’s limitations are undeniable, but Powe...
-
Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases
For decades, Sherlock Holmes fans worldwide have been waiting for the restoration of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series. Produced between 1921 and 1923, the collection is the last significant work in the Sherlock silent film canon to be restored. The hugely popular series, which ran for 45 ...