Shiraz: A Romance of India
About Shiraz: A Romance of India
In the Mughal years, the potter raises the foundling princess Selima. Shiraz, raised as her brother, loves her. She is taken and sold to Prince Khurram, later Shah Jahan, who wants her. Dalia works against her. When Selima is found with Shiraz, he is sentenced to die under an elephant. A pendant shows she is royal. She saves him, marries Khurram, and is Empress Mumtaz Mahal. Dalia is banished. Selima dies in 1629. The emperor builds her tomb from a design by Shiraz, now old and blind: the Taj Mahal.
Cast & crew
More about Shiraz: A Romance of India
Franz Osten directed. Himanshu Rai produced and plays Shiraz. Enakshi Rama Rau plays Selima. Charu Roy plays Khurram. Seeta Devi plays Dalia. Emil Schünemann photographed. The script comes from Niranjan Pal's play. British Instructional Films released it. The German title is Das Grabmal einer großen Liebe. A 1929 issue added a synchronized score and effects, and a theme song, with no dialogue.
Themes
Look
Emil Schünemann photographed the court, the elephant sentence, and the tomb.
Music
The 1928 release was silent. The 1929 issue carries a synchronized score, effects, and a theme song.
Preservation
Prints survive, including the 1929 synchronized issue.
Notes
- Shiraz is not her brother by blood. He was raised beside her.
- The death date on the story is 1629, the historical year for Mumtaz.
- The blind designer of the tomb, in this plot, is Shiraz.
- Maya Devi is also billed.
- The sound issue of 1929 is the same picture with music, not a talkie reshoot.
Scenes
- The pendant stops the elephant.
- Blind Shiraz's design becomes the Taj after Selima dies.
Influenced by
- Niranjan Pal's play Shiraz
