Shiraz: A Romance of India

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Shiraz: A Romance of India

1928

1h 24m

Drama

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89%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

A man (Himansu Rai) tries to rescue his kidnapped sister after a prince enslaves her.

Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

[A] gorgeous silent extravaganza, a landmark of Indian cinema.

Jan 22, 2019

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Keith Watson

Slant Magazine

Only in the bittersweet final passages does Franz Osten achieve a few moments of genuinely moving melodrama.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 15, 2019

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The crowd scenes and the location work in this film are a real marvel, and there is great tenderness to its final act.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 1, 2018

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Ella Feldman

Washington City Paper

A mesmerizing tale of romance and national pride that stands the test of time.

Apr 15, 2023

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Pamela Hutchinson

Silent London

This is a film to wallow in. Hat-tip to the illustrious Anglo-German cinematography team of Henry Harris and Emil Schünemann. It takes repeat viewings of Shiraz to satisfy your hunger for those gorgeous landscapes and grand palaces.

Apr 21, 2020

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Joshua Brunsting

The CriterionCast

Featuring a new score from beloved artist Anoushka Shanka, Shiraz is a grand epic that features production design and direction that's unlike anything from this time period.

Jan 19, 2019

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Audience Member

Fuck you if you don't fall in love with this absolute masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

Es mas un documento histórico. Es una ficción basada en la clásica historia de amor entre príncipe y plebeya, que al final resulta siendo de la realeza. Es un triangulo amoroso en el cual Shiraz es el menos importante pero que al final retoma protagonismo por ser el creador del Taj Mahal en esta ficción. Es mas de interés por su importancia histórica, como película deja mucho que desear.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

One of the last great silent films from India that despite British control this is very Indian for all the right reasons. The story of a princess who is saved from bandits & by a local townsman whose son falls in love with her. Sadly she is taken by bandits & ends up in a castle with a prince who she falls in love with. The son never gives up & for 18 years does all he can to see her but sadly she dies & he begins to grow blind & takes refuge in make models. He makes the model for an amazing building that ends up being the Taj Mahal. It's an impressive film that is great to watch and thoroughly entertaining.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Franz Osten

Director

Himansu Rai

Shiraz

Charu Roy

Emperor Shah Jehan

Seeta Devi

Dalia

Enakashi Rama Rao

Selima

Maya Devi

Kulsam

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Synopsis

A man (Himansu Rai) tries to rescue his kidnapped sister after a prince enslaves her.

Director: Franz Osten
Producer: Himanshu Rai
Screenwriter: Niranjan Pal
Production Co: Universum Film (UFA)
Genre: Drama
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2019
Runtime: 1h 24m

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