Silent Era : Home Video Reviews

Silent Era Home Page > Home Video > Shiraz

Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved.

Shiraz
(1928)

Indian film legend Himansu Rai was writer and producer of this Indian-British-German film, which is performed by an all-Indian cast and was shot in India.

A humble potter Shiraz (Himansu Rai) follows his childhood sweetheart Selima (Enakshi Rama Rau) when she's sold by slave traders to the future emperor (Charu Roy). A historical romance set in the Mughal Empire. Selima (Enakshi) is a princess-foundling raised by a potter and loved by her brother, Shiraz. She is abducted and sold as a slave to Prince Khurram, later Emperor Shah Jehan (Roy), who falls for her, to the chagrin of the wily Dalia (Seeta Devi).

When Selima is caught with Shiraz, the young man is condemned to be trampled to death by an elephant. A pendant reveals Selima's royal status and she saves her brother, marries the prince and becomes Empress Mumtaz Mahal while Dalia is banned for her machinations against Selima. When Selima dies (1629), the emperor builds her a monument to the design of the now old and blind Shiraz, the Taj Mahal.

— Carl Bennett

Juno Films
2019 Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition

Shiraz: A Romance of India (1928), black & white, 105 minutes, not rated.

Juno Films, distributed by MVD Visual,
MVD2120D, UPC 7-60137-21209-6.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region ABC Blu-ray Disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) progressive scan AVC (MPEG-4) format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, DTS and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound, English language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; and one single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in windowboxed 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan MPEG-2 format, ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound, Hindi language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc BD keepcase; $34.95.
Release date: 13 August 2019.
Country of origin: USA

This Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition has been produced from a 2K restoration of archival 35mm print materials by the BFI National Archive.

The film is presented with a specially commissioned music score by Grammy Award-winning composer Anoushka Shankar.

Supplmental features includes a restoration comparison (3 minutes), and the short film “Musical Instruments of India” (1944) (12 minutes).

With quality similar to the BFI edition noted below, we recommend both of these combo disc editions.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com.

Canada: Click logomark to purchase this Region ABC Blu-ray Disc / Region 0 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca.

British Film Institute
2018 Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition

Shiraz: A Romance of India (1928), black & white, 105 minutes, BBFC Certification U.

British Film Institute, BFIB1293, UPC 5-03567-301293-2.
One single-sided, dual-layered, Region B Blu-ray Disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) progressive scan AVC (MPEG-4) format, SDR (standard dynamic range), ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound, Hindi language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; and one single-sided, single-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD disc, 1.33:1 aspect ratio image in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced? scan MPEG-2 format, ? Mbps average video bit rate, ? Kbps audio bit rate, Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound, Hindi language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc BD keepcase; €19.99.
Release date: 26 February 2018.
Country of origin: England

This Blu-ray Disc / DVD edition has been produced from a 2K restoration of archival 35mm print materials by the BFI National Archive.

The film is presented with a specially commissioned music score by Grammy Award-winning composer Anoushka Shankar.

Supplementary material includes: a restoration demonstration (3 minutes); Temples of India (1938), directed by Hans Nieter (10 minutes); an Indian travelogue featuring beautiful colour footage of the Taj Mahal shot by Jack Cardiff; Musical Instruments of India (1944) a public information film made by the Government of India to promote Indian arts and culture (12 minutes); an illustrated booklet with essays by Bryony Dixon, Simon Broughton and Gautam Chintamani, with full film credits.