The Taj Mahal will form the backdrop of a rare screening of a silent film set to live music by sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar as part of a wide range of celebrations to mark the UK-India Year of Culture 2017.
The Taj Mahal will form the backdrop of a rare screening of a silent film set to live music by sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar as part of a wide range of celebrations to mark the UK-India Year of Culture 2017.
'Shiraz' is a 1920s' film made by Indian pioneer Himanshu Rai as a co-production with the UK and Germany and tells the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
It is currently being restored by the British Film Institute (BFI) for its UK premiere in October followed by the screening at the iconic monument in Agra towards the end of the year.
"It spans the rural to the majestic, providing much scope to play with that scale. And, the Taj Mahal is such an iconic and romantic venue for a project like this," said Shankar at the programme launch for the year-long celebrations in London today.
The year 2017 had been declared the UK-India Year of Culture during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Britain November 2015.
Its official launch took place last night with a gala reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace, which was lit up in peacock colours to mark the occasion.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley, who represented the Indian government at the reception, was all praise for the "heavy calendar" of events lined up for the year.
"We have had an excellent relationship with the UK and this will help strengthen that for the future," he said.
A series of institutions in Britain and India will be collaborating throughout the year to present a host of screenings, travelling exhibitions, literary festivals, music and dance performances, and sporting events.
"Through the year of culture we will celebrate modern India and the long standing relationship between both countries, rooted in our flourishing people-to-people links.
"I hope through this series of cultural events we can connect the next generation of Britons and Indians and inspire people to play their part in shaping UK-India relations over the next 70 years," said UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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