The Black Prince (film)

The Black Prince
Directed by Kavi Raz
Produced by Brillstein Entertainment Partners
Starring
Music by George Kallis
Cinematography Aaron C. Smith
Running time
 118 min
Country
  • India
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Language English, Hindi, Punjabi

The Black Prince is a 2017 international historical drama film directed by Kavi Raz, and starring Satinder Sartaaj in his acting debut. It tells the story of Duleep Singh, the last Maharajah of the Sikh Empire and the Punjab, and his relationship with Queen Victoria.

Set in India and the UK, the story revolves around the young prince as he attempts to reconcile within himself the two cultures of his Indian birth and British education, while attempting to regain his throne.

Plot

After the death of his father, the previous ruler of the Sikh empire, Ranj it Singh, Maharaja Duleep Singh is placed on the throne at the age of 5. In 1849, when the Punjab is annexed to British India, the young prince is removed from the throne, separated from his mother, and put under the guardianship of a British surgeon, Dr. John Login. At the age of 15, he is sent to to England, where he meets Queen Victoria, who makes a favourite of him. His friendship with Queen Victoria, representative of the ties the English culture has upon him, is one of the most significant relationships in the film.

Says producer Jasreet Singh, “What’s striking is that the British government treated him terribly, but throughout his life, there was a relationship of great fondness between him and Queen Victoria.” [1]

After reestablishing contact with his mother, he begins to reconnect with the culture of his birth and attempts to return to India to reclaim his kingdom, but is continually thwarted by British colonial politics.

Cast

Production

Development

Written and directed by Los Angeles-based Indian filmmaker Kavi Raz, The Black Prince stars the singer Satinder Sartaaj in his acting debut[2].

The Black Prince was produced by Brillstein Entertainment Partners; it is a bilingual English-Hindi production. The movie is set in India and the U.K.

Music

George Kallis composed the music for The Black Prince.

The lead actor, Sartaaj, also wrote and performed some of the songs appearing in the film [3]

Release

The Black Prince premiered at the Manchester Film Festival on 3 March 2017, being released worldwide 21 July 2017.[4] The Black Prince was released in two dubbed editions; both Punjabi and Hindi.

Reception

Critical response

The Black prince has received generally unfavourable reviews[5], with most critics decrying the slow pacing as letting down the genuinely interesting subject matter,[6][7] the Hindustani times saying "The script is sluggish and painfully slow paced" [2]

Of the actors, Shabana Azmi, playing the prince's mother, Rani Jindan, was singled out as one of the better performances[7][2][8]

Accolades

  1. Accolade Competition 2017 – Won
  2. Award of Excellence Feature Film Kavi Raz(director/producer) Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company) – Won
  3. Award of Merit Lead Actor – Satinder Sartaaj (actor), Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company)- Won
  4. Best of Show Feature Film Kavi Raz (director/producer)
  5. Los Angeles Film Awards 2017 – Won
  6. Jury Award Best Original Story – Kavi Raz Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company)
  7. Best Drama – Kavi Raz (director) Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company)
  8. Best Actress – Shabana Azmi (actor) Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company)
  9. Best Cinematography – Aaron C. Smith (cinematographer) Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company)
  10. Manchester International Film Festival (MANIFF) 2017 – Won
  11. Festival Prize – Best Production Kavi Raz (producer/director) – Won
  12. Jury Special Mention Outstanding Production Design – Natalie O'Connor & Bobby Cardoso for the Journey Is the Destination
  13. Noida International Film Festival 2017 – Won
  14. Festival Prize Best Cinematography Aaron C. Smith (director of photography) Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company)
  15. WorldFest Houston 2017 – Won'
  16. Gold Remi Award Best Production Design Natalie O'Connor (production designer) Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company) – 'Won
  17. Special Jury Award Best Feature Film Kavi Raz (director) Brillstein Entertainment Partners (production company)

[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jeffries, Stuart (2017-06-17). "Visions of India: how film and TV romanticises life after the Raj". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Black Prince movie review: Strong subject, poorly executed". http://www.hindustantimes.com/. 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2017-08-11. External link in |work= (help)
  3. ↑ "Sikh king who never ruled". 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  4. ↑ "The Black Prince on the Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  5. ↑ The Black Prince, retrieved 2017-08-11
  6. ↑ Wilson, Jake (2017-07-19). "The Black Prince review: A snail's-pace account of the last maharajah of Punjab". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  7. 1 2 Weissberg, Jay (2017-07-21). "Film Review: ‘The Black Prince’". Variety. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  8. ↑ Saltz, Rachel (2017-07-20). "Review: A Poor, Little Rich Maharajah in ‘Black Prince’". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-08-11.
  9. ↑ 13 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3962984/awards


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