The Black Prince (film)

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

The Black Prince
Directed byKavi Raz
Produced byBrillstein Entertainment Partners
Starring
Music byGeorge Kallis
CinematographyAaron C. Smith
Release date
  • 21 July 2017 (2017-07-21) (worldwide)
Running time
118 min
Country
  • India
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Language

The story revolves around the young prince as he attempts both to regain his throne and reconcile himself with the two cultures of his Indian birth and British education.

Plot

After the death of his father, Maharajah Ranjit Singh, the previous ruler of the Sikh empire, Maharaja Duleep Singh is placed on the throne at the age of five. In 1849, when Punjab is annexed to British India, the young prince is removed from the throne and separated from his mother. He is put under the guardianship of British surgeon Dr. John Login. At the age of 15, Duleep Singh is sent to England where he meets Queen Victoria. A relationship between the two develops.

Duleep Singh is eventually able to reestablish contact with his mother and as a result begins to reconnect with the culture of his birth. Duleep 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.[1]

On the relationship between Duleep and the Queen, producer Jasjeet Singh noted: "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."[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 UK.

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 and was released worldwide on 21 July 2017.[4] It was also released in two dubbed versions: Punjabi and Hindi.

Reception

Critical response

The Black Prince has received generally unfavorable reviews,[5] with most critics decrying the slow pacing as letting down the genuinely interesting subject matter,[6][7] the Hindustan Times critic said: "The script is sluggish and painfully slow paced."[1]

Of the actors, Shabana Azmi, playing the prince's mother Rani Jindan, was singled out as one of the better performers.[7][1][8]

As of March 2018, 8% of the 13 reviews compiled by Rotten Tomatoes are positive and have an average score of 4.1 out of 10.[9]

Box office

According to Box Office Mojo, The Black Prince has grossed $633,000 in three territories. The film grossed $194,000 in its opening weekend, with $106,000 earned in the United Kingdom, $8,000 in New Zealand and $80,000 in Australia.[10]

See also

References
  1. "The Black Prince movie review: Strong subject, poorly executed". hindustantimes.com/. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  2. Jeffries, Stuart (17 June 2017). "Visions of India: how film and TV romanticises life after the Raj". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  3. "Sikh king who never ruled". 14 July 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  4. "The Black Prince on the Internet Movie Database". imdb.com. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  5. The Black Prince, retrieved 11 August 2017
  6. Wilson, Jake (19 July 2017). "The Black Prince review: A snail's-pace account of the last maharajah of Punjab". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  7. Weissberg, Jay (21 July 2017). "Film Review: 'The Black Prince'". Variety. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  8. Saltz, Rachel (20 July 2017). "Review: A Poor, Little Rich Maharajah in 'Black Prince'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  9. "The Black Prince". Rotten Tomatoes. 11 March 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  10. "The Black Prince". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
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