MELBOURNE, 25 February, 2025: Under the evening sky and a cool breeze, Federation Square today showcased a blend of early classical Indian silent cinema and original live music score by Hari Sivanesan and his team. The four films with legendary stories, were by pioneers of the Indian silent cinema Baburao Painter and Dadasaheb Phalke.
Only parts of these lost films remain and they were shown on Federation Square’s large screen in the backdrop of the Arts Centre and Flinders Street Station. The dim yellow sky on the right side above the Flinders Street station could easily dwarf any artificial intelligence creation.
UK-born Hari Sivanesan’s unique music was a mix of South Indian and Western classical music. Accompanying Hari Sivanesan – Composer/Musical Director, Veena & Vocals were Pirashanna Thevarajah – Multi Instruments, Ravi Madhawan – Multi Instruments, Subramanya Shastri – Bansari (flute), Chris Lewis – Percussion & Drums, Salmon Raphael – Keys and Krithi Hirithotlukere Ramaswamy – Vocals.
The silent movies shown were:
Shree Krishna Janma (1918), directed by Dadasaheb Phalke
This film narrates the miraculous birth and early life of Krishna, destined to overthrow the tyrant King Kansa.
Raja Harishchandra (1913), directed by Dadasaheb Phalke
Raja Harishchandra tells the story of King Harishchandra, who when faced with a series of trials that strip him of his kingdom, family, and comfort, Harishchandra refuses to compromise on his principles, even at great personal cost.
Lanka Dahan (1918), directed by Dadasaheb Phalke
Lanka Dahan is a pivotal episode from the Ramayana, focusing on Hanuman’s journey to Lanka to locate Sita, held captive by the demon king Ravana.
Sati Savitri (1927), directed by Baburao Painter
Based on the story from the Mahabharata, Sati Savitri recounts the tale of Savitri, a devoted wife determined to defy fate to save her husband, Satyavan, from death. Through her dedication and unwavering faith, Savitri confronts Yama, the god of death, and cleverly negotiates for Satyavan’s life.
People saw this unique cinema-music blend relaxed on their deck chairs or spread outs from home and coffee from a nearby 7/11 store, was perfect evening entertainment. The movies shown are in excellent condition despite their vintage age. The oldest Raja Harishchandra, 112 years b/w silent film by Dadasaheb Phalke also has captions in English. I suspect, what we saw at Federation Square today, was also done those early days with a few musicians played their instruments as the movie progressed.
The program called ‘Ramayana and other tales, with live score by Hari Sivanesan’, was a treat or maybe a unique picnic cum entertainment. A mesmerizing experience in the YouTube era. It was a tribute to the pioneers who laid the foundation of Indian cinema, the largest in the world. I wish more such programs at the Federation Square.
The program was presented by Federation Square, in partnership with Insite Arts.
