NEW DELHI: The inauguration of a special festival to mark the Centenary of Indian cinema was given a unique touch when a live music orchestra of more than 30 people played as the silent film ‘Throw of Dice’ by Franz Osten was being screened.

The orchestra was conducted by renowned maestro Nishat Khan.

There were separate screens in front of the musicians so that they could react musically to what was happening on the large screen at Sirifort Auditorium which was filled to capacity.

Thus, the musicians played music according to the mood of the film including shehnai for a wedding, trumpet for the king summoning people and so on.

The six-day festival was inaugurated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari in the presence of I&B Secretary and several film luminaries.

He also opened an exhibition on “Indian Cinema 100 (Celebrating a Century: An Audio Visual Voyage.

The programme was compered by Telugu actor Rana Dagubati and renowned model and actor Shivani Vazir Pasrich, who paid a tribute to legendary singer Shamshad Begum by singing a few lines from one of her songs.

The programme includes a discussion on ‘Sex, nudity, dance numbers and the Kiss’ with presentations by film critics Rajeev Masand and Shubhra Gupta and panel discussion by some film personalities.

The song and dance division of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry which has organized the Festival is also presenting a 'Vadya Vrinda' musical programme on the theme of the Centenary of Cinema.