|
 Airing
as part of the Discover India series, the film showcases the colourful
and romantic ambience of the Indian royal families, who led a lifestyle
of unparalled luxury and opulence, says a company release.
According to Discovery Communications India, director - marketing
Aditya P Tripathi, "The Patiala Necklace is part of
our endeavour to provide a fresh perspective and highlight India's
lesser known facets. The film pays a tribute to our rich cultural
heritage and traces the extraordinary journey of the necklace, from
Patiala's treasury to London's showrooms."
The film captures three generations of the royal family of Patiala,
from Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, his son Yadavindra Singh, to Capt
Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister of Punjab.
Says Attaché Audio Visual, Embassy of France's Patrick Madeline,"The
Patiala Necklace artistically blends the story of the necklace
created by the House of Cartier, with that of the royal family of
Patiala. This film shows the interest of French filmmakers in the
glorious past of India and programmes such as these will help develop
a better understanding between the two countries."
Created by the House of Cartier for Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh
of Patiala in 1928, the necklace is one of the most expensive pieces
of jewellery ever made. Famous for its unmatched brilliance and
extraordinary design, the necklace has five rows of diamond encrusted
platinum chains, says the release. When it was created, it had 2,930
diamonds embedded in it, including the world's seventh largest DeBeers
diamond.
It took Cartier almost three years to make the necklace, which
looked so exquisite that they sought the Maharaja's permission to
display it before sending it to India. But in April 1948, this $25
million necklace mysteriously disappeared from the treasury of the
royal family and was recovered almost half a century later by Eric
Nussbaum, a Cartier representative in London. Cartier immediately
bought it and set about restoring the Art Deco period piece to its
original glory.
 According
to the release, the Patiala Necklace is a metaphor of the lifestyle
that the Maharajas led. The film is created using rare archival
footage and through interviews with members of the royal family
of Patiala including Capt Amarinder Singh, the film beautifully
brings the past and the present together.
The film also shows how the magnificent necklace was restored to
its original glory. In 1998 when the necklace was recovered, what
was left were just the chains and some original stones; the Burmese
rubies and the real De Beers diamond that made the necklace rare
and exquisite were all gone. Cartier has tried to recreate the necklace
using old techniques and by replacing the original stones, informs
the release.
Says producer of The Patiala Necklace Françoise Gazio,
"We were fascinated by the magnificence of the necklace and
the mystery surrounding its disappearance and sudden recovery in
1998. The fact that it belonged to one of the royal families of
India convinced us all the more to make the film."
|
