A Throw of Dice

A lavish silent super-production comprising 10,00 extras, a thousand horses, and scores of elephants, a Throw of Dice is the climax of German film pioneer Franz Osten's richly cinematic sojourn in India. In this "fairy tale for adults" (BBC) inspired by the ancient Sanskrit epic poem the Mahabharata, royal cousins and rulers of adjoining kingdoms King Sohat (producer/star Himansu Rai) and King Ranjit (Charu Roy) share a reckless passion for gambling, the perilous jungle tiger hunt, and the beautiful maiden Sunita (Seta Devi). After a tiger nearly claims Ranjit's life, Sunita nurses the handsome young king back to health and becomes his bride. Knowing that the only thing stronger than love in Ranjit's heart is a compulsive fascination with games of chance, jealous Sohat challenges his cousin to a winner-take-all contest where the stakes are freedom, marriage, and life itself.