Kerala man inspired by Top Gun live-to-picture show in Australia stages Kochi’s first concert screening of 'The Passion of the Christ'

Kochi’s cultural scene is set to witness an unusual coming together of cinema and live music as Mel Gibson’s biblical epic The Passion of the Christ is presented in a live-to-picture format for the first time in Kerala. The film will be screened while its background score is performed in real time by a live orchestra, creating an immersive concert-cinema experience.

The initiative introduces local audiences to a format that has gained popularity in concert halls across the West but has remained largely unexplored in India. The effort is spearheaded by Jacob Cherian, a retired IT professional from Pathanamthitta, who was inspired to recreate the experience after attending similar performances abroad.

Cherian recalls attending a live-to-picture screening of Tom Cruise’s Top Gun in Sydney. The immersive quality of watching a film while a live orchestra recreated its score left a lasting impression on him. “It was an entirely different way of experiencing cinema,” he said. “I felt that audiences in Kerala should also get a chance to witness something like this.”

Upon returning to India, Cherian began exploring the possibility of staging a similar event locally. His search for suitable collaborators led him to the Kochi-based Cochin Chamber Orchestra, which operates under Cochin Arts and Communications and is known for performing a wide repertoire of Western classical music, from Mozart to contemporary compositions. Impressed by the ensemble’s discipline and openness to experimentation, Cherian felt Kochi would be the right place to host the live-to-picture screening.

To make the project a reality, Cherian acquired the necessary screening and performance rights, along with the official musical score, from Lionsgate, which holds the film’s distribution rights. The undertaking has required significant financial investment, with the total budget for the event estimated at around ₹1 crore.

For the musicians, the performance represents both an artistic milestone and a logistical challenge. Saju Jose, a double bassist with the Cochin Chamber Orchestra, explained that live-to-picture performances demand extraordinary precision. “In a normal film screening, the music is pre-recorded and perfectly mixed in a studio. Here, we are recreating that entire soundscape live, in real time,” he said.

Unlike traditional orchestral concerts, the musicians will not be watching the film as they play. Instead, they rely on a conductor who follows the visual cues on screen and guides the orchestra accordingly. Pradeep Singh is the conductor of the orchestra and has trained all the musicians involved. He also teaches at the academy, where he continues to mentor and train aspiring performers.

Each performer receives timing signals through in-ear monitors, ensuring that their cues align precisely with the unfolding scenes. “We play according to the timing, not by watching the movie,” Saju said. “That makes it technically demanding, because there is no room for error.”

While major international live-to-picture productions often feature orchestras of 80 to 100 musicians, the Kochi performance will be executed by a leaner ensemble of around 30 to 35 players. This has required careful adaptation of the original score, with parts redistributed and rearranged to suit the smaller group. The orchestra has been rehearsing intensively for nearly a month and a half to prepare for the performance.

The timing of the event is also significant. Scheduled during the Holy Week, the screening of The Passion of the Christ carries strong thematic resonance for Christian audiences in Kerala, for whom the film’s depiction of the final hours of Jesus Christ holds deep spiritual meaning.

Despite the scale of the effort, public awareness about the concept remains limited. According to Saju, most early ticket bookings have come from dedicated music enthusiasts who are already familiar with orchestral performances. Ticket prices for the event range from ₹300 to ₹5,000, reflecting both the production costs and the premium nature of the experience.

The Cochin Chamber Orchestra itself comprises musicians aged between 25 and 60, with a majority of young performers. The group has built its reputation by performing Western classical repertoire in Kochi, and this project represents one of its most ambitious undertakings to date.

For Cherian, however, the initiative is not solely about introducing a new form of entertainment. Beyond his admiration for orchestral music, he is deeply involved in charitable work focused on education. Hailing from a small village in Pathanamthitta, he and a group of friends and relatives have been supporting underprivileged children by providing educational materials and, in some cases, food assistance.

He hopes that events like the live-to-picture screening will not only broaden cultural horizons but also help generate funds for these social initiatives. “I have no professional background in music,” Cherian said, “but I have always been drawn to it. If this project succeeds, I would like to take the concept to other cities across India.” The performance is scheduled to take place at the Kerala Fine Arts Society Hall in Kochi from March 28.