In the movie Serendipity, actor John Corbett plays a clarinet-like
instrument. The movie says it is a shanai, but my search of the
internet shows a shanai is a different instrument.  What is the
instrument, and where can I get one?

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 18 Oct 2004 14:12 PDT

I believe the instrument in 'Serendipity' is a shehnai. 

Here's a rather indistinct still shot of John Corbett playing the instrument:

http://www.john-corbett.com/panels/serendipity5TN.jpg

A few images of shehnais:

http://www.artasia.org.uk/shehnai.jpg

http://www.tabla.com/instruments/mizm1.jpg

http://www.rutadeseda.org/shehnai01.jpg

http://www.indianmusicinstruments.com/WindInstruments/images/ele_blownup_SH-1,3,4.jpg

http://www.indianhandicraftsandmusicstore.com/pages/inmi409t0.jpg

http://www.sudeepaudio.com/imgs/shehnai.gif

What do you think? If this is the correct instrument, I'll be glad to
try to find one for you to purchase.

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Clarification of Question by shanai-ga on 21 Oct 2004 18:24 PDT

Shehnai is the same as shanai.  When I look on the Internet under
either name I find a different instrument.  The instrument in the
movie is longer, has two enlargements close to the mouthpiece, and the
mouthpiece looks to be a metal tube.  It appears to be a well-made
instrument.  The shanais I found on Internet are shorter, without
those details, and appearing cheaply made.  I bought one and it's not
the same thing.  Maybe the movie instrument is some fancy version of a
shanai but I can't find it.  Thanks for trying.

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 21 Oct 2004 19:05 PDT

See if you can pick it out of this photo:

http://www.engineering.usu.edu/ece/faculty/wheeler/NIU/Images/shawms.jpg
pictured: Chinese suona,  Turkish zurna,  North Indian shahnai, and
Burmese algaita and Scottish bagpipe

Courtesy:
NIU WORLD INSTRUMENT COLLECTION
http://www.engineering.usu.edu/ece/faculty/wheeler/NIU/Oboes.htm


I suspected the instrument you are referring to is a "Chinese sauona":

http://www.carbonare.com/suona.jpg
(modern style)

http://www.gs.kunitachi.ac.jp/collectiondb/dbpm/ppm1968.jpg
(old world style)
 
Please let me know if I am right.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 21 Oct 2004 19:08 PDT

The nadaswaram is a longer relative of the shehnai:

http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/nadaswaram.html

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 25 Oct 2004 15:14 PDT

Have you had a chance to look at the photos?

tutuzdad-ga

This musical instrument's name is Zurna, the Zurna is a Turkish folk
instrument, you can find it from www.kabazuna.cjb.net and you can
learn about zurna www.kabazuna.cjb.net.