Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Azeem-O-Shaan Shahenshah

As long as I'm crediting family members, I'd like to thank my brother William for recommending the lavish and thoroughly enjoyable Bollywood epic Jodhaa Akbar, about the legendary Mughal Emperor of India Akbar the Great (1542-1605) and his Hindu wife Jodhaa.  Below is one of my favorite scenes, in which loyal subjects from throughout India sing praises to their sovereign, who was a model of skill, vision, magnanimity, and tolerance, a Muslim ruler who respected all religions in a part of the world which has not always known such qualities since.  Full of exuberance, colour, and joy, this is what a magnificently monarchist song-and-dance spectacular looks like, even if towards the end there is an ominous sign of the truth that uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.  (I recommend watching this clip full screen, with the volume fairly high, for maximum impact.)


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