Ep. 54: Hand-Curating Cinema

The Indian Army is more than just a government wing or a fighting force that guards our borders. The Indian Army is an emotion, a living chronicle of times, events, and incidents that we have the luxury to forget because they remember. A fierce force that physically binds the nation together, the army itself is a family of several regiments. Some have seen the rise and fall of empires and others which are yet to attain the full vigour of youth. Each regiment has its own history and glorious traditions. Each one has its own identity, values, and morals that bring people from different parts of the country and hold them together in bonds stronger than that of blood. Regiment Diaries is more than a compilation of war stories. It is a tale of the Indian Army unlike any told before. Told by the very men who follow the illustrious feats of their predecessors, Regiment Diaries tells us timeless tales that warm the hearts, moisten the eyes, and leave you in even greater awe of the bravest children of India.

In a land where the Emperor reigned supreme, only the selected few would have the power to influence his decisions. Prince Salim was first in line to inherit his father, Akbars throne. Already married to his first wife, Man Bai, Salim was on his way to strengthening the Mughal relations with Rajputana with his second marriage to Jagat Gosini. But amidst the lavish palaces and plush lives of the Mughal royalty, a war was being fought from within. While the kings charted the political climate for the country, the queens ruled that throne at home. Mehrunissa, bright and charismatic, always dreamt of becoming queen and when the invitation came from the pasha begum herself, Mehrunissa joined her team of ladies in waiting. Hereon begins the love story of Salim and Mehrunissa from their first meeting until their coronations as Jehangir and Nur-Jahan. The series interweaves various plot lines from the lives of many historical characters including Akbar, Ruqaiyya Begum, Abul Fazal and many others. Based on the popular book The Twentieth Wife by author Indu Sundaresan, Siyaasat is a story of politics, inter-personal conflicts, sabotage, grandeur, power and above all else, the love between Salim and Mehrunissa, who was Salims twentieth and final wife.

In battles won and wars lost, there are many lives claimed regardless of the victor. Its not easy to face the perils of warfare even as a trained soldier. But not all wars are won on the battlefield and not all soldiers fight in combat. There are those soldiers who are invisible, unhindered, risking their lives and limbs to protect the honor of their king, country, and home. Adrishya makes you experience life from the point of view of Indias greatest spies, living through the danger, the fear, the triumphs and the captures. We see the spys heroic acts through their eyes and follow them as they travel through dangerous landscapes, slip into disguises, and hoodwink enemy soldiers. We become privy to their thoughts as they inch towards fulfilling their mission.