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On Wings Of Fire
''On Wings of Fire'' (originally titled ''A Quest for Zarathustra'') is a 1986 English-language Indian film directed by Cyrus Bharucha and starring Zubin Mehta, Paul Shelley, Saeed Jaffrey, Amrish Puri, with Nigel Terry as Zarathustra and Derek Jacobi as the narrator. It is the first and only film to cover the philosophy and history of Zoroastrianism in a scholarly and dramatic way. The film was premiered at Mumbai's Sterling Cinema in June 1986, and was released in the United States in 2001. Summary The film recounts the history of Zoroastrianism and prophet Zarathushtra, covering a period of 3500 years of the Zoroastrians and the Parsees of India. The story begins with the conductor Zubin Mehta, the film's pivotal figure, a westernised Parsi who visits his homeland to discover his roots, and in the process learns about the history of his people. Cast *Zubin Mehta as himself *Derek Jacobi as narrator *Nigel Terry as Prophet Zarathustra *Paul Shelley as King Vishtaspa * ...
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Adi Pherozeshah Marzban
Adi Pherozeshah Marzban (1914–1987) was an Indian Gujarati Parsi playwright, actor, director, broadcaster known for his efforts in modernizing Parsi theatre. He was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India in 1964 and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1970. Early life Adil Marzban was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) on 17 April 1914 to Pherozeshah Jehangir Marzban, a dramatist who wrote under the nom de plume, ''Pijam'' and the author of plays such as ''Mazandaran'', ''Maasi no Maako'' and ''Makhai Mohoro''. Born in the lineage of Fardunjee Marzban, the founder of '' Jam-e-Jamshed'' and ''Mumbai Samachar'', both Gujarati newspapers, he did his schooling at Bharda New High School and graduated from Elphinstone College in 1933. It was during this time, he met his future producer and colleague, Pesi Khandavala. He started his career as a publicity officer for Western India Theatres but left the job to take up the editorial work of his family newspaper, ''Jam-e ...
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Parsi
Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conquests) in order to preserve their Zoroastrian identity. The Parsi people comprise the older of the Indian subcontinent's two Zoroastrian communities vis-à-vis the Iranis, whose ancestors migrated to British-ruled India from Qajar-era Iran. According to a 16th-century Parsi epic, ''Qissa-i Sanjan'', Zoroastrian Persians continued to migrate to the Indian subcontinent from Greater Iran in between the 8th and 10th centuries, and ultimately settled in present-day Gujarat after being granted refuge by a local Hindu king. Prior to the 7th-century fall of the Sassanid Empire to the Rashidun Caliphate, the Iranian mainland (historically known as 'Persia') had a Zoroastrian majority, and Zoroastrianism had served as the Iranian state religion ...
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Dastur
A dastūr, sometimes spelt dustoor, is a term for a Zoroastrian high priest who has authority in religious matters and ranks higher than a mobad or herbad. In this specific sense, the term is used mostly among the Parsis of India. The term has also been used in a secular sense to refer to a prime minister, minister or government councillor. The first person to be accorded the title Dastur was Meherji Rana (born 1514 at Navsari). He was invited by Akbar to his court in 1578 AD. He was accorded the title in 1579 AD by the local Zoroastrian priests thus establishing a seat (Gaadi, similar to the seat of a Bhattaraka or Sankaracharya). Dastur Kaikhushru Cowasji Ravji became the eighteenth successor to the seat and title of MeherjiRana in 2019. He became a Mobed A Mobed, Mowbed, or Mobad (Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭢𐭥𐭯𐭲) is a Zoroastrian cleric of a particular rank. Unlike an ''herbad'' (''ervad''), a ''mobed'' is qualified to serve as celebrant priest at the Yasna ceremony and ot ...
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Soni Razdan
Soni Razdan (born 25 October 1956) is a British actress and film director who works in Hindi films. She is married to film director Mahesh Bhatt and is the mother of Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt. Early life Razdan was born in Small Heath Birmingham, West Midlands, England to a British-German mother, Gertrude Hoelzer and a Indian Kashmiri Pandit father, Narendra Nath Razdan and grew up in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. Career Razdan started her career in English theatre with John Fowles' ''The Collector'' and her Hindi stage career with ''Bund Darvaze'', Satyadev Dubey's adaptation of Jean Paul Sartre's ''No Exit''. Her photos were seen by Franco Zeffirelli who wanted to cast her as Mary in his miniseries, ''Jesus of Nazareth''. The role, however, was given to Olivia Hussey and Razdan was cast as a young grieving mother as well as appearing as an extra in other scenes. She appeared as Sulochana in the Doordarshan TV series ''Buniyaad''. She also acted in Indian TV serials ''Saa ...
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Emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has a long history of use in the Arab World, East Africa, West Africa, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. In the modern era, when used as a formal monarchical title, it is roughly synonymous with "prince", applicable both to a son of a hereditary monarch, and to a reigning monarch of a sovereign principality, namely an emirate. The feminine form is emira ( '), a cognate for "princess". Prior to its use as a monarchical title, the term "emir" was historically used to denote a "commander", "general", or "leader" (for example, Amir al-Mu'min). In contemporary usage, "emir" is also sometimes used as either an honorary or formal title for the head of an Islamic, or Arab (regardless of religion) organisation ...
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Nahavand
Nahavand ( fa, نهاوند, translit=Nahāvand / Nehāvend) is a city in Hamadan Province, Iran. It is the capital of Nahavand County. At the time of the 2006 census, its population was 72,218, in 19,419 families. It is located south of the city of Hamadan, west of Malayer and northwest of Borujerd. Inhabited continuously since prehistoric times, Nahavand was bestowed upon the House of Karen in the Sasanian period. During the Muslim conquest of Persia, it was the site of the famous Battle of Nahavand. Name The name ''Nahāvand'' is probably ultimately derived from Old Persian ''*Niθāvanta-'', related to the Old Persian name '' Nisāya'', itself derived from the prefix ''ni-'', meaning "down" and a second element which is related to Avestan ''si'' or ''say'', meaning "to lie down". It has been spelled differently in different books and sources: Nahavand, Nahavend, Nahawand, Nahaavand, Nihavand, Nehavand, Nihavend, or Nehavend, formerly called Mah-Nahavand, and in antiquity ...
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Alexander The Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II of Macedon, Philip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20, and spent most of his ruling years conducting a lengthy military campaign throughout Western Asia and ancient Egypt, Egypt. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the List of largest empires, largest empires in history, stretching from Greece to northwestern Historical India, India. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders. Until the age of 16, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle. In 335 BC, shortly after his assumption of kingship over Macedon, he Alexander's Balkan campaign, campaigned in the Balkans and reasserted control ...
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Oengus MacNamara
In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love,Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice-Hall Press, 1991. pp.38–40 summer and poetic inspiration. The son of The Dagda and Boann, Aengus is also known as Macan Óc ("the young boy" or "young son"), and corresponds to the Welsh mythical figure Mabon and the Celtic god Maponos. He plays a central role in five Irish myths. Name In Old Irish his name is ''Óengus'' or ''Oíngus'' , a name attested in Adomnán's ''Life of St Columba'' as ''Oinogus(s)ius''. This is believed to come from a Proto-Celtic name meaning "true vigour". The medieval ''Dindsenchas'' derives it from "one desire", explaining that Boann gave him the name because her union with the Dagda had been her only desire. In Middle Irish this became ''Áengus'', and in Modern Irish ''Aonghus'' , . He is also known as ''Óengus Ó ...
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Nicholas Jones (actor)
Nicholas Jones (born 3 April 1946) is an English character actor who has appeared on stage, film and television. Early life Jones was born in London, the younger brother of actress Gemma Jones. They are the children of actor Griffith Jones (1909–2007) and Robin Isaac. He was educated at Westminster School. Jones's acting career started in 1965, when he became a stage manager at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. He made the scenery, set the lights and ran the shows. After taking on various small acting roles, Terry Hands, the theatre director, suggested he should be doing more acting, so he auditioned for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He arrived a day late, due to travelling from Liverpool in a 1946 Triumph Roadster and, for the first and only time, used his father's name to get to see the principal. Following his audition, he was invited to start the following term. In 1968, Jones graduated from the school and, as part of the 'Gold Medal’ prize, was invited to go t ...
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Jadi Rana
Jadi Rana was an Indian ruler of Sanjan, Valsad in present-day Gujarat as per the ''Qissa-i Sanjan'', an epic poem completed in 1599, which is an account of the flight of some of the Zoroastrians who were subject to religious persecution following the fall of the Sassanid Empire, and of their early years in India, where they found refuge. A 20th-century translation of the ''Qissa'' transliterates the name as Jádi Rana. Jadi Rana in the ''Qissa-i Sanjan'' According to the ''Qissa'', Jadi Rana had a reputation for fairness that preceded him, which prompted some of the Zoroastrians who were fleeing religious persecution to seek asylum in his kingdom. Jadi Rana asked them to explain their religious beliefs and customs, which they did. Satisfied with their explanation, he granted their request for asylum provided they adopt the local language (Gujarati); that their women adopt local dress (the ''Sari''); and that they henceforth cease to bear arms. The refugees accepted the condi ...
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Lewis Fiander
Lewis Ernest Fiander (12 January 1938 – 24 May 2016) was an Australian film, stage, and television actor. Biography Fiander was born in Melbourne to Mona Jane (née King) and Walter Lewis Fiander, and educated at Trinity Grammar School, Kew. Moving to the UK from his native Australia, initially to appear in the play ''The One Day of the Year'', Fiander appeared in such films as '' I Start Counting'' (1970), '' Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde'' (1971), '' Dr. Phibes Rises Again'' (1972), ''The Abdication'' (1974), '' Who Can Kill a Child?'' (1976), ''Not Now, Comrade'' (1976), ''Sweeney 2'' (1978), '' The Doctor and the Devils'' (1985), ''Georgia'' (1988) and ''Paperback Romance'' (1994). His first major role on television was Mr. Darcy in the BBC's first colour adaptation of '' Pride and Prejudice'' (1967). In 1970, Fiander originated the role of John Adams in the London stage production of ''1776'', a role he reprised in Australia. Other stage appearances in West End musicals i ...
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