First Quote Added
April 10, 2026
Latest Quote Added
"She was the first English woman I had ever met. And it seemed to me she knew more about the world than anyone. But it was a world Siam was afraid would consume them. The monsoon winds had whispered her arrival like a coming storm. Some welcomed the rain, but others feared a raging flood. Still she came, unaware of the suspicion that preceded her. But it wasn't until years later, that I began to appreciate how brave she was, and how alone she must have felt. An English woman. The first I had ever met."
"I was only a boy, but the image of my father holding the woman he loved for the last time has remained with me throughout the years."
"It is always surprising how small a part of life is taken up by meaningful moments. Most often they are over before they start, although they cast a light on the future and make the person who originated them unforgettable. Anna had shined such a light on Siam."
"In my letter confirming my employment, Your Majesty, you claimed you wanted Siam to take its place among the nations of the modern world. You spoke of building something greater than yourself. A country where no man is above the law. Which is why I chose to come here."
"[to King Mongkut] Life is... precious, especially if you're a Christian and only allowed to have one."
"Most people do not see the world as it is. They see it as they are."
"Everyone should have legends. It allows us to dream."
"[to Anna] When a woman who has much to say says nothing, her silence can be deafening."
"Jodie Foster - Anna Leonowens"
"Chow Yun-Fat - King Mongkut"
"Bai Ling - Tuptim"
"Tom Felton - Louis T. Leonowens"
"Randall Duk Kim - General Alak"
"Kay Siu Lim - Prince Chaofa, King Mongkut's Brother"
"Melissa Campbell - Princess Fa-Ying"
"Deanna Yusoff - Queen Thiang"
"Geoffrey Palmer - Lord John Bradley"
"Ann Firbank - Lady Bradley"
"Bill Stewart - Mycroft Kincaid, East India Trading Co."
"Sean Ghazi - Khun Phra Balat"
"Syed Alwi - The Kralahome, Prime Minister"
"Ramli Hassan - King Chulalongkorn"
"Keith Chin - Prince Chulalongkorn"
"Alif Silpachai - Chulalongkorn's brother"
"Kenneth Tsang - Justice Phya Phrom"
"Shantini Venugopal - the nanny"
"Goh Yi Wai - Mongkut's daughter"
"Harith Iskander - Nikorn"
Young though he was, his radiant energy produced such an impression of absolute reliability that Hedgewar made him the first sarkaryavah, or general secretary, of the RSS.
- Gopal Mukund Huddar
Largely because of the influence of communists in London, Huddar's conversion into an enthusiastic supporter of the fight against fascism was quick and smooth. The ease with which he crossed from one worldview to another betrays the fact that he had not properly understood the world he had grown in.
Huddar would have been 101 now had he been alive. But then centenaries are not celebrated only to register how old so and so would have been and when. They are usually celebrated to explore how much poorer our lives are without them. Maharashtrian public life is poorer without him. It is poorer for not having made the effort to recall an extraordinary life.
I regret I was not there to listen to Balaji Huddar's speech [...] No matter how many times you listen to him, his speeches are so delightful that you feel like listening to them again and again.
By the time he came out of Franco's prison, Huddar had relinquished many of his old ideas. He displayed a worldview completely different from that of the RSS, even though he continued to remain deferential to Hedgewar and maintained a personal relationship with him.