For decades, popular culture has shaped historical memory in India, often at the expense of historical accuracy. A striking example of this cinematic distortion is explored in The Last Hindu King of Delhi by Nitish Sharma, a compelling new book on Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, popularly known as Hemu. The book takes sharp aim at how native rulers have been systematically marginalized or mischaracterized in mainstream media, pointing specifically to filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker’s 2008 magnum opus, Jodhaa Akbar.

To understand the gravity of the film’s misrepresentations, The Last Hindu King of Delhi first establishes who Hemu truly was: a towering historical figure who rose from humble beginnings to become the Emperor of Northern India. Hemu was an extraordinarily brilliant military strategist who won twenty-two consecutive battles. In a spectacular blitzkrieg, he defeated and ousted the Mughal forces from strategic strongholds including Agra, Sambhal, and Kalpi. His military campaign culminated in the capture of Delhi after defeating the Mughal governor Tardi Beg Khan in the Battle of Tughlaqabad. Following this triumph, Hemu assumed the ancient title of ‘Vikramaditya’, making him the last Hindu King to ascend the throne of Delhi.