Earlier this fortnight, some Indians were irked when a video emerged of German Chancellor Angela Merkel blithely refusing to shake Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hand after he finished a speech in Hannover. (It later transpired that she was merely directing him to the centre of the stage, so that the cameras could capture the moment unhindered.)
As if to make up for that apparent coldness, a video was released on Friday featuring former foreign minister Salman Khurshid in close embrace with Eliese Steiner, the wife of the German ambassador to India, even as her husband Michael Steiner sulks in the background. The footage also shows Khurshid gambolling in the park with Steiner and twirling her through a dance sequence.
It's all part of Lebe jetzt, a diplomatic effort unleashed upon the unsuspecting world by the German embassy in an apparent effort at "connecting people across borders" ‒ or so it explains on its YouTube page. The video recreates the title song from the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster Kal Ho Na Ho. The German mission offers this rationalisation for its efforts: "Traditional diplomacy was about government-to-government relations. Modern diplomacy is more about people-to-people relations. And culture is central here."
Viewers are advised be seated before they watch this clip, lest they lose their balance from laughing hysterically. Pro tip: Look for activist Madhu Kishwar's cameo as the ambassador's mother, starting from 5.50.
As if to make up for that apparent coldness, a video was released on Friday featuring former foreign minister Salman Khurshid in close embrace with Eliese Steiner, the wife of the German ambassador to India, even as her husband Michael Steiner sulks in the background. The footage also shows Khurshid gambolling in the park with Steiner and twirling her through a dance sequence.
It's all part of Lebe jetzt, a diplomatic effort unleashed upon the unsuspecting world by the German embassy in an apparent effort at "connecting people across borders" ‒ or so it explains on its YouTube page. The video recreates the title song from the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster Kal Ho Na Ho. The German mission offers this rationalisation for its efforts: "Traditional diplomacy was about government-to-government relations. Modern diplomacy is more about people-to-people relations. And culture is central here."
Viewers are advised be seated before they watch this clip, lest they lose their balance from laughing hysterically. Pro tip: Look for activist Madhu Kishwar's cameo as the ambassador's mother, starting from 5.50.
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