Mac Mini

Mac Mini (stylized as Mac mini) is a small form factor desktop computer developed and marketed by Apple Inc. As of 2022, it is positioned between the consumer all-in-one iMac and the professional Mac Studio and Mac Pro as one of four current Mac desktop computers. Since launch, it has shipped without a display, keyboard, and mouse. The machine was initially branded as "BYODKM" (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse) as a strategic pitch to encourage users to switch from Windows and Linux computers.

In January 2005, the original Mac Mini was introduced with the PowerPC G4 CPU. In February 2006, Apple announced a new Intel Core Solo model, the first with an Intel processor. A thinner unibody redesign, unveiled in June 2010, added an HDMI port, and was more readily positioned as a home theater device and an alternative to the Apple TV.

The 2018 Space Gray Mac Mini model has Thunderbolt, an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU, and also changed the case's default silver for space gray. This model also has solid-state storage and replaces most of the data ports with USB-C sockets. The Apple silicon Mac Mini was introduced in November 2020 in the original silver style; the 2018 space gray model remained available as a high-end model with more RAM options.

A server version of the Mac Mini that is bundled with the Server edition of the OS X operating system was offered from 2009 to 2014. The Mac Mini received generally tepid reviews except for the Apple silicon model, which was praised for its compatibility, performance, processor, price, and power efficiencies, though it drew some occasional criticisms for its ports, speaker, integrated graphics, non-user-upgradable RAM and storage, and the expensive cost to buy associated accessories and displays.

## Form and design

The Mac Mini was modeled on the shape of a standard digital media player, and runs the macOS operating system (previously Mac OS X and OS X). It was initially advertised as "BYODKM" (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse), aiming to expand Apple's market-share of customers using other operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and Linux. Mac Mini was the company's only consumer computer that shipped without a paired display, keyboard, and mouse since its original release in 2005.

Since the unibody redesign in 2010, the Kensington Security Slot and the optical drive were removed from all models, leaving internal storage spaces for either a second internal hard drive or an SSD, which can be ordered from Apple or as an upgrade kit from third party suppliers.

## G4 polycarbonate (2005)

Apple's release of a small form factor computer had been widely speculated upon and requested before the Mac Mini. In January 2005, the Mac Mini G4 was introduced alongside the iPod shuffle at the Macworld Conference & Expo; Apple CEO Steve Jobs marketed "The cheapest, and most affordable Mac ever". The machine was intended as an entry-level computer for budget-minded customers. In comparison to regular desktops, which use standard-sized components such as 3.5-inch hard drives and full-size DIMMs, the Mac Mini G4 uses low-power laptop components to fit into small cases and avoid overheating.

The aluminum case, the top and bottom of which is capped with polycarbonate plastic, has an optical drive slot on the front, and the I/O ports and vents for the cooling system on the back. It has an external 85W power supply. Mac Mini G4 has no visible screws, reflecting Apple's intention the computer may not be upgraded by the user. Some Mac Mini owners used a putty knife or a pizza cutter to open the case to install third-party memory, which could be obtained more cheaply than Apple's offering.

The Mac Mini G4 is based on a single-core, 32-bit, PowerPC CPU with 512 KB of on-chip L2 cache. The processor, running at 1.25, 1.33, 1.42, or 1.5 GHz depending on the model, accesses memory through a front-side bus clocked at 167 MHz. The CPU can be overclocked to higher frequencies by either soldering or desoldering certain zero-ohm resistors on the logic board.

An ATI Radeon 9200 graphics processor (GPU) with 32 megabytes (MB) of DDR SDRAM was supplied as standard; in the final 2005 model, Apple added a high-end option of 64 MB VRAM. In Apple's early marketing of the Mac Mini G4, it touted the superiority the discrete graphics board over the integrated graphics in many budget PCs.

The machine uses 333 MHz DDR SDRAM and has one desktop-sized DIMM slot for RAM, allowing a maximum of 1 gigabyte (GB) of memory, a relatively small amount that often forced the system to page against the hard drive, slowing operation considerably. The Mac Mini G4 uses a single 2.5-inch Ultra ATA/100 hard drive that offers a maximum transfer rate of 100 megabytes per second (MB/s). It is not possible to open the sealed enclosure to upgrade the hard drive without possibly voiding the warranty of the system. The Mac Mini G4 also contains a second ATA cable that connects to the optical drive. A Combo drive was included as standard while a SuperDrive that could write to DVDs was also an option.

The Mac Mini G4 has two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port. Networking is supported with 10/100 Ethernet and a 56k V.92 modem, while 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth were additional, build-to-order options. External displays are supported via a DVI port, and adapters for VGA, S-Video, and composite video output were available. The system contains a built-in speaker and an 1/8-inch stereo mini jack for analog sound output. The new Wi-Fi card no longer used an MMCX-Female connector for the antenna, as do prior models, but rather a proprietary Apple one.

The Mac Mini G4 was initially supplied with Mac OS X 10.3, then later with Mac OS X 10.4, and can run Mac OS 9 applications, as long as a bootable copy of the OS 9 system folder is installed from which to run the Classic environment (although the Mac Mini G4 cannot natively boot to Mac OS 9). As of Mac OS X 10.5, the ability to run the Classic environment was removed. Later, Mac OS 9 was able to run on the Mac Mini G4 through an unofficial patcher, though this was not supported by Apple. It is compatible with operating systems designed for the PowerPC architecture. Users can install the AmigaOS-compatible MorphOS, OpenBSD, and Linux distributions such as Debian and Ubuntu.

### Technical specifications

The serial number and specifications sticker on the underside of the latest revision do not carry the actual specs of the upgrade. For example, on a 1.5 GHz model, 1.42 GHz is listed. The product packaging also did not reflect the upgrade. Apple did not revise the official specifications on their web site.

## Intel polycarbonate (2006–2009)

In February 2006, Apple announced the first Intel Mac Mini, as part of the Mac's transition to Intel processors. Based on the Intel Core Solo CPU, it is four times faster than its predecessor PowerPC G4. An updated server version of the machine was released in October 2009, having been marketed as an affordable server for small financial and academic uses; this model omitted the optical drive and used a hard drive instead.

The 2006 and 2007 models are fitted with 32-bit Intel Core Solo CPUs that is upgradable with the 64-bit Core 2 Duo processors. The 2006 and 2007 Merom-based Mac Mini models were supplied with socketed CPUs; the 32-bit processor can be removed, and replaced with a compatible 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Models manufactured in and after 2009 had their CPUs soldered onto a logic board, preventing its upgradability. The upgrades make the 2006/2007 models perform better than the 2009 models. Geekbench has shown the 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo fitted Mac Mini with 2 GB of RAM has a score of 3060 whereas a late 2009 Mac Mini with 2 GB of RAM has 3056 making the two machines fairly comparable.

The built-in Intel GMA was criticized for producing stuttering video despite supporting hardware accelerated H.264 video playback, and disappointing frame rates in graphics-intensive 3D games. Early and Late 2009 models corrected these performance issues with an improved NVIDIA-based GeForce 9400M chipset.

The Intel-based Mac Mini includes four USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port. The I/O ports were changed with the early 2009 revision, adding a fifth USB 2.0 and swapping the FireWire 400 port for a FireWire 800 port. An infrared receiver was added, allowing the use of an Apple Remote. Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and 802.11g Wi-Fi became standard and the Ethernet port was upgraded to Gigabit. A built-in 56k modem was no longer available. The 2009 models added 802.11 draft-n and later 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth was upgraded from 2.0 to 2.1. External displays are supported through a DVI port. The 2009 models have Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort video output, allowing the use of two displays. The Mini DisplayPort supports displays with a resolution up to 2560×1600, which allows use of the 30-inch Cinema Display. The Intel-based Mac Mini has separate Mini-TOSLINK/3.5 mm mini-jacks that support both analog audio input and output, and optical digital S/PDIF input and output.

### Technical specifications

## Unibody (2010–2014)

In June 2010, Apple redesigned the Mac Mini, giving it a more compact, thinner unibody aluminum case that has an internal power supply, an SD card slot, a Core 2 Duo CPU, and a HDMI port for video output that Apple marketed as HDMI 1.4 compliant, replacing the Mini-DVI port of the previous models.

In July 2011, a hardware update was announced; models were now fitted with a Thunderbolt port, dual-core Intel Core i5 and 4-core i7 CPUs, support for up to 16 GB of memory, Bluetooth 4.0, and either an Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics or an AMD Radeon HD 6630M dedicated graphics. The revision, however, removed the internal CD/DVD optical drive. The server model was upgraded to a quad-core Core i7 processor. Apple updated the line in October 2012, with Ivy Bridge processors, USB 3.0, and upgraded graphics. In October 2014, the line was updated with Haswell processors, improved graphics, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Thunderbolt 2, with a second Thunderbolt port replacing the FireWire 800 port. The price of the base model was lowered by \$100. Two holes that were used to open the case were removed from the case because the memory, being soldered to the logic board, was no longer upgradable. Because the integrated GPU does not have its own dedicated memory, the system shares some of the main system memory with it. 4K video output via HDMI was added.

Comparing the high-end models of both releases, the 2012 model has a 4-core, 8-thread Intel Core i7-3720QM whereas the 2014 model has a 2-core, 4-thread Intel Core i7-4578U. The 2014 updated model has Intel Iris graphics (GT3), which greatly outperforms the Intel HD Graphics 4000 (GT2) in the previous models. The 2014 CPUs were more energy-efficient: their maximal thermal design power (TDP) was 62% lower than that of the 2012 models. The 2014 revision underwent internal process transition to dual-core CPUs, performing a lower-quality of multi-threaded workloads compared to the quad-core processors in the 2012 model, though the single-threaded workload interactions speeds increased.

### Technical specifications

## Space gray (2018)

In October 2018, Apple announced a "space gray"-colored Mac Mini with Intel Coffee Lake series CPUs, the T2 series chip for internal security, Bluetooth 5, four Thunderbolt 3 ports with USB 3.1 gen 2 support, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, and HDMI 2.0. PCIe-based flash storage is standard with no option to fit a hard drive. The baseline storage was changed to 128 GB with a maximum of 2 TB. RAM was increased to a baseline of 8 GB and a maximum of 64 GB of SO-DIMM DDR4. The chassis is a carryover from Mac Minis released between 2010 and 2014, and has the same dimensions, but its color was changed from silver to "space gray", similar to the iMac Pro.

The 2018 Mac Mini removes legacy I/O such as the SD card reader, SATA drive bay, IR receiver, optical S/PDIF (TOSLINK) audio out, and audio in. macOS Catalina added support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR10. Memory can again be replaced. According to Apple, memory is not officially user-replaceable, and requires service by an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. The CPU and flash storage are soldered to the logic board and cannot be replaced.

In March 2020, Apple doubled the default storage in both base models. Apple discontinued the Core i3 model following the release of the M1 Mac Mini in November 2020, but continued to sell the Core i5/i7 models until January 2023.

### Technical specifications

## Apple silicon (2020–present)

As part of the Mac transition to Apple silicon, Apple announced a new Mac Mini with the Apple M1 chip on November 10, 2020. It was released on November 17, 2020, and was one of the first three Apple silicon-based Macs released (alongside the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro).

With the M1, this Mac Mini has a 3x faster eight-core CPU, a 6x faster GPU, and 15x faster machine learning performance than its predecessor, the base 2018 model. Options for more than 16 GB of RAM are not available on M1-based systems. Support for external displays is reduced to one display over USB-C/Thunderbolt, though a second display can be connected using HDMI; the previous Intel-based model could drive two 4K displays over USB-C/Thunderbolt. On April 20, 2021, 10 Gigabit Ethernet with Lights Out Management was added as a built-to-order option. Its internal cooling system has a thermal-based design that according to Apple performs five times more quickly than the best-selling Windows-based desktop computer in its price range.

The price of the Apple silicon Mac Mini dropped US\$100 from that of the previous model to \$699. It added support for Wi-Fi 6, USB4, and 6K video output to run the Pro Display XDR. Externally, it is very similar to the 2018 Mac Mini but has a lighter, silver finish similar to that of the models released from 2010 to 2014.

The release of the Apple silicon Mac Mini was preceded by the June 2020 release of the A12Z-based Developer Transition Kit, a prototype with a Mac Mini enclosure made for developers to port their apps to Apple silicon. The 2020 DTK has 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and two USB-C ports.

On January 17, 2023, Apple announced updated models based on the M2 and M2 Pro chips. The updated models also include Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. The M2 Pro model includes two additional USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and supports HDMI 2.1.

### Technical specifications

## Supported operating systems

## Reception

The Mac Mini has been praised as a relatively affordable computer with a solid range of features. Reviews noted it is possible to purchase small computers at the same price with faster CPUs, better graphics cards, more memory, and more storage. The small size has made the Mac Mini particularly popular for home theater use, and its size and reliability has helped keep resale values high.

The G4 model received a considerably lukewarm score among critics. Those at CNET positively identified it as an affordable, quiet, and compact machine, but they disliked the slow hard drive and that it only had two below-expected quantities of USB 2.0 ports. Ars Technica indicated criticisms on its non-user-upgradable RAM and storage options and the extra expensive fees for additional drives. Overall, they felt that the performance was fairly acceptable.

The Intel polycarbonate model was moderately praised. Engadget aggregated that critics generally praised the Core Duo transition, connectivity, and the Front Row performance. The listed reviewers inspected it to be about a 10 to 15% higher performance boost in media-center-related tasks. CNET admired its cost, software, home-theater system, and Windows compatibility. Despite this, they found criticisms on the poor video output graphic processing units, small hard drive, and the limited remote controllability and upgrade options. Ars Technica encountered it to be somewhat underpowered to play high-resolution HD streams at standard frame rates. They opposed the integrated graphics implemented within the model because it delivered marginal performance when compared to dedicated graphics processors.

The unibody model reviews were tepid. Engadget praised the HDMI port, compact design, and power efficiency. They disputed its lack of Blu-Ray options on home theater and the expensive price. CNET wrote a positive review on the HDMI output and the near-decent graphics capability, citing criticisms on the limited user upgrade options and the high cost. The same sources of criticism were also mentioned in an Ars Technica review.

The space gray model received lukewarm praises. The Verge praised its significant leap of power and speed and the high-quality port integration. They wrote negatively on its high-cost base model and the lack of GPU performance. In an Engadget review, it was admired for its compact design,  versatile port selection, CPU performance, and that it was the least expensive in the Macintosh lineup, while criticisms included the limited GPU performance, expensive upgrade options, and the non-user-upgradable RAM. CNET wrote positively on its high-quality processor performances, the ports, and the Ethernet configuration; they criticized the non-replaceable integrated graphics and the expensive cost to purchase associated accessories and displays.

Reviews for the Apple silicon model were very positive in the media. Wired praised its relatively low-cost affordability and its integration of Apple Silicon; the latter was assessed as efforts of significant performance and power efficiency enhancements. Null experimented the system to be "peppy and responsive" without any crashes; however, he panned the transitional disabilities of the Silicon which discontinued supports for Intel-era system extensions. Similarly, ZDNet wrote positively on the price, processor units, compact design, and quiet performance. Nevertheless, they argued over the expensive non-user-installable RAM and storage upgrades and the non-discrete-or-external GPU. Technical writers Samuel Axon (Ars Technica), Chris Welch (The Verge), and Jeremy Laukkonen (Lifewire) all gave high praises. Axon evaluated a positive grade on its high-quality performance and solid Legacy x86 macOS app compatibilities, citing the RAM and storage installment limitation as his chief element of criticisms. Agreeably, Welch emphasized appeals to the performance and the power efficiencies. In addition, he regarded negatively its external GPU incompatibility, low-quality speaker, and that it has fewer USB-C ports than the previous Intel model. Collectively, Laukkonen recited these debates.

## Home theater and server

### Home theater

Due to its similarity, compact volume and functions, the Mac Mini is often used as a home theater PC or as an alternative to the Apple TV. The system has a native interface with Front Row software that is based on the original Apple TV interface. Unlike the Apple TV, the Mac Mini is backward compatible with televisions that have only composite or S-Video inputs.

Pre-2009 models have a video connector that is compatible with DVI, HDMI (video only), SVGA, S-Video, and composite video with appropriate adapters; for audio output, it has both the analog mini-headphone port and a digital optical fiber port. The addition of a HDMI port on the 2010 Mac Mini simplified connection to high-definition televisions and home theater AV receivers. The HDMI port supports video resolutions of up to 1080p and eight-channel, 24-bit audio at 192 kHz, and Dolby Surround 5.1 and stereo output. The 2014 model added 4K output, and the 2018 model supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, and HDR10, and uses the macOS Catalina operating system.

### Distributed computing

Sound On Sound's Mark Wherry said the Mac Mini was useful for distributed audio processing of audio plugins using Logic Node, a companion tool to Logic Pro. Writing for MacTech magazine, university IT director Mary Norbury-Glaser demonstrated the use of Xgrid on a Mac Mini.

### Server

Apple offered a server configuration of the Mac Mini that was originally supplied with the OS X Server operating system, a version of OS X, but this was later switched to the standard version of OS X with a separate OS X Server package. The file included component applications such as "Server App" and "File Sharing". In June 2011, it was available from Mac App Store for other Macintosh computers. The Mid 2010 Mac Mini Server was initially the only model without an optical drive, which was replaced with a second hard drive. The Mid 2011 models also eliminated the optical drive.

The Mac Mini Server hardware was discontinued in the Late 2014 model. The macOS Server software package, however, could be purchased from the Mac App Store. In 2018, coinciding with the release of macOS Mojave, Apple shipped macOS Server version 5.71, which stopped bundling open-source services including DHCP, DNS, email, firewall, FTP, RADIUS, VPN, Web, and Wiki. Apple states customers are able to receive support for these services directly from open-source providers. Other Apple-proprietary services such as Airport, Calendar, Contacts, Messages, and NetBoot were also removed with no corresponding open-source options.

Alternative operating systems for Mac users include Linux and virtualized Windows; they can also install third-party Unix packages via open-source package managers such as Conda, Fink, Homebrew, MacPorts, Nix, pkgsrc, and Rudix. A few services, such as caching, files, Time Machine, and Web, were moved to the macOS Mojave client but can have limited configuration capability via the Sharing control panel. The Apache server GUI manager is replaced by apachectl commands in Terminal. The only services remaining in macOS Server 5.7.1 are Open Directory, Profile Manager, and Xsan.

Some have used Mac Minis as replacements for Apple's discontinued Xserve rack-mounted servers. Providers like AWS, Macstadium, and Scaleway provide the ability to rent Mac Minis located in their data centers, a process called colocation. These can be used as continuous integration servers (also known as build servers) for Xcode, or used for application testing.

Desktop computer by Apple Inc.


Leave the Door Open

"Leave the Door Open" is the debut single by the American super-duo Silk Sonic, consisting of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, from their studio album An Evening with Silk Sonic (2021). The song was written by the artists alongside Brody Brown and Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II, who produced it with Mars. It was released on March 5, 2021, by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records for digital download and streaming. A Philadelphia soul, R&B, and pop song, it is influenced by quiet storm. The lyrics are humorous and describe a "detailed erotic invitation".

"Leave the Door Open" received widespread critical acclaim, with many critics praising both singers' vocals, as well as the song's composition. The song was a commercial success as it topped various charts. In the United States, the track reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and was certified two times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Furthermore, it also peaked at number one in Israel, Malaysia, and New Zealand. The song entered the top ten of several countries such as Australia, Belgium, Canada, and Portugal. It was certified double platinum by Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ) and three times platinum by Music Canada (MC).

The accompanying music video, directed by Florent Dechard and Mars, was released along with the song. It depicts Mars and .Paak, as Silk Sonic, performing the song in a vintage studio as several women dance to it. To promote "Leave the Door Open", Silk Sonic performed it at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. The song was praised for its simplicity and the performance was compared to a 70s Soul Train telecast. The duo also performed the song at the BET Awards 2021 and 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The song received several nominations and awards, winning Song of the Year at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards, as well as Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song at the 64th Grammy Awards.

## Background and release

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak met in 2017, while touring together on the European leg of Mars' 24K Magic World Tour (2017–18). The two were in the studio working with Nile Rodgers and Guy Lawrence of Disclosure. In late February 2021, Mars and .Paak announced on social media the formation of their new band, Silk Sonic, and revealed the artwork for their debut studio album, titled An Evening with Silk Sonic (2021). They also announced the release of the first single on March 5, 2021.

In an interview with New Zealand radio DJ Zane Lowe for the Apple Music podcast Beats 1, Paak said the song required a lot of "patience and delicate". He added, "A lot of meat went into this song." Mars lamented the lack of live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding, "While I'm writing songs, that's a part of my whole thing ... I can't wait till people hear this." On August 18, 2021, during an interview with Rolling Stone, Mars confessed that the bridge of the song "almost broke the band up. But it wasn't right, and we all felt it." He added, "Andy played this thing, and he knew where the groove had to go, but for some reason I kept screaming, 'Man it sounds like books falling!' I was like, 'We gotta turn it down'." In an interview with Songwriter Universe, D'Mile explained that Mars had the idea and the song title, and knew the "concept he wanted"." He said they tried "different versions and ideas", removed pieces, and rebuilt the song several times until everyone was satisfied.

On March 5, 2021, "Leave the Door Open" was released by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records as the album's first single via digital download and streaming services in various countries. "Silk Sonic Intro" was also issued on the same day, featuring the album's special guest Bootsy Collins. "Leave the Door Open" was released to US contemporary hit radio stations on March 9, 2021, by Atlantic Records. On March 8, 2021, Atlantic Records sent the track to various categories of American adult contemporary radio stations. Warner Music Group issued the track for radio airplay in Italy on March 12, 2021. On April 1, 2021, a live recording of the single was released for digital download and streaming, using audio from the 2021 Annual Grammy Awards performance with added narration from Collins. On the same date, two CD singles, the original version and the live version, of "Leave the Door Open" were released in various countries.

## Production

"Leave the Door Open" was written by Mars, Brandon Anderson, Dernst Emile II, and Christopher Brody Brown. The production was handled by Mars and D' Mile. The former played the guitar and congas, while the latter played the piano. Paak played the drums, with Brown playing the bass. Ella Feingold handled guitar effects, Glenn Fischbach played cello, Jonathan Kim and Yoshihiko Nakano were on the viola, Blake Espy, Emma Kummrow, and Gared Crawford played violin with Natasha Colkett, Tess Varley, and Luigi Mazzocchi. Larry Gold did the arrangement and conduction of the strings at Milkboy Studios, with Cody Cichowski recording the strings. Charles Moniz, with engineering assistant Alex Resoagli, engineered and recorded the song at Shampoo Press & Curl Studios. Serban Ghenea mixed "Leave the Door Open" at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, with mix engineer John Hanes and mixing assistant Bryce Bordone. It was mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound, NYC. The artwork of the CD single was designed by Virgilio Tzaj.

## Composition

Musically, "Leave the Door Open" is a Philadelphia soul, R&B, and pop song. It is influenced by quiet storm. The song has been described as a "smooth slow jam". Its instrumentation includes a "descending guitar glissando", a glockenspiel, strings, and a smooth piano. The song features key changes and while the background vocals have been described as "honeyed", Silk Sonic's were seen as soft. The vocals "are accompanied by retro-sounding drums and spacious...strings"." The "ascendant bridge" was created using various chord changes that merge into each other. "Leave the Door Open" was composed in the key of C major with a tempo of 74 beats per minute.

"Leave the Door Open" starts with .Paak's "raspy" voice and Mars's background ad-libs. The lyrics are an "erotic invitation" from the singer to a woman, encouraging her to come over to his house. .Paak sets the scene with "We should be dancin', romancin'/ In the east wing and the west wing of this mansion", and Bruno follows with the chorus, "hopin' that you feel the way I feel". The lyrics are full of humor, with playful references such as "if you're hungry, girl, I got fillets". This was noticed by several reviewers, who commented on the way the witty lyrics reflected the light-hearted relationship between Mars and .Paak.

Charlie Harding from Vulture said "Leave the Door Open" evokes "1970s Philadelphia soul" and despite being a "serious" composition, it is "lighthearted, lyrically." He found the song nostalgic yet contemporary at the same time due to Paak's vocal flow. American singer-songwriter Tayla Parx thought that its modernity stems from the "conversational" lyrics and Paak's "personality" and "silly" way. Harding pointed out that its modern approach can be heard at the end of Paak's first verse, to which Parx responded, "You can hear [the early influences] in his voice, but those cadences are still very contemporary."

Harding commented that Silk Sonic leads the listener on a musical journey as they wait for their lover. It begins with a "non-resolving chord progression" that leaves the listener expectant. Paak is drinking wine and spending time in his mansion, as he waits for his passion. Nevertheless, Mars does not allow Paak's fulfillment, as he shifts the chords, using a new key. The energy and tension reach a new peak as Mars "sets up this big cadence", and while the listener is hoping to reach a "resolution", it enters the "non-resolving chord progression" on the chorus. However, as the latter approaches the end, a C major chord is played, Silk Sonic sing "tell me that you're coming through", and it enters into its "resolution".

Various publications compared the track to Mars's "Versace on the Floor" (2017). Consequence's staff and Mary Siroky also found similarities to his track "That's What I Like" (2017). NME's Anna Rose said "Leave the Door Open" reminded her of "60s and 70s easy listening love songs". Zoe Haylock from Vulture dubbed the single a "bedroom classic" evoking "'70s slow jams". Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times's Jon Pareles found the single to be inspired by the Spinners, the Stylistics, and the Manhattans sound. Variety writer Jem Aswad and Sophie Williams from NME affirmed "Leave the Door Open" resembles songs by the Delfonics, the Chi-Lites, and the O'Jays. MTV News's Patrick Hosken thought it was a "throwback to the time of Bobby Womack and Curtis Mayfield".

## Critical reception

"Leave the Door Open" was met with universal critical acclaim from music critics. Jenessa Williams from The Guardian found its style to be "impeccable", being "on the right side of pastiche". Consequence's Wren Graves was impressed by Mars's "liquid whip" voice as .Paak "raps and sings through a foggy haze". Pareles praised the song's instrumentation, the key changes, lyrics, and the contrast between the backup and lead vocals, concluding that they were "all good things to revive"." Siroky called it "nothing if not luxurious, velvety goodness"." Variety writer Aswad called the track "a glorious blast of vintage R&B"; he concluded, "the song and the arrangement are pitch-perfect". Roisin O'Connor from The Independent stated .Paak performs "Marvin Gaye-style harmonies". She also commended the composition and some of the lyrics. Williams from NME described the song as "sumptuous", showcasing Mars's "best vocal performance to date". Paste's Candace McDuffie lauded the track, writing that ".Paak's salacious chants are smoothed over by Mars's sultry crooning"."

No Ripcord's Joe Rivers called the track "outstanding ... [the] harmonies recall the best moments of The Stylistics while still leaving room for .Paak's taut drum fills"." Ross Scarano commenting on Pitchfork called "Leave the Door Open" one of the highlights of An Evening with Silk Sonic, due to its "slathering elevated technique—all those key changes—with satisfying molten cheese"." Alex Suskind of Entertainment Weekly said it is a modern "take on the Delfonics — with the style and substance to match"." Hot Press's writer Pat Carty wrote that if the song "managed to assume human form, [it] would doubtless sport a tasteful silk shirt and medallion combo"." Sowing from Sputnikmusic found the track to be "irrefutably romantic". Sowing added that "Mars's earnest delivery of simple gestures...sounds sincere enough to sweep you off your feet"." When creating their list of "GRAMMY Predictions 2022", for Entertainment Tonight, Meredith B. Kile & Tionah Lee called "Leave the Door Open" a "perfectly timeless record"."

AllMusic's critic Andy Kellman said the track "best meshes the smooth and tender style of Mars with Paak's nephew-of-Bobby Womack rasp". Josh Glicksman commenting in the Billboard "Five Burning Questions" article said the track is "tailor-made to dance and snap along to as it gets delightfully stuck in your head". Carl Lamarre, on a different segment on Billboard Five Burning Questions, called the vocals "buttery" and "too irresistible to pass up". Lamarre thought Silk Sonic "threaded a polished '70s soundscape from top to bottom". In the same publication, Jason Lipshutz dubbed the single "an ode to stylish yearning that leans in to the throwback charm"."

On the other hand, Marc Hogan of Pitchfork criticized the track for turning "'70s soul into a costume drama, without the drama" and for its "skillfully rendered pastiche". Hogan thought it would be the same as listening to "an expertly curated quiet-storm compilation". He dubbed the single a "shag-carpeted and leisure-suited booty-call slow jam ... never breaks character long enough to acknowledge the present"." Hogan ended by saying the track is not "postmodern", but "the past in hologram form".

## Accolades

Entertainment Weekly's Eli Enis and Alex Suskind recalled "pitch-perfect harmonies" of "Leave the Door Open", placing it on the segment "Friday Five" on March 5, 2021. The song was also included on Under the Radar's Songs of the Week on March 5, 2021; Mark Redfern said, "You can imagine many a baby being conceived to the retro-sounding track." Siroky and the Staff from Consequence considered the song the Top Song of the Week on March 6, 2021, saying it "wouldn't feel out of place on Bruno Mars'...2016 24K Magic album — why mess with a great thing, after all?" J'na Jefferson of Uproxx named the song as one of the contenders for "2021 Song Of The Summer". Jefferson dubbed the lyrics as "inviting [and] sensual". Dee Locket from Vulture included the song on her April list of The Best Songs of 2021 (So Far), saying that the song borrows from the Isley Brothers. She added, "Neither is going about musical curiosity the wrong way." Dave Holmes, in Esquire's "Best Songs of 2021 (So Far)" praised "Leave the Door Open", calling it a "flawless tribute to mid-'70s R&B with a key change that will make you stand up and cheer"." The song was considered the best release until June 2021 by Complex; Jessica McKinney wrote "rarely does a new record come along that can bring together all generations, but 'Leave the Door Open' does exactly that. It has a timeless, feel-good quality with the power to unite a room full of people on a dance floor." "Leave the Door Open" was listed as one of "The 50 Best Songs of 2021" by Billboard Staff Picks on June 8, 2021.

The song was included among the best songs of 2021 by several publications. On the Billboard 100 Best Songs of 2021, the single was placed atop the list. Carl Lamarre affirmed Silk Sonic "recreated the lush sounds of '70s soul, but with enough modern finesse to still conquer audiences not even born until decades later"." On the list of the 50 best songs of 2021, Consequence ranked the song at number 10 and Eddie Fu wrote "with the combination of two of the most talented songwriters in modern music...the duo delivered an immediate contender for Song of the Year." Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt dubbed the song a "groovy Soul Train dream", ranking it number five on the list of The 10 Best Songs of 2021. On Rolling Stone'''s 50 Best Songs of 2021, the song ranked at number six and Rob Sheffield said it "didn't sound retro because it felt so gloriously right for 2021...it is pure romance, with every drum hook a pheromone rush". Insider included the track in their list of the best songs of 2021, saying that "as soon as the song's first drum kicks in, their sugar high feels impossible to resist". The single was included on Gigwise 20 Best Tracks of 2021. Alex Rigotti wrote "Leave The Door Open" "is a wonderfully enjoyable offering from the duo". "Leave the Door Open" was included among the 38 best songs of 2021, according to Vogue. Editor Virginia Smith affirmed the song "is a love letter to the '70s"." On the list of the 55 Best Songs of 2021 compiled by Cosmopolitan the song ranked 55th. They wrote that "with its smooth R&B vibe...this song will make you wanna have a romantic night". The BBC's best year-end list was compiled from various end-of-year lists published by the most influential music magazines, blogs, newspapers, and broadcasters from across the world. Silk Sonic's "Leave the Door Open" was third on the list.

### Awards and nominations

"Leave the Door Open" received a total of 19 nominations for music awards and ultimately won ten of them. It received a nomination for Song of the Year at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards and it was nominated by the 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Collaboration. In the same year, "Leave the Door Open" won Favorite Soul/R&B Song at the 2021 American Music Awards, as well as Song of the Year and The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2022, "Leave the Door Open" won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Performance, in a tie with Jazmine Sullivan's "Pick Up Your Feelings" (2020), and Best R&B Song at the 2022 Grammy Awards. The track won R&B Song of the Year, whilst being nominated for Best Lyrics and Song of the Year at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

## Commercial performance

### North America

"Leave the Door Open" debuted at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, with 27,000 downloads, 23.5 million streams and 23.5 million radio impressions in the week of March 15, 2021. It was Mars and Paak's highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time. The single reached number two the following week, behind Cardi B's "Up" (2021). In the week of April 12, 2021, the song topped the Hot 100, with 28,600 copies sold, 21.5 million streams, and 59.1 million radio impressions. It was the most-sold song of the week, across downloads and two CD versions. The track became Paak's first number one song on the Hot 100. It was Mars's fastest song to reach number one. Mars tied with Drake, Katy Perry, and Rihanna for the most number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 since May 1, 2010, with eight. In the week of May 16, 2021, it spent a second non-consecutive week at number one, helped by the placement in the iTunes Store's 69 cents Pop Hits sale. The song was certified two times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for pushing two million certified units on August 19, 2021.

In the week of March 29, 2021, "Leave the Door Open" reached the top 10 of the Radio Songs chart in its third week, becoming the fastest song to do so since Justin Bieber's "Yummy" (2020) took only two weeks to achieve this. The single tied with Mars's "24K Magic" (2016) and "Finesse" (2018), featuring Cardi B, for his fastest rise to the top 10. In the week of April 19, 2021, "Leave the Door Open" topped the chart, becoming Mars and Paak's ninth and first number one, respectively. The song reached top spot in its sixth week, matching the previous record held by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" (2017). "Leave the Door Open" also peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic charts. The song took four weeks to top the Adult R&B Songs chart, the fastest by any male artist to do so. It spent thirteen weeks on the top spot of the aforementioned chart. The track became Mars's first song to enter the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart since "Uptown Funk" (2014).

The song peaked at number nine on the Canadian Hot 100 in the week of March 15, 2021. It was certified triple platinum by Music Canada (MC) on April 19, 2022 for 240,000 certified units. Also the top song on the Year-end Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, it topped the chart for eight non-consecutive weeks, spending all but one of its 26 charting weeks in the top 10.

### International

"Leave the Door Open" debuted at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart, spending two weeks at the top spot. It has received a two platinum certification by Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ) due to 60,000 certified units on November 21, 2021. In Australia, the song debuted at number 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and peaked at number 10 in its second week. The song lasted for 21 weeks on the chart. In Malaysia, the track reached the top spot, and in Singapore, peaked at number two. The track peaked at number one in Israel on the week of March 7, 2021.

The song entered several Monitor Latino charts, including Costa Rica, where it peaked at number three. It charted at number eight in Bolivia and Panama. The song also entered the top ten in Chile and top twenty in El Salvador. "Leave the Door Open" entered the top twenty of the Argentina Hot 100 and peaked at number one on Billboard Mexico Airplay. Despite the single only peaking at number 34 at the Top 100 Brasil, it was certified two times diamond by Pro-Música Brasil (PMB).

In Denmark, the single peaked at number 20 on the Danish Hitlisten, after debuting at number 29. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at its peak of number 20 on the UK Singles Chart on March 12, 2021. The single also debuted at its peak of number 18 on the Irish Singles Chart. The track debuted at number four on the Portuguese Singles Chart and peaked at number three. It received a double platinum certification by the Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP) for 20,000 certified units on January 12, 2022. In Belgium, the track peaked at number five on the Ultratop 50 in Flanders and number four on Wallonia. It peaked at number 11 on the Dutch Top 40 chart on its eleventh week. The song peaked at number 13 on the Dutch Single Top 100. The song peaked at number 10 on the Lithuanian charts and debuted at its peak of 16 in the Hungarian Single Top 40.

"Leave the Door Open" peaked at number two on the Billboard Global 200, spending 71 weeks on the chart.

## Music video

The music video for "Leave the Door Open" premiered alongside the song's release on March 5, 2021, and was directed by Mars and Florent Dechard. The video takes place in a Motown carpet studio "bathed in warm light" and amber shades. It starts with Paak playing the drums, Mars on the piano, and the other band members, some of Mars's band the Hooligans, on the bass, conga drum, electric keyboard, and other percussion instruments as they sit on stools. Silk Sonic and the band wore "sunglasses and vintage printed shirts" as they perform the song, with close-up shots of Mars and Paak. The track is being recorded as several women, who can be seen as fans, dance to it in the music booth. The video features "disco ball lightning" and ends with a fade-out.

### Reception

Mary Siroky and the Consequence staff described the music video as "playful". Ali Rasha, writing for USA Today, commented that everyone was "dressed in looks that give off a retro feel". In 2021, the music video received a nomination for Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice and Video of the Year at the BET Awards 2021. Mars and Dechard were also awarded Video Director of the Year for their work on the music video. At the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, the visuals won Best R&B Video and Best Editing. In late 2021, the music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the American Music Awards of 2021 and won Video of the Year at the 2021 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2022, it was nominated for Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards and for Best Music Video at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

## Live performances and other usage

### Grammy Awards performance

The initial list of the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards performances, announced on March 7, 2021, did not include Silk Sonic. Paak and Mars had a funny Twitter exchange with Mars, telling the Recording Academy that the two of them were "out of work musicians" who needed "the promotion" and that they would send an audition tape. Silk Sonic were announced as performers on the show after "playfully campaigning" the week before. The Recording Academy interim president/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. confessed their performance was intentionally not announced to create "buzz", while there was also some uncertainty regarding it. The Grammys' executive producer Ben Winston wanted Paak to perform "Lockdown"; however, he decided to ask the duo to perform.

Silk Sonic made their performance debut at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021, adopting a 70s aesthetic accompanied only by two backup singers. The show featured a "retro flare" similar to the Music Video; Mars, Paak and the back up singers wore three-piece "burnt orange leisure" suits with "wide-collared polyester shirts, bell-bottoms" and "bootcut pants". They completed their look with sunglasses, Paak wearing heart-shaped ones. As Paak sang, Mars and the back-up singers danced behind him in a triangle. Mars would then move to the center replacing Paak, who sang along with the back-up singers. In the background, a "constellation" of "twinkle effects and visual star wipes" rotated.

The performance was met with positive reviews. Eric Todiso from People said that Silk Sonic "stole the show at the 2021 Grammy Awards", dubbing the performance "dazzling and dreamy". Entertainment Weekly's staff considered the performance to be one of the most memorable moments of the show, reminiscent of the "glooses '70s style as a Soul Train telecast". Patrick Ryan from USA Today called it a "sizzling retro throwback", with a ranking of eighth on a list of the night's best performances Jon Caramanica of The New York Times dubbed Silk Sonic's performance "pointedly retro, shimmery luxury soul"." Ben Sisario also compared them to the "1970s Soul Train crooners" in The New York Times. Joe Lynch from Billboard, Randall Roberts from the Los Angeles Times, and MTV News's Hosken all regarded the performance as inspired by the 1970s Soul Train. Haylock of Vulture commented that Silk Sonic were "channeling the Motown kings within themselves". In a mixed review, The Washington Post's Hau Chu, despite thinking "the performance sounded sparkling", found their choice to perform strange.

### iHeartRadio Music Awards performance

On May 27, 2021, Silk Sonic performed the song at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, utilizing a 1970s aesthetic. Silk Sonic was joined by two back-up vocalists, all dressed in "dark azure crushed velvet blazers", "with roses attached to the lapels" and tinted sunglasses as Paak wore a flat cap. It started with Mars playing the piano for a stripped version, Paak singing with Mars and the backup singers as the "crowd...sang it back to them". The music then stopped as Paak "ripped off his glasses and let out a "wooo" to which Mars responded, ""Let's go! Let's go!"" The full instrumental then kicked in, and with minimalist choreography, Silk Sonic invited the audience to sing-along to the chorus. Mars and Paak also gave an "up-closer and more personal" serenade to the women in the front row. At one point, Mars took the hand of one of the women "and placed in on his bare chest."

The performance was met with positive reviews. Zach Seemayer, writing for Entertainment Tonight, considered it one of the best performances "from any music awards show in recent memory." Consequence's Nina Corcoran found the performance "mesmerizing". Lynch from Billboard praised the duo's performance as they "worked the crowd exactly like the '70s soul singers that Silk Sonic pays homage to would have"." Vulture's Halle Kiefer thought "the proximity felt thrilling to watch as the pair performed". Jamie Samhan from Entertainment Tonight Canada and Kate Hogan from People found their show "sexy". Derrick Rossignol of Uproxx was surprised, saying Silk Sonic is "a one-trick pony, but what a trick it is".

### BET Awards performance

On June 27, 2021, Silk Sonic performed the single at the BET Awards 2021 for a "select group of fans", who were vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The duo started their performance, dressed in matching pastel tuxedos, walking on a "roped-off red carpet". They sang in a club layout, moving "between the bar and VIP booths". At the same time, fans danced and held up signs as Mars and Paak sang to them helped by background vocalists. The latter also served as backup dancers and "played VIP clubgoers and bottle service girls"." At the end of the performance, Paak teased the audience asking, "Do y'all want to hear a new song? Do y'all want to hear a new song off the new album?", and as fans cheered, he pointed out that the song was still in the top 10, adding that they would never stop playing "Leave the Door Open" until that changes. Silk Sonic started to sing "Leave the Door Open" a second time as "the performance cut to a commercial break."

Jennifer Drysdale from Entertainment Tonight thought Mars and Paak brought "the house down" while dubbing the vocals as "flawless". Consequence's Ben Kaye found that their performance "made them worthy of" winning the BET Best Group Award. Victoria Moorwood of Revolt praised Silk Sonic's performance. Carolyn Droke, writing for Uproxx, called it a "silky-smooth rendition". Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos declared that Silk Sonic transformed the 2021 BET Awards "into a smokey lounge with [their] velvety performance."

### Other usage

A day after Silk Sonic performed "Leave the Door Open" at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, James Corden parodied the song on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Titled "Leave the TV On", the parody's lyrics "encouraged" people to keep their "TV set on after Colbert", so Corden could "get some good ratings"." It started with "Stephen Colbert introducing Corden via an analog television set"." The parody then proceeded to show Corden and the band, dressed in '70s inspired clothes, as they sang in a "yellow-walled studio" similar to the set of All in the Family (1971-1979). While band leader Reggie Watts sang about "the late night sandwich meat", Corden was in charge of backing vocals and lead vocals as he sang "counter-lines about his omnipresent man Spanx". Corden also told people they can "leave the TV on mute," or watch the skit on YouTube. Billboard's Gil Kaufman considered it a "funny spoof". Darlene Aderoju of People found "the skit ... catchy".

On April 3, 2021, Epic Games announced the release of a new emote for the online video game Fortnite. It features dance moves by Mars played to the chorus of "Leave the Door Open". Mars and .Paak performed the song, as Silk Sonic, as an encore during their concert residency An Evening with Silk Sonic at Park MGM (2022).

## Track listing

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of An Evening with Silk Sonic.

- Bruno Mars – vocals, songwriting, production, guitar, congas
- Anderson .Paak – vocals, songwriting, drums
- D'Mile – songwriting, production, piano
- Christopher Brody Brown – songwriting, bass
- Ella Feingold – guitar effects
- Larry Gold – strings conduction, arrangement
- Emma Kummrow – violin
- Luigi Mazzocchi – violin
- Blake Espy – violin
- Gared Crawford – violin
- Tess Varley – violin

- Natasha Colkett – violin
- Jonathan Kim – viola
- Yoshihiko Nakano – viola
- Glenn Fischbach – cello
- Cody Chicowski – strings recording
- Charles Moniz – recording, engineering
- Alex Resoagli – engineering assistant
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- John Hanes – mixing engineering
- Bryce Bordone – mixing assistant
- Randy Merrill – mastering

## Charts

### Weekly charts

### Monthly charts

### Year-end charts

## Certifications

## Release history

## See also

- List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 2021
- List of Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of the 2020s
- List of number-one songs of 2021 (Malaysia)
- List of number-one singles from the 2020s (New Zealand)

2021 single by Silk Sonic

Songs written by Christopher Brody Brown


Ninian Edwards

Ninian Edwards (March 17, 1775 – July 20, 1833) was a founding political figure of the State of Illinois. He served as the first and only governor of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to until the territory was dissolved in 1818. He was then one of the first two United States senators from the State of Illinois from 1818 to 1824, and the third Governor of Illinois from 1826 to 1830. In a time and place where personal coalitions were more influential than parties, Edwards led one of the two main factions in frontier Illinois politics.

Born in Maryland, Edwards began his political career in Kentucky, where he served as a legislator and judge. He rose to the position of Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1808, at the time Kentucky's highest court. In 1809, U.S. President James Madison appointed him to govern the newly created Illinois Territory. He held that post for three terms, overseeing the territory's transition first to democratic "second grade" government, and then to statehood in 1818. On its second day in session, the Illinois General Assembly elected Edwards to the U.S. Senate, where conflict with rivals damaged him politically.

Edwards won an unlikely 1826 election to become Governor of Illinois. Conflict with the legislature over state bank regulations marked Edwards' administration, as did the pursuit of Indian removal. As governor or territorial governor he twice sent Illinois militia against Native Americans, in the War of 1812 and the Winnebago War, and signed treaties for the cession of Native American land. Edwards returned to private life when his term ended in 1830 and died of cholera two years later.

## Early life

Ninian Edwards was born in 1775 to the prominent Edwards family in Montgomery County, Maryland. His mother, Margaret Beall Edwards, was from another prominent local family. His father Benjamin Edwards served in the Maryland House of Delegates, in Maryland's state ratifying convention for the U.S. Constitution, and in the United States House of Representatives, filling a vacant seat for two months. Ninian was educated by private tutors, one of whom was the future U.S. Attorney General William Wirt. He attended Dickinson College from 1790 to 1792 but did not graduate, leaving college to study law. His son Ninian Wirt Edwards wrote later that Edwards spent some of his time at Dickinson reading medicine, a field to which he devoted considerable time in his later years.

In 1794, at the age of 19, Edwards moved to Nelson County, Kentucky to manage some family land. He showed a great aptitude for business and leadership and was soon elected to a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives, before he was even eligible to vote. In 1802 he was awarded the rank of major in the militia. In 1803 he moved to Russellville, Kentucky, and won a succession of public offices: circuit court judge in 1803, presidential elector in 1804 (voting for Thomas Jefferson), and judge and finally chief justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, which at the time was Kentucky's highest court. He joined the high court in 1806 and won the leadership position in 1808.

A well-educated landowning aristocrat, Edwards deliberately cultivated the image of the natural leader. Thomas Ford writes that he continued to dress like an 18th-century gentleman long after such fashions had gone out of style, and that his public speaking was marked by showy eloquence. Edwards consciously positioned himself in the select class of men who dominated Kentucky and, later, Illinois politics. In 1803 in Russellville, Edwards married Elvira Lane, a relative from Maryland.

## Territorial governorship

The Illinois Territory was created in 1809. It included all of what today are the states of Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as parts of Minnesota and Michigan. Its European-American and African-American populations were almost entirely concentrated in the south, in the region later known as Egypt. President James Madison first appointed Kentucky politician John Boyle as its governor. Boyle collected his salary for the position for 21 days but then resigned to take Edwards' job as Kentucky Chief Justice, while friends in Washington helped secure Edwards' appointment as territorial governor. In the meantime, Territorial Secretary Nathaniel Pope, a cousin of Edwards, had to assume the powers of acting governor, creating Illinois' first counties and appointing officials to form the new government. Only 34 years old at the time of his appointment, Ninian Edwards is the youngest man ever to govern Illinois as either a state or a territory.

Edwards settled in the American Bottom on land he received as a grant upon his appointment as governor. He named his new farm Elvirade, after his wife. Along with his family, Edwards brought a number of slaves, whom he did not free even though the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 had made slavery illegal in the territory. An 1803 "Law Concerning Servants" had been promulgated for the Indiana Territory by then-Governor William Henry Harrison that maintained the status of people brought into the territory "under contract to serve another in any trade or occupation." The law, which remained in force in the Illinois territory, permitted slavery to persist for decades under the guise of indentured servitude. Most of Illinois' early governors were slaveowners, and Edwards was no exception. In 1812, Edwards offered for sale, "several likely young negro men and women." Later, he made extra income by renting some of his "indentured servants" out for labor in Missouri. In 1814, he "sold my mulatto boy slave named Wallace now in possession of Harry of Ste. Genevieve Missouri Territory to Theodore Hunt. In 1815, he was seeking to sell his "Mulatto Boy" for \$400.

The new territorial governor was sworn in on June 11, 1809. At first Edwards tried to avoid partisanship but soon found that faction was an inevitable result of his power to appoint officials and distribute government jobs. Although the First Party System continued to define national politics, the Federalist and Republican Parties never took hold in frontier Illinois. Rather, factional loyalties were created by personality, personal bonds such as kinship and militia service, and especially the distribution of patronage. In the early territorial years, two rival factions grew up around Edwards and Judge Jesse B. Thomas. These two factions formed Illinois' political landscape during its time as a territory and for its first several years of statehood.

### Democratic government

Throughout Edwards' three terms as governor, he showed a willingness to surrender his own considerable powers in order to expand participatory government in the Illinois Territory. Before 1812, while Illinois had a first-grade territorial status, Edwards had vast powers to appoint county and local officials; however, he made it his practice to consider local opinion as much as he could when making appointments, often giving weight to petitions signed by local residents. He attempted to do the same for militia officers for a time, letting the men of a unit elect their leaders, but he soon abandoned this policy as impractical.

In 1812, Edwards successfully persuaded Congress to modify a provision of the 1787 Ordinance limiting voting rights to freeholders of 50 acres (20 ha) of land. Due to long-running disputes over fraudulently sold lands, very few Illinois frontiersmen could qualify. At Edwards' urging, Congress granted the Illinois Territory universal white male suffrage, making it the most democratic U.S. territory at the time. In April, Edwards held a referendum on moving to second-grade government, allowing the people of Illinois to elect a legislature and a non-voting delegate to Congress. The referendum passed, and elections were held in October that sent Shadrach Bond to Washington as Illinois' first congressional delegate.

### War of 1812

Edwards had not been governor long when Illinois became the scene of fighting during the War of 1812. Relations between Illinois settlers and Native Americans worsened throughout the territory during 1810 and 1811. By June 1811, Governor Edwards ordered the construction of a series of blockhouses and called out three companies of militia.

This action was the result of tensions that were created from a brutal murder that occurred on June 2, 1811, at a settlement cabin two miles northeast of Pocahontas, Illinois. Three Potawatomi Natives stormed the home and found twenty-year-old Elijah Cox and his younger sister, Rebecca. The assailants sliced the scalp from Elijah and removed his heart. The raiding party was looking for money after a failed raid on the nearby tribe of Osage. The men captured Rebecca, robbed the home and set out north for tribal controlled lands. A militia was sent to intercede and rescued Rebecca shortly south of Springfield. One more violent interaction occurred prior to the end of the month to stoke the flames of war. On June 20, 1811, in what is now Lower Alton, five Menominee Natives approached two locals, Price and Ellis. Price, believing the Natives to be friendly allowed them into their camp. Unfortunately, Price was killed; Ellis was able to escape on horse to the Wood River settlement. These murders brought panic to frontier families and fueled unfounded rumors of more murder and mayhem in the territory. This fear did result in the death of at least one Native chief. A group of five Potawatomi Natives were traveling down river at Alton when they were viewed by Michael Squires, a ferry operator. He opened fire on the group when they approached too closely.

Governor Edwards acted quickly to attempt to maintain peace, ordering the militia to “erect a chain of block houses in advance of the settlements at about twenty miles from each other commencing on the bank of the Illinois river, and a sufficient force to be distributed among them, with orders to scout from one to another every day.” The most prominent of these new blockhouses was constructed during the summer of 1812 by Colonel William Russell and named Camp Edwards in honor of the Governor, although it would commonly be known as Fort Russell. Its importance was due to its strategic location between the Mississippi River and Kaskaskia River. Governor Edwards spent considerable time at the fort, and while he was the commander-in-chief of the militia, he had very little military expertise or Native American knowledge.

The declaration of war and the Battle of Fort Dearborn in 1812 convinced Edwards that Potawatomi and Kickapoo in the territory were preparing to launch a major attack on the southern settlements. This assumption followed the Natives' stalled offensive of August and September 1812. The suspected target was Peoria, Illinois, where Native American tribes – Kickapoo, Potawatomi, and Piankashaw – had assembled in large numbers, and from where they recently undertook failed raids on American settlements. Edwards lacked assistance from outside the territory and instead relied on his own resources. Edwards estimated there were no more than 2,000 adult white males between the Mississippi and Wabash Rivers, while there were more than 1,000 Native tribesmen able to assemble at Peoria in a matter of days. In order to establish a militia, Edwards pledged his own resources to assure payment to militia volunteers.

In his capacity as commander in chief, Edwards gathered 350 mounted rangers and volunteers near Edwardsville and personally led an expedition north to Peoria. His senior staff included many of the territory's most prominent citizens. These included Nathaniel W. Pope, territorial secretary, Benjamin Stephenson, Thomas Carlin, future Illinois Governor, and William, Elias, and Nelson Rector. The company was divided into two smaller regiments, one commanded by Stephenson acting as Colonel, the other by a Rector brother. Edwards and his army departed Fort Russell from Edwardsville on October 18, 1812. After crossing into Logan County, Edwards’ army encountered two deserted Kickapoo villages near present-day Salt Creek, formerly known as the Saline Fork of the Sangamon River. The regiment discovered native artwork, some of which depicted the scalping of American settlers. The regiment burned both abandoned villages.

After burning the two Kickapoo villages on the Sangamon River along the way, the militia advanced on Peoria itself. The village the army was preparing to attack was recently developed at the head of Peoria Lake and inhabited by Piankashaw and Kickapoo Natives likely led by Chief Pemwatome. At dawn, the army advanced. Edwards inflicted a devastating defeat to the Native American village. Edwards’ army seized eighty horses, some recently stolen from Saint Clair County, silver ornaments, 200 brass kettles, guns, and six scalps believed to belong to the women and children of the settler O’Neal family from Missouri. Edwards estimated that approximately thirty Native peoples were killed in the raid, although later estimates from the Kickapoo suggested the number was closer to eighty.

All told, the short campaign burned several villages and inflicted dozens of casualties before returning to Edwardsville on October 31, 1812. The attack angered both the Peoria villagers and the U.S. government because it had been carried out against Native Americans loyal to Black Partridge and Gomo, two leaders who had not joined Tecumseh's War and were considered friendly to U.S. interests. A second attack under Captain Thomas Craig killed a large number of French settlers from Peoria as well as Potawatomi. In 1813, Illinois and Missouri militia joined a force of United States infantry under Benjamin Howard to drive all Native American villagers away from Peoria and establish Fort Clark.

Edwards' actions alienated those Native Americans friendly to the U.S. in the region. Ninian Edwards, having lost the confidence of the Madison administration, waited out the war in Kentucky. However, he was reappointed to a second and then a third term as territorial governor in 1812 and 1815, and he was also named one of the three U.S. negotiators of the Treaties of Portage des Sioux in 1815.

### Second and third terms

During his nine years as territorial governor, Edwards made a good deal of money through several profitable ventures, including farming, land speculation, and investment in sawmills, grist mills, and stores.

Edwards' political rivalry with Jesse B. Thomas continued for the rest of his time as governor. Edwards, along with much of the legislature, criticized the territory's judges for their inactivity. Among their complaints were that the judges did not hold court often enough and spent too much time absent from the territory. The legislature passed a bill in 1814 to reform the territory's judicial system. The judges refused to acknowledge the act, claiming that they were outside the jurisdiction of the legislature. In 1815 the issue was resolved by Congress, which passed a law supporting Edwards and the legislature.

In December 1817, Edwards, responding to a movement for statehood led by his ally Daniel Pope Cook, recommended to the legislature that Illinois apply for admission to the Union. He also recommended that a census first be taken of the territory, a standard practice, but the legislature rejected this. Legislators, particularly those opposed to slavery, feared that any delay would allow Missouri to apply for statehood before Illinois, and that since Missouri was a slave state, this would cause so much turmoil in Congress that it would delay Illinois' admission even longer.

In order to emphasize to Congress that Illinois would be a free state, the legislature passed in January 1818 a bill that would both abolish Illinois' "indentured servant" system of de facto slavery, and prohibit Illinois' future Constitution from reinstating it. Governor Edwards issued his only veto to send the bill back to the legislature, and it was never revised. He made his objections on constitutional grounds, but he also had a conflict of interest as the owner of several enslaved people himself.

During Edwards' terms as territorial governor, Illinois' population more than tripled, from 12,282 in 1810 to 40,258 in 1818 (a census was finally conducted later that year). The population did not meet the 60,000 threshold the Northwest Ordinance required for a new state, but both Illinoisans and Congress expected continued growth.

## Senate career

Illinois quickly proceeded along the steps to statehood. Its constitution was finished in August 1818; elections were held in September; and in October, the first General Assembly met in Kaskaskia. On October 6, Ninian Edwards stepped down, and Shadrach Bond was inaugurated as Illinois' first governor. The following day the new state legislature voted for Illinois' two members of the U.S. Senate. Edwards was quickly chosen on the first ballot; his rival Thomas was only elected after the fourth. Edwards and Thomas then drew straws to determine their respective terms: Thomas was placed in Class II of the Senate and could serve until 1823, while Edwards was placed in Class III and had to face reelection in February 1819. Edwards and Thomas still had to wait for Congress to formally ratify Illinois' constitution and admission to the Union, which it did on November 25. On December 3 the two senators were finally seated, leaving Edwards with a mere three months in his first term.

Edwards' re-election was more difficult. In four months he had lost the temporary support of Thomas' allies in the General Assembly who had voted for him in 1818. He narrowly defeated Thomas partisan Michael Jones by a vote of 23–19. This may have been due to the influence of the powerful Secretary of State Elias Kane, a Thomas ally.

Like most members of Congress during the Era of Good Feelings, Senator Edwards sat as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. As his second term drew on, he joined the Adams-Clay faction that would develop into the National Republicans after Edwards left office. Edwards voted for the Missouri Compromise in 1820, a bill that Thomas sponsored. He voted against a law reducing prices for federal land, which made both Edwards and Representative Daniel Pope Cook targets of criticism at home. On May 6, 1821, Cook married Edwards' daughter Julia.

Ninian Edwards caused trouble for himself when he wrote several articles in the Washington Republican under the pseudonym "A.B." that attacked U.S. Treasury Secretary William H. Crawford. Edwards alleged that Crawford had known of the impending failure of Illinois' Bank of Edwardsville in 1821, but had not withdrawn federal money from it. Edwards found that none of Crawford's rivals was willing to support his charges, and he was unable to produce corroborating evidence. He resigned his Senate seat on March 4, 1824, to take a job he wanted as the first United States Minister to Mexico. While en route to his new position, Edwards was called back to Washington to testify before a special House committee concerning the "A.B. Plot". Unable to substantiate his claims, Edwards resigned his diplomatic post, to be replaced by Joel Roberts Poinsett.

Back in Illinois, Edwards settled in Belleville, a town whose site he had once owned before selling off its lots at a profit.

## State governorship

### Election of 1826

When he returned to Illinois, Edwards appeared to be a discredited politician. He no longer had a loyal coalition in the General Assembly to re-elect him to the U.S. Senate. His actions in the "A.B. Plot" had made him lose favor with President Adams; therefore he could not expect another federal appointment. In addition, supporters of Andrew Jackson were becoming a force in Illinois politics. Illinois frontier voters so admired Jackson that soon, for the first time, they would give their support to a national party, the Democrats. Ninian Edwards never criticized Jackson, but as an Adams-Clay Republican Senator he was not part of Jackson's growing coalition. Jacksonians deeply resented Edwards' ally Cook, who had voted against Jackson when the presidential election of 1824 was decided in the House of Representatives.

However, when he ran for governor in 1826, Edwards had the good fortune to enter a three-way race that split the Jacksonians between state Senator Thomas Sloo and Lieutenant Governor Adolphus Hubbard. As a campaign issue, Edwards focused on Illinois' dire financial situation, blaming Sloo and Hubbard and other legislators for it. Edwards won 49.5 percent of the vote to Sloo's 46 percent, with the rest going to Hubbard.

### Administration

Edwards' gubernatorial term was another period of rapid growth for Illinois. In the decade from 1820 to 1830, the population again nearly tripled from 55,211 to 157,445. During this era, Illinois was the fastest-growing territory in the world.

Edwards' administration was hampered by his conflict with the legislature, primarily over the struggling Bank of Illinois. The bank had been established in 1821, and from the beginning it had been underfunded, its notes had badly depreciated, and it had helped put the state deeply in debt. In his inaugural address Edwards undiplomatically attacked bank officials and politicians alike, accusing them of fraud and perjury. From that point, Edwards had a poor relationship with the General Assembly. During his term the Assembly did eventually pass a bank regulation bill, but it also passed a measure to relieve debtors despite Edwards' objections that the state could not afford it.

In 1827 Illinois established its first penitentiary, at Alton. That same year, the state received a federal land grant to build the Illinois and Michigan Canal, though work did not begin for several years.

Also in 1827, Edwards ordered the Illinois militia to join another war against Native Americans in northern Illinois. The Winnebago War, fought between white settlers and members of the Ho-Chunk tribe, broke out in Wisconsin (then part of the Michigan Territory) but spread to the lead-mining region around Galena. Edwards dispatched the militia and ordered 600 more men to be recruited in Sangamon County. The show of force convinced the Ho-Chunk to surrender.

After the war, Edwards urged the federal government to remove the remaining Native Americans from northern Illinois, claiming that their presence violated "the rights of a sovereign and independent state", and hinting that he might dispatch the militia again to force them out. The federal government applied diplomatic pressure, and on July 29, 1829, the Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Ojibwe ceded 3,000 square miles (7,800 km<sup>2</sup>) of northern land to the State of Illinois; the Winnebago made a cession in August.

## Later life

Under the 1818 constitution, governors were limited to a single term. When Edwards' ended on December 6, 1830, he returned to private life. He ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1832 and lost. Edwards devoted himself to charitable medical work in Belleville, giving free care to local residents. A cholera epidemic came through the area in 1833, carried by Winfield Scott's troops during the Black Hawk War. Edwards stayed in the town to care for his patients and caught the disease, dying on July 20. He was interred in Belleville, but was later moved to Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery.

## Family

His brother was Cyrus Edwards who was a lawyer and Illinois state legislator.

Three of Edwards' sons and one son-in-law followed him into politics. Ninian Wirt Edwards (1809–1889), named for his father and his father's childhood tutor William Wirt, served as Illinois Attorney General, in the General Assembly, and as Illinois' first Superintendent of Public Instruction. He was married to Elizabeth Porter Todd, a sister of Mary Todd Lincoln. Their daughter Julia Cook Edwards married Edward Lewis Baker, editor of the Illinois State Journal and son of Congressman David Jewett Baker.

Another son, Albert Gallatin Edwards (1812–1892), was an assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln. In 1887 he founded the brokerage firm A. G. Edwards in Saint Louis, Missouri. A third son, Benjamin S. Edwards (1818–1886), established a successful law practice in Springfield, Illinois and served as a judge in Illinois' Thirteenth Circuit. Ninian Edwards' daughter, Julia Edwards Cook, married Congressman Daniel Pope Cook. Their son, John Pope Cook, was a mayor of Springfield and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

## Legacy

Edwards County, Illinois was named for him, as is the St. Louis, Missouri Metro-East area city of Edwardsville, Illinois. Both were named for him during his time as territorial governor. The territorial legislature named Edwards County, while Edwardsville was named by its founder, Thomas Kirkpatrick. The Edwards Trace, pioneer Central Illinois trail, was named for Ninian Edwards and his War of 1812 campaign. Since the summer of 2020, Edwardsville community members have been calling for the removal of Ninian Edwards' statue and the renaming of the Ninian Edwards Plaza in Edwardsville, Illinois, due to Edwards' racist legacy. That same year the City Council unanimously changed the plaza's name where the statue is located from Ninian Edwards Plaza to City Plaza. In the summer of 2021, the City removed the pedestal that Ninian Edwards statue was on.

American politician (1775-1833)

Democratic-Republican Party United States senators

Democratic-Republican Party state governors of the United States

Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives


The Hero: Love Story of a Spy

The Hero: Love Story of a Spy is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language spy thriller film directed by Anil Sharma and produced by Time Magnetics. It stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra in her Bollywood film debut. Written by Shaktimaan, the film tells the story of an undercover Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent who must gather intelligence about cross-border terrorism and stop the terrorist responsible for it and his separation from his fiancé.

Sharma had long contemplated making a spy film but felt this was not economically viable for the Indian market because Indian films did not have sufficient budgets. He first planned a film about India's spy network set in the early 2000s but made the 2001 film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, which became the one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Following the record-breaking success of that film, Sharma decided to make The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. The Shah Brothers were engaged to produce the film, which was touted to have a huge budget and scale, unlike previous Bollywood films. Aiming for high production values, a sizeable amount of money was spent on the film. Several large sets were created to give the film a feeling of grandeur, and international stunt experts were hired to coordinate action sequences new to Bollywood. Principal photography was done at Indian locations, including Kullu and Manali, and in locations in Canada and Switzerland. Uttam Singh composed the soundtrack with lyrics written by Anand Bakshi and Javed Akhtar.

The film's production cost was very high, with trades suggesting that it was the most expensive Indian film ever made at that point; this was the most talked-about aspect of the film. The Hero: Love Story of a Spy was released on 11 April 2003 to mixed to positive reviews from critics. It grossed over ₹451 million at the box office against a production and marketing budget of ₹350 million, becoming the third-highest-grossing film of the year. Chopra won the Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

## Plot

Arun Khanna is an army intelligence officer working for the Indian Secret Service agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) who has been sent to the Indo-Pakistan border in Kashmir. Under the identity of Major Ravi Batra, he sets up a spy network to obtain information about Pakistani terrorist activities across the border. In a nearby village, he meets Reshma, an orphan. Reshma joins the network to help Batra, and they fall in love. He reluctantly sends her into Pakistan to work as an undercover maid in Colonel Hidayatulla's house. Hidayatulla is associated with ISI head Isaq Khan and terrorist Maulana Azhar.

Reshma begins passing information to Batra. Khan, Azhar, and a group of nuclear scientists meet Hidayatulla's house, where they reveal plans to make a nuclear bomb for a terrorist attack in Kashmir. Reshma is exposed; she escapes and is chased but is saved by Batra and returns to India. Batra proposes marriage. Their engagement ceremony is cut short when terrorists attack. Reshma goes missing after falling into the river, and Batra is presumed dead.

Batra realizes Khan and Azhar are responsible for the attack. He fakes his own death and plans to infiltrate their terrorist network. In disguise, he follows Khan and Azhar to Canada and discovers they are planning to create a nuclear bomb. Reshma is found alive on the shore in Lahore, Pakistan, where she is rescued by Salman. She loses the ability to walk after learning about the deaths of Batra and her parents. Salman takes her to Canada for treatment under the care of doctor Shaheen Zakaria, the daughter of Muslim fundamentalist Mr. Zakaria, an associate of Khan. In a shopping mall, Reshma finds a muffler she had knitted for Batra, and realizes he is alive and in Canada.

Batra changes his identity to that of a nuclear scientist named Wahid. To infiltrate Zakaria's group, he wins Zakaria's trust and marries Shaheen. Reshma sees Batra as Wahid at his wedding with Shaheen and recognizes him. Batra tells Reshma they cannot be together because he is now married to Shaheen. Reshma is heartbroken and returns to India. Overhearing their conversation, Shaheen learns the truth and is heartbroken. Batra tells Shaheen the truth about her father, but she does not believe the news about her father's terrorist links.

Batra tricks the group into revealing the location of the bomb's parts, which have been kept at a high-altitude facility owned by Zakaria. The group reveals the codes to him, and he transmits a signal to the Canadian and Indian governments. Shaheen learns about the group's plan, exposing them. Khan learns about "Wahid's" true identity and attempts to kill him, but Batra survives. Soldiers arrive, forcing the terrorists toward a train station. They hijack a train and take the passengers hostage. Shaheen, on board, tries to disarm Khan, but he kills her. Before dying, she forgives Batra. Batra kills the other terrorists and Khan. He returns to Kashmir and reunites with Reshma.

## Cast

Credits adapted from Bollywood Hungama.

- Sunny Deol as Ajay Chakravarty/Arun Khanna/Major Ravi Batra/Wahid Khan/Roshanlal/Taneja
- Preity Zinta as Reshma
- Priyanka Chopra as Dr. Shaheen Zakaria
- Kabir Bedi as Mr. Zakaria
- Amrish Puri as Isaq Khan
- Shahbaz Khan as Capt. Idris Malik
- Rajpal Yadav as Lt. Dorjee
- Parvin Dabas as Dr. Salman
- Deep Dhillon as Colonel Hidayatullah
- Pradeep Rawat as the head of RAW.
- Shri Vallabh Vyas as Reshma's Guardian.
- Rajat Bedi as Wasim
- Arif Zakaria as Karimuddin.
- Gene Snitsky as a Russian terrorist.
- Big Guido as Lab's security guard.

## Production

Director Anil Sharma had planned to make The Hero: Love Story of a Spy before the release of his blockbuster film Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001). Sharma said he wanted to make a spy film and had contemplated making something like a James Bond film for a long time but realised Indian films did not have the budget needed to make a film on such a scale. Sharma then thought of making a film based on India's spy network and, unlike his last historical film, set it in the early 2000s. His idea was to make a family film with no sex and violence. After the success of Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Sharma decided to make The Hero: Love Story of a Spy which Shaktimaan had written. As part of his research for the film, Sharma interacted with Army personnel to understand the working methods of its intelligence section.

The Shah brothers of Time Magnetics—Dhirajlal Shah, Hasmukh Shah, and Pravin Shah—were engaged to produce the film. Aiming for high production values, Sharma mounted the film on a sizable budget and the scale he said was needed for a story of this proportion. He said the film was a risk, especially when the Indian film industry was going through a slump. Sharma defended the budget, saying, "But everything is risky; even walking on the street is risky. I knew before I started how much it would cost. I think the two years I gave to the film are more important than the budget. The money may come back, the time won't. Films these days don't work because filmmakers don't give enough time to them."

Sharma cast Sunny Deol, who also starred in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, in the role of an Indian spy. The director felt that the film differed greatly from their previous collaboration because Deol played a "subtle spy" who did not "scream and shout" (Deol's trademark in his films). Deol streaked his hair blond and wore several disguises in the film, which made him uncomfortable. Preity Zinta was cast in the female lead as a naive Kashmiri village girl, while Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra was cast in the supporting role of a Pakistani-born Canadian doctor. Chopra's other 2003 film Andaaz was supposed to be her debut Bollywood film, but The Hero: Love Story of a Spy ended up releasing a month before and thus became the actress' debut Bollywood film. Zinta thought that the film had "a terrific script" and she identified with her character thanks to Zinta's Himachal Pradesh roots. Chopra thought the film had "a very emotional subject" and being a part of a big film like this seemed like a good option for her. Kabir Bedi and Amrish Puri completed the cast. Simple Kapadia, Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla, Neeta Lulla and Sheetal India designed the cast's costumes. Sanjay Dhabade was the film's production designer. Several huge sets were constructed, including a massive glass house on water. Kabir Lal handled the cinematography.

Principal photography took place in Kullu and Manali in India with filming in Lonavala and Film City where half the film was shot. The rest half was filmed at locations in Canada and Switzerland. Filming in freezing weather in Canada and Switzerland proved to be difficult for the cast who had to be transported to rooms with heaters every five minutes. Sometimes, the temperatures fell to −20 °C (−4 °F). Allan Amin designed the action set pieces, and international action experts coordinated the stunts. In one of the "heavy duty" action scenes, eight helicopters were used in the filming. The film's producers cast professional wrestler Big Guido as Bedi's bodyguard for an action sequence. For one scene, Deol had to jump off an 11,000-foot (3,400 m) tall peak, which he felt was difficult. The climax of the film was shot at Jungfrau in temperatures of −16 °C (3 °F). To shoot the scene, Lal propped himself on top of an open helicopter to capture the Jaungfrau Heights from 15,000-foot (4,600 m) in −30 °C (−22 °F). The shot took two hours to film. After landing, he collapsed and was rushed to a hospital immediately. Ganesh Acharya choreographed the songs, and Suresh Urs edited the film.

### Budget and trade analysis

After the record-breaking success of Deol's and Sharma's previous collaboration Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, which had become the highest-grossing Indian film of all time at that point, their next collaboration was highly anticipated and a lot was expected from it. According to Taran Adarsh, there were "gargantuan" expectations for the new film. The Hero: Love Story of a Spy was much talked about for its budget and scale. Adarsh said the producers had spared no expense in making it a film of "epic proportions" and "grand production values", writing, "The money spent is visible in every frame, the grand look of the film just cannot be overlooked." The film was also talked about for including stunts that were new to Bollywood cinema.

Industry experts and trade analysts declared The Hero: Love Story of a Spy the most expensive Indian film ever made at that point, with some estimating its budget as being between ₹500 and ₹600 million. According to Box Office India, the film had a budget of ₹350 million, including production and marketing costs. Sharma refused to confirm the exact budget but agreed it was an expensive film, telling Subhash K. Jha: "The producers have gone on record about the budget. I cannot tell you the exact cost. But yes, it is an expensive film." The director, however, was extremely unhappy with the hype around the film's budget because he did not want to raise audience expectations. Rajesh Thadani said the film should have been made on a lower budget because the economics of film-making had changed and that restraining a film's budget was "the need of the hour". A distributor told Rediff.com "making such a costly film in the 2000s was not a viable proposition and that audiences had become extremely unpredictable". He added: "Devdas, with all its hype, barely managed to recover its cost. For The Hero to succeed, it will have to do better than Devdas."

When The Hero: Love Story of a Spy was in production, the Hindi film industry's revenues were declining, and many were hopeful the film would help to revive the industry. The film's trailers and promos created "enormous" to "positive" buzz in the public and the media, but some trade analysts were skeptical about its high budget and its potential box-office earnings. An editor of Box Office India said the recovery of the cost of a film like this, filmed on "an extra-large canvas", was impossible from the Indian market alone. He said big-budget films like this mostly rely on overseas markets, which was uncertain for this film because it offered nothing new to overseas audiences as a "James Bond type of movie" that had been done several times before. Trade analyst Amod Mehra was more optimistic about the film, saying he hoped it would help revive the Bollywood film industry, which had "virtually gone dead", and that "the public is anticipating something as thrilling and fast-paced as Gadar. If he has kept the pulse of the public in mind, I see no reason why [the film] won't run well."

## Soundtrack

Uttam Singh composed the soundtrack for The Hero: Love Story of a Spy with lyrics written by Anand Bakshi and Javed Akhtar. Initially, Bakshi was the sole lyricist on the soundtrack, but during production he fell ill. He wrote the lyrics for a few songs after his recovery, but after his death, Akhtar was brought in to write the lyrics for the rest of the songs. The film contains eight original tracks with vocals provided by Vital Signs, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Jaspinder Narula, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sardool Sikander and Hariharan. Times Music released the soundtrack on 4 January 2003.

Bollywood Hungama said the soundtrack did not have "anything great or extraordinary to offer" and that the music is below expectations considering the budget and scale of the film. Planet Bollywood rated the album 6 out of 10, calling it "simply passable, nothing spectacular" and saying the music is not what was expected from such a big film. The reviewer said "Dil Main Hai Pyar" is the best song on the album, noting "its enjoyable characteristics" and saying it had "the potential to become very popular".

## Release

As The Hero: Love Story of a Spy was nearing its release, the 2003 Bollywood Producers' strike prevented the release of new Hindi films in theaters after 1 April 2003. Deol was unhappy about the strike because he felt postponing a big film like this was not an affordable option, saying: "When a producer has spent so much money promoting and publicising a film like The Hero, how is he expected to scrap his campaign, postpone his film and start from scratch?" The Hero: Love Story of a Spy was released on 11 April 2003 on 500 screens despite the ongoing ban on the release of Hindi films.

The film had a good opening at the box office, collecting ₹22.2 million on its opening day and ₹63.1 million in its opening weekend in India with worldwide opening-weekend revenue of over ₹111.5 million. In its first week, the film collected over ₹107 million at the domestic box office and over ₹188.2 worldwide. In a report published in Rediff.com, Jha said the strike proved to be beneficial for The Hero: Love Story of a Spy because it had sustained a steady second-week run. During its box office run, the film grossed ₹414.5 million in India and over ₹36.8 million in the overseas market, making a worldwide gross of over ₹451.3 million. It was the third-highest-grossing Indian film of the year, but the film's box-office gross was considered to be below expectations due to high production costs.

Time released The Hero: Love Story of a Spy as a single-disc, NTSC-format DVD on 8 July 2003 across all regions. A DVD version released by Venus Records contains some bonus features, including a "making-of" documentary and a collection of Deol's songs. A Video CD version was released at the same time. Tip Top Video released the film internationally on an all-regions, PAL-Widescreen format DVD. A VHS version was released on 1 September 2003. Moser Baer later released another version of the DVD across all regions on an NTSC-format single disc.

## Reception

The Hero: Love Story of a Spy garnered mixed to positive reviews from critics. Deepa Gumaste of Rediff.com praised the film, calling it a "comicbook spy movie", comparing it to Die Another Day (2002) and Mission: Impossible (2000), and wrote, "At last an original desi spy who combines the guile and charm of James Bond and the raw appeal of Rambo!" She said the cinematography is a "treat for the eyes with exquisite footage of the picturesque landscapes" and wrote, "For once in a Hindi film, foreign locations have actually been put to good use." Lawrence Van Gelder of New York Times was appreciative of the film, noting its "multiple pleasures" and writing, "Stretching from the snow-capped peaks of Kashmir to the ski slopes of Canada, mingling gunplay, spectacular explosions and chases with songs, dances and romance, this colorful Indian spy adventure constitutes the cinematic equivalent of the delightful and inconsequential escapism of a 700-page summer beach novel."

Sify gave The Hero: Love Story of a Spy film three out of five, writing, "The central theme gets more spice with a love story giving much role to play for Zinta and Chopra. The action sequences are well shot and Deol essays his role with his usual skill." Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called the film "straightforward escapist fare" with the sensibility of an "old-fashioned comic-book", and said it "may be corny" and "unintentionally amusing at times" but it is also "a lot of fun" and has "all the classic elements of a Bollywood blockbuster taken to a spectacular level". The BBC's Manish Gajjar called the film "great escapist" cinema and praised the performances, writing that, "the role of Ravi Khanna was tailor-made for Deol. He got a chance to exhibit the various looks of a secret agent ... Zinta is radiantly refreshing throughout the film, whilst ex-Miss World Chopra appears natural considering that this is her debut film."

Derek Elley of Variety said The Hero: Love Story of a Spy is "wildly over-the-top" but "undeniably entertaining". Praising the performances, Elley wrote, "Deol makes a solid, rather than exciting hero, better in military duds than his increasingly outre disguises, and Puri overacts wildly as the villain. The female leads are much more engaging, with Zinta typically sparky and likable, and mega-looker Chopra making a solid screen debut as a modern urban miss." Anupama Chopra of India Today said the narrative has flair, noting the love story, including the courtship and consequent separation that has "emotional vigour" works to some extent but the spying part is a problem. She wrote: "The leads try hard—Deol appears suavely sincere and Zinta, vulnerable—but Shaktimaan's script doesn't hold. The incendiary dialogue got whistles but the comic-book discussions on nuclear bombs were a sleeping pill." Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama criticized the "superficial" writing but praised the technical aspects of the film, such as the "terrific" visuals and "awe-inspiring" action sequences, and said it "lacks the soul to make you cry and make your heart go out for the on-screen characters ... [the film] has gloss and hype as its trumpcards, but ... lacks in emotions, music and a taut screenplay".

## Accolades

2003 Indian spy thriller film directed by Anil Sharma

Films about the Research and Analysis Wing

India–Pakistan relations in popular culture