The End of an Empire. The Birth of Two Nations. Viceroy’s House tells the true story of the final months of British rule in India.
Viceroy’s House in Delhi was the home of the British rulers of India. After 300 years, that rule was coming to an end. For 6 months in 1947, Lord Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, assumed the post of the last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people.
The film’s story unfolds within that great House. Upstairs lived Mountbatten together with his wife and daughter; downstairs lived their 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants. As the political elite – Nehru, Jinnah and Gandhi – converged on the House to wrangle over the birth of independent India, conflict erupted.
The End of an Empire. The Birth of Two Nations. Viceroy’s House tells the true story of the final months of British rule in India.
Viceroy’s House in Delhi was the home of the British rulers of India. After 300 years, that rule was coming to an end. For 6 months in 1947, Lord Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, assumed the post of the last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people.
The film’s story unfolds within that great House. Upstairs lived Mountbatten together with his wife and daughter; downstairs lived their 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants. As the political elite – Nehru, Jinnah and Gandhi – converged on the House to wrangle over the birth of independent India, conflict erupted.
A decision was taken to divide the country and create a new Muslim homeland: Pakistan. It was a decision whose consequences reverberate to this day.
The film examines these events through the prism of a marriage – that of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten – and a romance – that between a young Hindu servant, Jeet, and his intended Muslim bride, Aalia.
The young lovers find themselves caught up in the seismic end of Empire, in conflict with the Mountbattens and with their own communities, but never ever giving up hope. Viceroy’s House is a film that is both epic and intimate, with an inspirational message that celebrates tolerance. Many of the events depicted are either unknown or forgotten, but all have strong contemporary relevance in terms of lessons to be learnt concerning the politics of division and fear, the origins of religious extremism, and our moral responsibility towards migrants fleeing violence for a better life.
It is a story that is deeply personal to film director Gurinder Chadha, who also directed the charming worldwide breakout hit Bend it Like Beckham, whose own family was caught up in the tragic event that unfolded as the Raj came to an end.
Viceroy’s House, which stars Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Gillian Anderson (The Fall) and Michael Gambon (Emma, The Harry Potter films), will be released in cinemas across NZ from May 11.
To celebrate the release of this film we have 5 x double passes to giveaway to our lucky GrownUps members.
To enter simply answer the following question in the comments section below:
Who was the last Viceroy of India?
Winners will be drawn Monday 8th May and notified via email.
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