Viceroy's House (2017)

Viceroy’s House (Dir: Gurinder Chadha, 2017).

Viceroy’s House is a fact based drama detailing the events surrounding the Partition of India from British born Indian director Gurinder Chadha.

Set in 1947 Delhi during the dissolution of the British Raj. As the last Viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville) is to oversee the transition from British rule to Independence. India is a country divided, between those who wish the independent nation to remain intact and those who wish to establish the separate Muslim country Pakistan. Against this backdrop is the Romeo and Juliet-esq tale of Jeet (Manish Dayal) and Alia (Huma Qureshi) whose love is thwarted as he is Hindu and she is Muslim.

The Partition of India was a bloody mess at the hands of the UK government. As the film's postscript informs us "14 million people were displaced and one million Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs died". It is a dark episode in 20th Century British history rarely spoken of in the UK. For this reason, Viceroy's House is a difficult film to criticise, as it relays such an important story. Perhaps it can only be faulted for not depicting how truly horrific it was. 

Dividing its time between the political mechanisms of the government and the human drama of the house's servants does lend it an air of Downton Abbey does India; something that the casting of Hugh Bonneville, in full on Earl of Grantham mode, only serves to reinforce. However, Bonneville is very effective as the beleaguered Mountbatten faced with the thankless and controversial task of dividing India. He is surrounded by a quality supporting cast of acting legends including Gillian Anderson, Michael Gambon, Om Puri and Simon Callow. As the star-crossed young lovers Manish Dayal and Huma Qureshi are both touching and appealing. 

Director Gurinder Chadha is a talented filmmaker. Her feature is incredibly moving and made more powerful by the knowledge that it draws upon Chadha's own family history; her grandparents were among those displaced and her aunt starved to death on the migration. 

It could be argued that Chadra's gentle approach to Partition does make a challenging subject more accessible for audiences. The fact that it addresses an issue largely untold in film is significant, however more palatable that issue has been made. Viceroy's House is a very good movie with an important story to tell. The powerful tale will certainly provide uncomfortable viewing for many, but do not let that dissuade you from watching this ultimately very moving film.