7 /10 1 Votes7
73% Rotten Tomatoes Music by A. R. Rahman Music director A. R. Rahman | 6.6/10 IMDb Cinematography Ben Smithard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Produced by Paul Mayeda BergesGurinder ChadhaDeepak Nayar Written by Paul Mayeda BergesMoira BuffiniGurinder Chadha Starring Hugh BonnevilleGillian AndersonManish DayalHuma QureshiMichael Gambon Cast Profiles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Viceroy's House is British-Indian historical drama film directed by Gurinder Chadha and written by Paul Mayeda Berges, Moira Buffini, and Chadha. The film stars Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi, and Michael Gambon. It has been selected to be screened out of competition at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival.
Contents
The film was released in the United Kingdom on 3 March 2017.
Plot
About the inside life of the Viceroy's House in 1947 during the Partition of India.
The final Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, is tasked with overseeing the transition of British India to independence, but meets with conflict as different sides clash in the face of monumental change. Downstairs in the servants quarters, Mountbatten's new manservant, Jeet falls for the daughter's assistant, Alia and all manner of obstacles are put in their way.
Production
On 30 April 2015, it was announced that Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson would star in the historical drama film Viceroy's House to be directed by Gurinder Chadha, which Chadha scripted along with Paul Mayeda Berges and Moira Buffini. The film set in 1947 during the Partition of India, and the life inside the Viceroy's House, would be produced by Chadha, Deepak Nayar, and Paul Ritchie. Pathé and BBC Films would be co-financing the film. On 1 September 2015, more cast was announced including Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi, Tanveer Ghani, Denzil Smith, Neeraj Kabi, Om Puri, Lily Travers, Michael Gambon, and Simon Callow.
Principal photography on the film began on 30 August 2015 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, where it was shot for eight weeks.
The film was released in the United Kingdom on 3 March 2017.
Themes
Chadha described the film as the Upstairs, Downstairs view of the Partition of India. She defended her film against criticisms of historical heterodoxy, guided by Narendra Singh Sarila's 2006 book The Shadow of the Great Game: The Untold Story of India's Partition, based on secret documents discovered in the British Library.
Pakistani poet and writer Fatima Bhutto called the film 'a servile pantomime of partition'. Chadha in response argued that "her film about India’s partition of 1947, far from ignoring the freedom struggle, celebrates it."
Music
On 12 April 2016, Chadha confirmed that A. R. Rahman is composing the score for the feature.
Release
Viceroy's House has been selected to be screened out of competition at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival on 12 February 2017.
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10.
Songs
1Viceroy's HouseA R Rahman2:40
2DisplacementA R Rahman2:36
3Swearing InA R Rahman2:34