Two new character posters have arrived for British drama, Viceroy’s House and we can’t help thinking they have a link to Valentine’s Day. With Gillian Anderson gazing lovingly at her Husband, Lord Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville) on one side and the young lover’s, Jeet and Aalia cosying up to each other.

Related: Viceroy’s House Trailer and Poster

Viceroy’s House is set in a time where men were seen to rule their women and these posters depict this in a blatant manner with both Lord Mountbatten and Jeet in regal, honourable stances ever so slightly in front of the ladies. Even though fitting for the time, to portray this on promotional posters in the 21st century makes them feel dated. Oh and while we are here does anyone else, after watching our previous trailer post for Viceroy’s House, think Gillian Anderson has modelled herself on Queen Elizabeth II with her accent?

Directed by Bend It Like Beckham’s Gurinder Chadha, Downtown Abbey and Paddington Actor, Hugh Bonneville as Lord Mountbatten leads a very British cast. Gillian Anderson plays his loyal wife and Lily Travers (Kingsman) as their daughter, Pamela; and Michael Gambon (Harry Potter, Quartet) and Simon Callow (A Room With A View, Four Weddings and a Funeral) as key civil servants. The Indian and Pakistani cast is led by Manish Dayal (The Hundred Foot Journey), Huma Qureshi (Gangs of Wasseypur) and Om Puri (The Hundred Foot Journey, East Is East).  The roles of the principal political leaders are played by Tanveer Ghani (Nehru), Denzil Smith (Jinnah) and Neeraj Kabi (Gandhi).

Viceroy’s House is set for release in the UK on the 3rd of March.

Viceroy's House Viceroy's House

 

Viceroy’s House Official Synopsis

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.