New trailer: ‘Viceroy’s House’ depicts final days of British rule in India

The new film from Gurinder Chadha stars Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson as Lord and Lady Mountbatton in the tense last days of the British Empire in India, set at Viceroy’s House - the home of the British rulers in Delhi.

The poster for Viceroy's House staring Gillian Anderson, Hugh Bonneville, Manish Dayal and Huma Qureshi Source: BBC Films

The film, from iconic British director Gurinder Chadha (of Bend it Like Beckham fame, and Punjabi descent) explores the last few months of the British Empire before India and Pakistan parted ways and gained their independence in 1947. The trailer has already garnered over 164k views on Facebook.

The first trailer of Gurinder Chadha’s Viceroy’s House based on the final months of British rule in India, is out. The film explores the last few months of the British Empire before India and Pakistan parted ways and gained their independence in 1947.

The film stars Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi, Om Puri and Neeraj Kabi.

Below, a selfie shared by Manish Dayal from the set with director Gurinder Chadha and costar Huma Qureshi:

The film plot revolves around the Viceroy’s House in Delhi, the home of British rulers of India.

After 300 years, that rule is coming to an end and for six 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 story unfolds within the great house where the Mountbattens lived upstairs, while downstairs lived their 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants.

As the political elite converged on the house to wrangle over the birth of independent India, conflict erupted.

The film is slated for release on 25th May, 2017.