Delhi, 1947: Lord Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville) has been assigned to the position of the last Viceroy, overseeing the last days of British colonial rule in the transition to Indian independence. The Viceroy and his wife Edwina (Gillian Anderson) must navigate culture shock, the expectations of propriety and simmering political tensions between the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh household staff. Among them are star-crossed lovers Jeet (Manish Dayal) and Aalia (Huma Qureshi), torn between their desire and sense of familial duty. This upstairs-downstairs conflict provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of ordinary people caught up in forces beyond their control as writer-director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) broadens her canvas to make the complex web of history accessible and engrossing.

About the Curator: Amar Singh is a charity founder, social entrepreneur, diversity advocate, and dedicated volunteer. Amar’s efforts were recognized with the 2023 Australian of the Year Local Hero award. Turbans 4 Australia, goes above and beyond to support people and communities in need. The charity has provided relief during many disasters such as Bushfires, floods, and Covid19.

As a West London-raised Punjabi filmmaker whose grandparents immigrated from the foothills of the Himalayas, “the shadow of Partition” has shaped Chadha's life and work. While her indie coming-of-age hit Bend It Like Beckham focused on diaspora experiences in contemporary Britain, Viceroy's House takes influence from the stately epic films of David Lean and Richard Attenborough, re-appropriating the techniques of an Empire to reframe a complex narrative from multiple points of view. Chadha used her background in journalism to collate a multitude of sources, delivering a thought-provoking perspective on the events surrounding one of the largest mass displacements in history.