Set during the 1857 War of Independence, an obsessed Indian Nawab desires to wed a young Anglo-Indian woman, but the girl's obstinate mother stands between them.
Acting
Shabana Azmi's silent suffering could level buildings.
Direction
Benegal turns desire into claustrophobic horror.
Cinematography
Candle-lit havelis that feel like fever dreams.
Director
Shyam Benegal
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shashi Kapoor produced this to fund his art-house passion projects, casting wife Jennifer Kendal opposite himself in a deeply uncomfortable dynamic.
Based on Ruskin Bond's 'A Flight of Pigeons,' it reimagines 1857 not as nationalist triumph but as collective trauma where everyone loses.
IN
