Indian Summers: Passion, politics and revolution in the air

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Indian Summers: Passion, politics and revolution in the air

March 13, 2016 - 23:03
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You wait ages for a decent drama and then three come along at once. At 9pm on Sunday night.

Julie Walter in Indian Summers

You wait ages for a decent drama and then three come along at once. At 9pm on Sunday night.

Record buttons at the ready as BBC1 proudly presented another gripping episode of The Night Manager (with sex), ITV continued with its dazzling Doctor Thorne and – last but certainly not least - Channel 4 launched series two of the excellent Indian Summers.

As this tale of colonial decline reached 1935, India’s beleaguered British rulers were desperately trying to quell the rising tide of rebellion.

With the inexorable march to independence gathering momentum, the opening salvo oozed tension as the angry locals staged violent demonstrations to demand their freedom.

After a little boy broke free from the baying mob and threw a hand grenade into the Viceroy’s car, the great man was so shocked he suffered a heart attack.

Which to scheming country club boss Cynthia Coffin (great name) presented the perfect opportunity to seize power. Every cloud and all that.

Playing the hilariously amoral Ms Coffin with energetic relish, Julie Walters is the undisputable star of the show. She steals every scene.

The Royal Shimla Club is the exclusive enclave around which this swirling story of love, passion and politics revolves. With Cynthia at the helm, it is a citadel of assumed superiority where the realities of Indian unrest are forgotten over cooling cocktails in the sun.

But despite their luxury lifestyles, the Brits are a deeply unhappy lot. Rancid marriages, steamy affairs and simmering feuds deliver soap style entertainment in an exotic setting. What’s not to like?

Torn between his hatred of foreign government and his friendship with deputy viceroy Ralph Whelan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), the impossibly handsome civil servant Aafrin Dalal (Nikash Patel) symbolises the widening divisions that are tearing his nation apart.

But would Whelan cotton on that his revolutionary chum was conspiring against him? He came perilously close, but didn’t quite rumble it. Nevertheless, for the increasingly anxious Aafrin there may be trouble ahead.

Filmed on the Malaysian island of Penang, this stunning production chronicles a bygone era when the British didn’t just think they ruled the world… they did. Those were the days.

There are 3 Comments

Kevin O'Sullivan's picture

Channel 4 you are Buffons of the highest order. Why not wait a while let the other shows on the other channels finish. Then put this superb period drama on. You have dropped it now and should be ashamed of yourselves.

A great drama ruined by poor lazy arrogant scheduling.

Fools.

Nige Smith's picture

It is very difficult to write a review about a great series that has just been dropped for its lack of viewers. Only 1million tuned in to watch the latest series of Indian Summers. Why we all ask. Well putting it up against some other top dramas on a Sunday night was never a clever idea by C4. Obviously the dense planners thought it would give The Night Manager a run for its money. Newsflash, it was never going to happen. So lets review what I saw. Its now 1935.

Indian Summers if anyone would care to know is set when Britain had an empire and thought it was a great idea to impose our rules and customs on any Colonial power it wanted to overthrow at the time. Filmed in Malaysia (you would never know) the story interweaves around the lives of the posh folk that live at the bottom of the Himalayas to avoid the hot summer.

As in most dramas, there is sex, drugs, bollywood rock n roll, political intrigue and plenty of sub plots to go around. A top notch cast excel, Julie Walters, Patrick Malahide, Art Malik and guest appearances from Rachel Griffiths as the social bed hopping Prince bedding socialite made this so watchable.

A wannabe Viceroy with a eye for the Indian ladies, an Indian secretary who does not know which side he wants to be on, Ghandi or the Empire. A sister with an abusive mad husband. The Caddy again brutally killed as he was in The Line of Duty (he too had a mad wife). Never has the British Raj had so many loose cannons in one place.

Every episode contained drama and heart stopping moments. I have to admit the storylines did have a tendency to wander and get a bit bogged down, but this could be overlooked due to the quality of the acting.

I am going to sum up the final ever episode in one go. Alice has had 3 years to try and get it on with Aafrin (secretary to Whelan). She finally gets her chance when locking Charlie out of the car where an angry mob do the rest. Aafrin and Alice unite, go to his sisters wedding end of that bit.

In the meantime Whelan the marauding bed hoping posh Viceroy wannabe has had all his dreams end in tatters. He does not get the job. He and is very attractive but again slightly mad American wife, have to sell the house to some other very wealthy Indians. This is not before Prince Art Malik has bedded his wife and Ralph has had a sticky fumbling on the sofa with the Prince's escort (Rachel Griffiths).

Julie Walters who is the real star in this is quite riotous as the gin swilling local madam who owns the club house where the Hoi polloi get down and Charlston to it in a booze sodden haze.
Ralphy finds out that Cynthia's husband is his father. Old habits die hard and are obviouls passed down through the genes. Ultimately she tries to out bid the Indians for the house, it fails.

So all in all (those that watched it) this lavish drama left us all a bit empty at the end as there was no real conclusion to anything other than some smashing up of plates at Ralphys and Aafrin and Alice making the wedding (of his sister) in time for the evening buffet.

Conclusion: I wanted more, I never got more, and I am not going to get more.

If you get the chance to watch it all on catch up, do so, you will not be disappointed.

Kevin O'Sullivan's picture

Thanks Nige. Excellent substantial review. A sad lament from a true fan. Sorry to see this drama go, but it just didn't get enough viewers. Channel 4 scheduling against BBC1's mighty The Night Manager didn't help.