"Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy" (mini series, UK, 1986, 6 x 70 minutes, colour.). Directed by Tom Clegg.
This dramatization is a solidly acted depiction of the last days of the British Empire in India and Mountbatten's role in the transition from colony to independent nation.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090475/fullcredits#cast
IMDB: Mountbatten has many biographies out there, some less flattering than others. This depiction of him falls more or less in the middle, showing his strengths and his weaknesses. Also the show does not shy away from showing his wife, Edwina, and her relationship with Nehru (it should be noted her wild ways long before she arrived in India made her not welcome at Buckingham Palace).
Much of the actual history is greatly abridged (such as the partition) so as to not delve into the complexities of the India/Pakistan split. And some things are fictionalized for dramatic purposes.
Nehru's politics is not given much examination in this depiction (he was a socialist). Gandhi's role is historically accurate (unlike the movie that bears his name, he was not an active participant in the partition) as are other things. This is a good start to understand this important moment in history. Mountbatten is still a controversial figure both in England and India over what happened as the last viceroy.
Cast:
Nicol Williamson ... Lord Louis Mountbatten
Janet Suzman ... Lady Edwina Mountbatten
Ian Richardson ... Nehru
Sam Dastor ... Gandhi
Malcolm Terris ... Winston Churchill
Is it true Edwina Mountbatten and Nehru had a personal relationship that was questionable by the English throne?
ebonilia 5 months ago
Oh my Goodness, that Nicol Williamson is one of the most elegant actors England ever produced & does Lord Mountbatten's impossible job so much justice! I knew there's a reason I've loved him all these years. Wow!
And also just adore Ian Richardson in Nehru's cap, famous style tunic & the PART he does to a tee! Yah! haha we all wore Nehru-style tunics in 1965! ^_~\\
evernetherall 1 year ago