A Passage to India (1984)

Director:

David Lean

Writers:

E.M. Forster (novel)
Santha Rama Rau (play)
(more)

Release Date:

25 January 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History

Tagline:

David Lean, the Director of "Doctor Zhivago", "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Bridge on the River Kwai", invites you on . . .[A Passage to India]

Plot:

Cultural mistrust and false accusations doom a friendship in British colonial India between an Indian doctor, an Englishwoman engaged to marry a city magistrate, and an English educator.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | India | Magistrate | Mosque | English

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Judy Davis	...	Adela
Victor Banerjee	...	Aziz
Peggy Ashcroft	...	Mrs. Moore
James Fox	...	Fielding
Alec Guinness	...	Godbole
Nigel Havers	...	Ronny
Richard Wilson	...	Turton
Antonia Pemberton	...	Mrs. Turton
Michael Culver	...	McBryde
Art Malik	...	Ali
Saeed Jaffrey	...	Hamidullah
Clive Swift	...	Major Callendar
Ann Firbank	...	Mrs. Callendar
Roshan Seth	...	Amritrao
Sandra Hotz	...	Stella
Rashid Karapiet	...	Das
H.S. Krishnamurthy	...	Hassan
Ishaq Bux	...	Salim
Moti Makan	...	Guide
Mohammed Ashiq	...	Haq
Phyllis Bose	...	Mrs. Leslie
Sally Kinghorn	...	Ingenue (as Sally Kinghorne)
Paul Anil	...	Clerk of the Court
Z.H. Khan	...	Dr. Panna Lal
Ashok Mandanna	...	Anthony
Dina Pathak	...	Begum Hamidullah
Adam Blackwood	...	Mr. Hadley
Mellan Mitchell	...	Indian Businessman
Peter Hughes	...	P & O manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Michie	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Duncan Preston	...	Club Member (uncredited)

Directed by
David Lean

Writing credits
E.M. Forster		(novel)
Santha Rama Rau		(play)
David Lean		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Brabourne	....	producer
Richard B. Goodwin	....	producer (as Richard Goodwin)
John Heyman	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Edward Sands	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Ernest Day		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Lean

Casting by
Priscilla John

Production Design by
John Box
Herbert Westbrook		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Cliff Robinson		(as Clifford Robinson)
Leslie Tomkins
Herbert Westbrook
Ram Yedekar

Set Decoration by
Hugh Scaife

Costume Design by
Judy Moorcroft

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Elaine Bowerbank	....	hair stylist
Jill Carpenter	....	makeup artist
Vera Mitchell	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Rashid Abbasi	....	unit manager: India
Jim Brennan	....	production manager
Shama Habibullah	....	production manager
Barrie Melrose	....	production supervisor
John Downes	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Cadell	....	assistant director
Christopher Figg	....	assistant director
Ajit Kumar	....	assistant director
Nick Laws	....	assistant director
Arundhati Rao	....	assistant director

Art Department
Albert Blackshaw	....	construction manager: India
Ron Coleman	....	construction manager: UK
Eddie Fowlie	....	props
Bert Hearn	....	property master: UK
Mickey Pugh	....	props
Steve Short	....	props
Frank Billington-Marks	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Bill Stallion	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jeremy Baylis	....	assistant dialogue editor
Ron Butcher	....	sound engineer
Michael A. Carter	....	sound recordist
Peter Dansie	....	assistant sound editor
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound recordist
Jack T. Knight	....	sound effects editor
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	sound recordist
Dick Lewzey	....	sound recordist (as Richard Lewzey)
Archie Ludski	....	dialogue editor
John W. Mitchell	....	sound recordist (as John Mitchell)
Keith Pamplin	....	boom operator
Winston Ryder	....	sound editor
Lionel Strutt	....	sound recordist
Chris David	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Robin Browne	....	effects

Stunts
Richard Graydon	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robin Browne	....	second unit photography
Frank Connor	....	still photographer
Frank Elliott	....	focus puller
John Fletcher	....	second camera operator
Roy Ford	....	camera operator
W.C. 'Chunky' Huse	....	grip (as Chunky Huse)
Martin Kenzie	....	clapper loader
Alan Martin	....	electrician
Bill Pochetty	....	electrician
Chris Pinnock	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Nigel Seal	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe mistress
Keith Morton	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Kees T. Hooft	....	assistant editor (as Kees 'T Hooft)
Ron Lambert	....	color timer: USA
Eunice Mountjoy	....	associate editor
Anne Sopel	....	assistant editor
Alf Wharton	....	color grading: UK

Music Department
Robin Clarke	....	music editor
John Dalby	....	composer: theme "Freely Maisie"
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Pamela Wells	....	transportation

Other crew
Pamela Allen	....	contact: London
Mohini Banerji	....	liaison: Delhi
Charles Cannon	....	production accountant
Eleanor Chaudhuri	....	production secretary: India
Eddie Fowlie	....	locations
Diana Hawkins	....	publicist
John Heyman	....	in association with
Christopher Palmer	....	assistant: Maurice Jarre
P.N. Parthasarathy	....	government liaison: India
Pat Pennelegion	....	production assistant
Brioni Pereira	....	location secretary
Germinal Rangel	....	couturier
Rex Saluz	....	location accountant
Edward Sands	....	in association with
Maggie Unsworth	....	continuity
Marcus Wilford	....	customs liaison
David Cherrill	....	location manager (uncredited)
Yeti Jindal	....	location manager (uncredited)
Lee Katz	....	production consultant (uncredited)
Richard Morrison	....	title designer (uncredited)
Kevin Phelan	....	unit projectionist: Mercury Theatres, London (uncredited)
Thomas Thanangadan	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• EMI Films
• Home Box Office (HBO) (in association with)
• Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (UK) (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Tec Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Blowup  stills processing
• Capitol Records  soundtrack
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• National Maritime Museum  ship models and paintings
• Optical Film Effects  titles
• Peerless Camera Company  opticals
• Pinewood Studios  post production at (as Pinewood Studios, Iver, Buckinghamshire, England)
• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The  music performed by (as The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Studios CTS  music recorded at

Also Known As:

David Lean's Film of a Passage to India (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

163 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Hindi

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Norway:12 | West Germany:6 (f) | Brazil:Livre | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Ireland:PG | UK:PG | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Bangalore Palace, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

David Lean's first (and last) film after a 14-year hiatus from the industry. He was so devastated by the negative reviews of Ryan's Daughter (1970/I), he dropped out of the filmmaking scene.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Adela, Mrs. Moore, and Dr. Aziz are riding the elephant, the first close-up shot of Adela and Dr. Aziz shows certain landmarks on the rock in the background. The next shot is a long shot of the elephant's feet as it walks. The third shot is another close-up of Adela and Dr. Aziz passing the same landmarks at the same starting point.

Quotes:

Turton: [in a club meeting] There is a certain member here present who is known to be in contact with the defense. One can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds - at least not in this country!
Richard Fielding: I'd like to say something.
Turton: Please do.
Richard Fielding: I believe Dr. Aziz is innocent. I will await the verdict of the jury. If he is found guilty, I will resign my post and leave India. I resign from the Club now!
[exits]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hill Street Blues: Passage to Libya (#5.17)" (1985)

Soundtrack:

Tea For Two

There'll Always Be a Raj-------NOT

A Passage Through India tells a story about the radicalization of a native Indian who happens to be a Moslem. This was in the days before the idea of a separate Pakistan took hold in the independence movement.

Victor Bannerjee plays Dr. Aziz Ahmed and as you see by his title he's a professional man. But he's still looked down upon by most of the British who are ruling India. He's befriended by Peggy Ashcroft who is visiting India with her daughter-in-law to be, Judy Davis. Peggy's son is a magistrate. Bannerjee is also friends with James Fox who is an administrator at a local college.

He's warned against fraternizing with the British by his friends and family, but Bannerjee goes on a picnic with Ashcroft and Davis and Davis has a horrifying experience in the historic caves at Marabar. It's only her claustrophobia acting up, but Bannerjee winds up accused of rape. And his trial becomes a cause celebre for the Congress Party. Note that Bannerjee has two defense attorneys, a Moslem and a Hindu.

E.M. Forster who wrote A Passage to India brought two elements of his background to the writing of this novel. He served as a private secretary to a local maharajah so he knew the customs of India as well as the political scene. Most in the United Kingdom wanted to see India free after World War I. A few very powerful folks like Winston Churchill and some influential press lords, most prominently Lord Beaverbrook did not. There opposition kept India a British colony until after another World War.

Secondly Forster was a closeted gay man. His homosexuality was not publicly revealed, he wasn't 'outted' until after he died in 1970. One of his relationships was with a Moslem Indian who died at a young age. He's the model for Dr. Aziz. The India Forster writes about is not Rudyard Kipling's India. A place where the native population is made to feel like outsiders. Forster identified with them in a way Kipling could never conceive.

Peggy Ashcroft won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her role as the kindly Mrs. Moore. I've got a sneaking suspicion that Forster modeled her character on his own mother who lived with him until she died in 1945. Judy Davis got a nomination for Best Actress and A Passage to India was nominated in a whole bunch of technical categories.

A Passage to India is a disturbing look at a bygone era in a place where you can see a lot of the problems we face today being nurtured.