MASTERPIECE THEATRE: LORD MOUNTBATTEN: THE LAST VICEROY {EPISODE 4} (TV)
Summary
One in this ongoing series of dramas presented under the title of "Masterpiece Theatre," hosted by Alistair Cooke. This six-part miniseries depicts Lord Louis Mountbatten's involvement with India's independence from Britain and the India-Pakistan partition of 1947. The fourth installment opens at the stroke of midnight on August 14, 1947, and everyone celebrates as independence is officially declared and Pakistan established as an independent country. Mountbatten informs Edwina that he has been made an earl, making her a countess, and he meets with Nehru and Jinnah in front of the press to formally acknowledge the declaration. Mountbatten and Nehru attend a huge parade attended by thousands, quickly realizing that they cannot move through the dense crowd in their car. Gandhi, however, mourns and prays with his followers. Muslim League leader Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy appeals to Gandhi for help, afraid of being killed by the Hindus, though Gandhi points out that he contributed to the violence by supporting Jinnah in the past. He invites Suhrawardy to live beside him in his Calcutta home, however, as a symbol of brotherhood. Mountbatten presents Radcliffe's new map to the others, and arguments immediately break out about the division of land and the placement of certain raw materials and crops, with Singh lamenting that the Sikhs have been divided between India and Pakistan.
Auchinleck then reports that civil war has broken out and that thousands are fleeing from their newly-declared homelands and destroyed homes. Nehru addresses a group of angry Hindus and orders them not to attack Muslims, though one group raids Gandhi's house at night and he turns them away, refusing to hand over the Muslims. Edwina hears about the riots and decides to head to Punjab herself despite the danger, and she and Minister of Health Amrit Kaur angrily confront the military major for failing to properly deliver the necessary food and water to the refugees. Nehru informs Mountbatten that Gandhi has begun a fast in protest, and Mountbatten worries that his death could cause even more violence and unrest. The Hindus who previously attacked his home visit a greatly weakened Gandhi, apologizing for their actions and relinquishing their weapons. As penance, he tells them to go and protect their Muslim brothers. Elsewhere, however, a large crowd of fleeing refugees are gunned down, and Edwina tends to the dying. A nearly-dead Gandhi is then greatly relieved to hear that peace between Muslims and Hindus has been officially declared in Calcutta.
Edwina returns to her home and Nehru tells her the good news, though she is still traumatized by the carnage in Punjab. Mountbatten and Nehru discuss the violence, wondering if it is the price they must pay for freedom, and Nehru encourages him to take some time off and visit the Vice-Regal Lodge Simla. Mountbatten attends a defense council meeting, but is waylaid by Jinnah, who states that the Indian government is interfering too much in Pakistan's affairs and is not fulfilling its obligations to the nascent country. Mountbatten points out that he has limited power and can only advise, not control, as Britain is no longer in power. Jinnah then demands the dissolution of the Punjab Boundary Force, and Mountbatten surprises him by readily agreeing, saying that the Force was his last responsibility and without it, he is free to relax at Simla after all. Elsewhere, Nehru is horrified when a group of Hindus sets a Muslim woman on fire in front of him in an act of defiance. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: February 16, 1986 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:77769
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; India - History - 1947; Miniseries
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1986
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy" book
CREDITS
- George Walker … Executive Producer
- Judith de Paul … Producer
- Rebecca Eaton … Producer
- Tom Clegg … Director
- David Butler … Writer
- John Scott … Music by
- Alistair Cooke … Host
- Nicol Williamson … Cast, Lord Mountbatten
- Janet Suzman … Cast, Lady Mountbatten
- Ian Richardson … Cast, Nehru
- Sam Dastor … Cast, Gandhi
- Patrick Allen … Cast, Sir Claude Auchinleck
- Nigel Davenport … Cast, Ismay
- Vladek Sheybal … Cast, Jinnah
- Zia Mohyeddin … Cast, V.P. Menon
- A.K. Hangal … Cast, Patel
- Paul Anil … Cast, Kripalani
- Robert Austin … Cast, Peter Rees
- Bob Babenia … Cast, Rab Nishtar
- Nicholas Day … Cast, Peter Howes
- Doran Godwin … Cast, Elizabeth Ward
- Sneh Gupta … Cast, Manu
- Namta Kash … Cast, Abha
- Roger Kemp … Cast, Mieville
- Jagdish Kumar … Cast, Gandhi's Secretary
- David Lyon … Cast, Erskine-Crum
- Mellan Mitchell … Cast, R.S.S.S. Officer
- David Quilter … Cast, Campbell-Johnson
- Nadim Sawalha … Cast, Liaquat Ali Khan
- Jeremy Sinden … Cast, Brockman
- Gurdial Sira … Cast, Baldev Singh
- Andrea Weber … Cast, Pamela
- Tony Wredden … Cast, Maulana Azad / Pakistani Major
- Minnie Boga … Cast, Amrit Kaur
- Abhay Bhargava … Cast, R.S.S.S. Man
- Sudhir Kulkarni … Cast, Grandson
- Ashok Mandana … Cast, Edwina's A.D.C. (Dilip)
- Sumant Mastakar … Cast, Rajaji
- Protap Roy … Cast, Suhrawardy
- Nitin Seth … Cast, Prasad
- Richard de Zoysa … Cast, Muslim Grandson