India is among the most picturesque of regions. Before the Rains is a film which makes full use of the beautiful landscape of Southern India in its cinematography and combines this with a gripping plot, taking the audience back to the British Raj in 1937, ten years before Indian independence. There is clear feeling of instability in the air, with anti-colonials picketing and arguing for an India bereft of British presence. There is a conflict between the old and new; India’s cultural fabric of the past, and a British colonial future. Put simply: it is a place and time when tragedy seems inevitable.

Moores (Linus Roache), the film’s antihero, is a colonial tea plantation owner. But he has ambitions higher than tea cultivation; he wants to build a road of spice. He borrows a large sum from the bank in an effort to realise this dream of infrastructure, spice and potential riches. It proves to be a risky endeavour as he must battle with the approaching monsoon season, the “mutinous” independence movement, and an enormous cultural divide. To make matters worse, Moores has been fornicating with his native maid, Sajani (Nandita Das). Their relationship proves to threaten both of their lives.

There is a certain ambivalence which is to be associated with Moores. He is kind to those around him – white and black – yet he is incapable of truly understanding the depth of Indian tradition and its important place in the beliefs of India’s people. He also fails to take proper responsibility for his own actions. Indeed he is willing to betray his faithful friend T.K. to save his own skin. He is to be regarded as a stereotype for the well-meaning but wrong-doing colonial. Indeed he may be taken as a tragic symbol for imperial enterprise itself.

It is clear that director Santosh Sivan is interested in exploring the complexities of his characters and the internal strife within them, particularly in the character T.K (played well by Rahul Bose) who is caught between the colonial system which educated and employs him and the country which produced him.

Stylistically the film must be commended on several levels. There are many beautiful shots of  of animals in their natural habitat which are seemingly insignificant (at least to the Western mind) but full of meaning to the indigenous peoples of India. These, combined with exotic images of traditional festivities and customs, provide an insight into India’s rich cultural heritage, bringing Song of Ceylon to mind.

Before the Rains is a film not to be missed lightly. It’s red carpet premier on Thursday 19 June was a great success with actor Linus Roache and director Santosh Sivan both in attendance.