In 1947, Lord Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville) is dispatched to India with wife Edwina (Gillian Anderson) to oversee the country’s transition from British rule to independence. Moving into the resplendent New Delhi mansion known as the Viceroy’s House, they hope for a peaceful transition of power. However, ending centuries of colonial rule is not easy in a country divided by deep religious and cultural differences, especially with growing support for Partition of a new country called Pakistan. Director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) vividly recreates the era with visual splendor, but she also refreshingly focuses on the folks “downstairs”: the Hindus, Muslims and Sikh staff most affected by the outcome. With Michael Gambon, Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi, Om Puri. Music: A.R. Rahman. Writers: Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chada, Moira Buffini. Director: Gurinder Chadha. (UK 2017) 107 min.