John Standing

Life is hard for Yorkshire miner's son Joe Carraclough, who is beaten at school by a his teacher, his only consolation is his collie Lassie. It gets worse: when the mine is decommissioned, his father, Sam, is forced to sell the dog to the duke, who owns t

Set in exotic southern India in the late 1930s, this provocative tale traces the story of three people caught in an inexorable web of forbidden romance and dangerous secrets. After a British spice planter (Linus Roache) falls in love with his alluring servant (Nandita Das), an idealistic young man (Rahul Bose) finds himself torn between his ambitions and his family, his village and his past. Loyalties are tested and destinies decided as two worlds collide in this powerful and unforgettable drama.

English spice baron Henry Moores pinpoints Kerala, India, as the site for his new plantation but must build a road to enable the project. As it turns out, it's only the first of many obstacles he'll encounter -- including his infidelity.

An Englishman intent on opening a spice plantation in Kerala attempts to gain the trust of the local villagers and destroys numerous lives in the process in this period drama from director and cinematographer Santosh Sivan.