Indian Movie Review: Before the Rains (2008)

Cast: Linus Roache, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Jennifer Ehle

Set in pre-independent Kerala, Henry Moores (Linus Roache) a young British upstart keen on establishing a flourishing spice business, takes up an illicit relationship with his household help Sajani (Nandita Das), a married village girl, while his own wife and son are away in England. His handyman TK (Rahul Bose) also a local is his right-hand man for massing local labor and support. Moved by the camaraderie between them, Henry gifts an English pistol to TK. TK finds himself entrenched in two worlds, the world of his ancestral heritage and the world of opportunities and advancement brought about by the British raj. Soon Sajani's abusive husband gets wind of their relationship and Sajani faces the brutal brunt of his abuse. She turns to Henry but is turned away especially as Henry's unsuspecting wife and son are back. Sajani  feeling dejected and betrayed in love, shoots herself with TK's pistol. The trail of the pistol leads the police and the village council to TK. Does TK forgo his fealty to Henry and confess the truth? Does Henry get away with abetting suicide? Directed and shot by Santosh Sivan, the movie takes you on a lush journey of Kerala's wilderness and breathtaking settings. Nandita Das and Rahul Bose perform flawlessly. There's an undercurrent to the story if one catches on. It's that being entrapped in both worlds but belonging fully to neither is a sign of times not exclusive to the British era.

Rating: Four out of 5.