
A Passage to India
1984 · Movie · PG · 163 min · ★ 6.8 · 78% critics
In British colonial India, a friendship between an Indian doctor, an Englishwoman, and a British educator is shaken by cultural mistrust and a serious accusation. As tensions grow between the local people and the ruling class, personal feelings and social pressure collide in a divided world.
Based on A Passage to India
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Details
- Years
- 1984
- Release date
- 1984-12-14
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 163 min
- Critic score
- 78/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.8/10 (326 votes)
About
You may like this if you enjoy slow-burn historical dramas about colonial tension and cultural conflict, with a strong sense of place; Not for you if you prefer fast-moving plots or lighter stories like Howards End.
Pros: rich Indian setting; strong lead performances; memorable atmosphere | Cons: overlong pacing; uneven script; abrupt ending
Themes
- based on novel or book
- cave
- hindu
- doctor
- india
- mosque
- british raj
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Original Score · 1985
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1985
- National Board of Review Award — Best Film
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Original Score · 1985 · nominated
Show all 15 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Director · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Production Design · 1985 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Film Editing · nominated
Cast & crew

Judy Davis
as Adela Quested

Victor Banerjee
as Dr. Aziz H. Ahmed

Peggy Ashcroft
as Mrs. Moore

James Fox
as Richard Fielding

Alec Guinness
as Professor Godbole

Nigel Havers
as Ronny Heaslop

Richard Wilson
as Mr. Turton
- AP
Antonia Pemberton
as Mrs. Turton

Michael Culver
as Major McBryde

Art Malik
as Mahmoud Ali
Directed by David Lean