"welcome to Calcutta." "Very good of you to meet me sir." "Not at all old chap." "Quite hot already isn't it?" "Nothing like it'll be later on." "sir." "damn shame this Hindu and Moslem business." "I'm afraid you've come out at a very bad time." "give you a good English breakfast." "Mother sent out two pots of strawberry jam that's the best news I've heard for a long time. but..." "England seems determined to pull out soon." "They're the homeless ones." "So many." "thousands without work or homes." "The city's grown enormously in recent years" "Can't something be done for them?" "It's appalling." "I know what you're thinking" "I used to feel the same myself at one time till I..." "I realised they're used to it." "That damned fatalism of theirs I suppose." "they just accept it" "Allah hu akbar!" "Allah hu akbar!" "Allah hu akbar!" "(Attlee) I suppose Mountbatten is the right man for the Viceroy's job?" "he's the only one" "Many people in England are worried by his film star profile... the playboy image." "Surely his success as supreme commander would have settled all that." "the important thing is the reaction to him in India ...the victorious leader..." "...a member of the royal family." "The man who accepted the Japanese surrender at Singapore he does have the common touch." "Come in." "sir" "Lord Louis" "I'm afraid things are reaching a crisis." "The London conference?" "Never a doubt...nothing's settled" "Nehru and the others are aware that we intend to replace Wavell." "They simply won't consult with him anymore." "and it's spreading." "a new initiative must come from London now." "General Auchinleck." "He'll have his work cut out holding the forces together." "but someone who can get people to talk... there's been enough talking." "Something must be done in order to defuse the situation." "Such as?" "Such as... setting a definite date for independence." "If I go out there on some kind of open-ended thing we could be messing around forever." "We thought in about 2 years." "That's far too long." "It has to be something more like by the latest." "Next June!" "By the time that could be announced... 15 months!" "I don't want to be out there twiddling my thumbs." "(Cripps) But the situation is ..." "(Attlee) Just a minute!" "Does that mean that if the government agrees to the time limit you accept?" "there's still one last thing..." "Is the Secretary of State for India above the Viceroy?" "Of course he is." "The Secretary speaks for the Cabinet." "I can't have that." "I can't have the cabinet sitting on top of me all the time" "Anything else would be equivalent of giving you full plenipotentiary powers!" "No one has been given those this century!" "that's that!" "to make decisions... on the spot..." "I can't accept." "(Buckingham Palace) sir." "(King George VI) Good to see you Dickie" "I've had a meeting with the Prime Minister but... and... he told me last week he was planning to." "Sit down Dickie." "I think it's a splendid idea." "the Viceroy is your representative... he is you!" "his express purpose will be to liquidate the Indian Empire and bring the days of the British Raj to an end." "But the problems there are so deep rooted" "They're almost beyond imagination." "Look how bad it will be for you and the family if I fail." "look how good if you succeed." "We must accept the inevitable Dickie." "I can't help a deep sadness that the end of the Empire should be coming in my time but we can't fight history." "The brightest jewel in the crown." "I very much regret that the... war prevented me from traveling to India." "it will be given away... without my ever having seen it." "you want me to accept." "I sincerely hope you will." "Because I believe you are the only one who can do it." "somehow you will be able to arrange that not all our links with India are severed." "(Edwina Mountbatten) You're very silent." "Attlee's asked me to be the next Viceroy of India." "Viceroy!" "No one's to know." "Well obviously." "What did you say?" "That I couldn't give him an answer straight away... not till I've talked it over with Bertie." "(Edwina) And did you?" "Bertie's all for it." "He says they need me ... and ...my instinct is just to turn it down flat." "with all the political and religious quarrels the situation is such a mess that the job is almost impossible." "What can be done?" "I don't know." "Do you think I should take it?" "because there's no-one else I can talk it over with." "but he just explodes at any suggestion of giving up India." "so it's understandable." "what am I to do?" "it concerns you just as much as me." "you're Vicereine." "you can't ask me advice on this." "You know how much I love India." "and I can't wait to be there." "and I'd be less than honest if I didn't admit these last two months have been a bit of a let down." "all the excitement." "old England is a bit drab after Ceylon and Burma." "well you're the obvious choice." "It's a great honour... but you'd be risking everything." "I know ... and I don't want to go down as a resounding flop." "So what do you think?" "I haven't really taken it in yet." "But don't ask me to advise you not to accept the greatest challenge of your career." "England)" "how could you?" "You know what people will say." "You accepted simply for the glitter." "To sit on a gilded throne pretending to be a king." "mama." "The government has got itself into a corner with this offer of independence and they can't get out of it." "and if I can help with..." "They know that it's bound to end in disaster." "He may be more successful than..." "Edwina!" "... please you don't understand." "I'm sorry for him." "All his life he's been driven." "He is obsessed with following his father's career ...step by step." "Like this cruiser squadron." "so you want it." "but now... the politicians are going to sacrifice you just as they sacrificed and ruined your father." "Mama!" "No one could... more dedicated than he was." "but because the family was German they sacrificed him." "You know..." "you've spent your whole life trying to wipe out that stain on his memory." "and now you're going to throw it all away." "You're going to become another scapegoat just like..." "Do you think I'm bound to fail?" "Fail ... you Dickie?" "You wouldn't have accepted the job if you didn't think you had at least a chance of succeeding." "Attlee put the odds at 6 to 4." "I see them as nearer 1000 to 1." "...still..." "I'm damned well going to have a go." "(Jinnah) What we have done is the most significant act in our history." "have we... in the whole history of the Muslim League done anything except by constitutional methods." "But now we are obliged we are forced into this position." "we have to bid goodbye to constitutional methods." "Today we have forged a pistol and are in a position to use it..." "If the Congress wants war then we accept that offer." "We shall have India  divided   or  we shall have India   destroyed!" "Pakistan zindabad!" "..." "Pakistan zindabad!" "London) I hate this bloody place." "You'd think we were back in the 19th century." "Pug." "OK." "For those of you who do not know each other... let me just run through the basic team." "my two right hand men... who'll be our chief of staff... great expert on Indian affairs." "Then my wartime aides..." "Royal Navy..." "Royal Navy... and Lieutenant Colonel Vernon Erskine-Crum." "Scots Guards." "Let us not forget the Scots Guards." "but by no means least ... Alan Campbell-Johnson. and so forth." "(Sir Eric Mieville) There's never been a press spokesman appointed to the Viceregal staff before sir." "That's right." "This is the first time as well as his leaders to know why I've come and what I'm doing." "except Peter." "I believe you all know my senior ADC" "Lieutenant Commander Peter Howes." "Right ... now ... gentlemen." "None of this is going to be easy." "I've had extracts of recent newsreels linked together to show and Bombay if you'd draw the blinds." "Good to see the chief back in action." "The worst riot in India's strife-torn history is sparked off... as Muslims battle Hindus over Britain's plans for independence." "and all ringside seats are taken." "Whilst the Indian leaders plead for reason... following Jinnah's direct day of action..." "Star film highlights the continuing mob violence and consequent loss of life." "Government troops are fighting a desperate rear-guard action to keep the communal rioting under control." "With building after building raked by fire... and city life has been brought to a standstill." "troops find the mangled remains of religious violence. thousands wounded and the city is threatened with outbreaks of typhoid and cholera." "women and children are being slaughtered in the most savage outbursts of religious frenzy." "Pug." "afterwards." "sir." "Will we survive this socialist government?" "Everything we fought for is being destroyed." "And now this shameful abandonment of the empire." "Part of an historical process." "Bound to come." "When the time was right." "When India had proved able to govern herself democratically." "this so-called interim government is a farce." "Well isn't that rather a reflection on us that after 200 years of rule in India... we can't leave her in a fit state to take care of herself?" "you know Pug." "That's not why I'm going Then why?" "Because I'm proud of our record there." "I'd hate to see it spoiled by the way we leave her." "if Dickie is prepared to go on the field for the last chucka twelve goals down..." "I want to be there with him." "I'm sorry you are having anything to do with it." "Lord Louis hopes that you would understand." "That you'll send him some word of encouragement." "Encouragement!" "For someone who I never intend to speak to again?" "that I consider by accepting this post he is betraying his family...his country his king ..." "...and the empire." "What I have to say will be said to the nation in its proper place the House of Commons." "As for the new Viceroy is he to make new efforts to restore the situation?" "Or is it merely Operation Scuttle on which he and other distinguished officers have been dispatched?" "Many have defended Britain against her foes." "can defend her against herself." "let us not add by shameful flight by a premature and hurried scuttle... the taint and smear of shame." "Ok Ronnie." "(Brockman) Thank you sir." "Nearly there Peter." "We'll be landing at Delhi in half an hour." "Kill Mizzen." "Don't you dare." "You're a beast." "You might have given us a little longer." "There it is." "What on earth do you want that for?" "I couldn't think where else to put it." "Just so long as you don't walk off the plane with that box under your arm." "No ..." "Elizabeth will." "He's a twit." "attention!" "George Abell sir." "Private secretary to Lord Wavell." "I believe you'll be staying on for the continuity." "Yes sir." "Splendid." "I expect I shall have to rely on you a great deal." "and my daughter Pamela." "Would you like to step this way sir." "Your Excellency." "Mr Nehru?" "Your Excellency." "It is a pleasure" "Lady Mountbatten." "deputy leader of the Muslim League" "Mr Jinnah" "Thank you very much." "I look forward to meeting him." "Your Excellency." "It's a pleasure to be here." "Your Excellency." "Thank you." "Alan." "(Campbell-Johnson) Morning sir." "(Brockman) Early start sir." "Yes." "I've just got this report from Bengal." "In the 3 days following Jinnah's Muslim day of action 6000 people were killed in Calcutta alone... 000 seriously injured." "(Campbell-Johnson) Appalling!" "And it's still going on." "I want daily summaries from the military commanders of all provinces and immediate notification of any new incidents." "I'll pass it on sir. and food distribution." "Yes sir." "There's been a good response from the Indian leaders to your invitation sir." "Nehru's accepted already." "Good." "I think I can communicate with him." "You'll want press coverage?" "I certainly don't want it kept quiet." "please Ronnie?" "(Brockman) Right sir." "These are the press arrangements for the swearing-in ceremony." "ceremony's never been filmed before." "Dinosaur thinking." "There's going to be a record of it this time." "I'll be the last." "as this ceremony comes closer" "I confess I feel ..." "not exactly nervous rather more aware..." "...more tightly strung." "I'm glad I'll have Edwina with me." "Oh!" "Have you seen the headline in today's 'Dawn' the Muslim League paper?" "Lord and Lady Louis arrive." "It's a nice picture." "But it's not you!" "It's Ronnie Brockman and Elizabeth Ward perhaps after tomorrow they'll know who the Mountbattens are." "Well." "Thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you." "I think I'll take a bath." "I think I can manage by myself." "you can go now." "You may go." "Thank you." "Thank you." "you may go." "Thank you." "My chicken." "Bye" "Edwina!" "Hello!" "Edwina." "Are you in there?" "Good grief ... you all right?" "Couldn't be better." "wouldn't you say?" "there's no place like home." "I thought you might like to see this ..." "Wavell left it for me." "Operation ..." "Madhouse." "It's an apt description." "The endless negotiations nearly exhausted him." "he lost patience..." "and this is what's left." "what is it?" "A plan for the British evacuation of India." "province by province and finally." "the last remaining army units leaving the country to chaos." "But he would never have gone through with it." "Not unless he was forced to." "What are you going to do with it?" "Shove it in the back of the safe and hope it'll never be needed." "it was the dogs." "Edwina." "I'd like your help to get this place reorganised." "It all seems frightfully formal." "Pomp and circumstance." "All these servants." "Have to cut down on that a touch." "I'm afraid." "I'm bringing back all the pre-war splendour and ceremonies." "Dickie." "that's why you took the job." "let them." "I want the people of India to know that... who speaks for the king... and the British nation." "we'll go with all the flags flying... everything." "aren't you?" "ever had a more beautiful consort" "I was just thinking..." "do you remember saying you were a fool to marry someone without much of a career ahead of him." "Is my hair alright?" "Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten" "Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten" "Swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance..." "Emperor of India his heirs and successors." "Swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance..." "Emperor of India his heirs and successors." "so help me God." "I believe it is not usual I should like to say a few words ...to you ... and to India." "This is not a normal Viceroyalty on which I am embarking." "His Majesty's government is determined... to transfer power by June 1948." "This means that a solution must be reached... within the next few months." "every one of us... which might lead to further bitterness or add to the toll..." "...of innocent victims." "I am under no illusion as to the difficulty of my task. for that goodwill." "Thank you." "Yes." "I felt it went pretty well myself." "When you started your speech you could have heard a popadom drop." "it certainly got the ball rolling." "Sir Eric?" "Kashmiri Brahmin family." "a very distinguished barrister... sent him to England to complete his education." "Spent seven years at Harrow and Cambridge... studying law. and apparently went through a painful process of trying to be an Indian again." "the British sahib here... didn't accept him like his friends in London." "Then he came under the influence of Gandhi... and joined the Congress Party. as was their wont..." "kept sending him to jail... which naturally increased his popularity." "But he doesn't seem to bear us a grudge." "He's shrewd..." "balanced ... charming." "And underneath it all ...hard as nails." "Your Excellency." "Mr Nehru. especially on such a historic day." "no more standing on ceremony... we had enough of it this morning." "Do please sit down." "Thank you." "this morning." "May I compliment Your Excellency on your unexpected speech." "I felt it was needed." "It was very effective." "It also sounded as if you had the authority to make your own decisions." "Have you by any chance been granted plenipotentiary powers?" "What if I have?" "you will succeed." "You're very gracious." "I am surprised... in the capital." "He considers his crusade to stop bloodshed in the Bihar villages ... more urgent." "But in any case..." "wherever Mahatma Gandhi is that is the capital of India." "We want you Muslims out of this village." "What right have you to choose for us where to live." "Go and live with your own kind." "we have always lived here." "to get out." "My children ... please enough!" "you only hear your own voice." "Gandhiji." "Hindus have been attacked in the villages round us." "Their houses burnt down." "you wish to drive out your Muslim neighbours?" "We must protect ourselves." "that by turning against them just because they are Muslim the same evil." "Hindus and Muslims have lived together in peace... in our villages for centuries." "This hatred is not natural." "not by religion." "Gandhiji. which go about the place trampling and eating the new crops." "So you feel free and beat the cow." "I never did." "I just pushed her out of the field." "The cow is not only the giver of life... and fuel for heat made from her dung." "She is a symbol of abundance... and of non-violence..." "...a symbol of India." "My children..." "I do not expect you to agree on everything... only to agree to settle your differences without violence." "Stay with us Bapu ... teach us." "Pray with us Bapu." "I cannot." "I have many more miles to cover before nightfall." "I will take a meal with you..." "if you agree to eat together." "Good ... and I will teach you a prayer to God... which all of you may say when there is need." "King of the Universe... who makes the sinner pure... who is both Ishvar and Allah... who gives his blessing to all." "I told you so." "I thought I might find you lot near the drinks." "Ah!" "Thank you." "Your Excellency." "First party at Viceroy's House to which a real cross-section of Indians have been invited." "it seems to have gone splendidly." "surely George." "but that's in private." "it's been customary only to... invite officials of the highest rank." "If we'd done this sort of thing years ago... maybe we wouldn't be in the mess we are now." "I feel I've made some friendly contact." "How did the English ladies in India bare ?" "..." "Your Excellency... though most would seem to prefer it that way." "They don't know what they're missing." "I'm sorry it's over." "just getting in the mood." "Why don't we go out somewhere." "V.P.?" "Why don't we drop by?" "Would you like that?" "Very much." "No I'm afraid...er..." "Your Excellency." "It's a matter of protocol you see." "It has to be an official invitation... none of that." "I thought we'd just jump in the car and drive over." "so let's do it." "Hello." "We heard you were giving a party." "We hope you don't mind our dropping by." "Not at all." "It is a delightful surprise." "Nan Vijayalakshmi" "Pleasure." "How do you do." "Indira." "Your Excellencies." "How do you do." "What a pleasure." "weren't you?" "Yes I was." "in the air raids of London... she went fire fighting at Piccadilly Circus." "that makes two of us. and Mr Campbell-Johnson." "many of my friends... will be longing to meet you." "Please excuse me." "May I present Maulana Abul Kalam Azad... until recently president of the Congress Party." "Lord Wavell spoke very highly of you Mr Azad." "I'd love to have a talk soon." "It will be an honour sir." "but what was it Mr Nehru called you ..." "Nan...?" "but my first name is Swarup." "No ... something else." "Ah yes." "Vijayalakshmi ... you see when a Kashmiri woman gets married she gets a new first name." "I'm Vijayalakshmi Pandit." "Vijayalakshmi Pandit." "Very good." "quite soon. ...but please understand..." "I will only discuss independence in terms of all India..." "...a united India." "the division of the country has formed no part of my talks with His Majesty's government." "I can assure you of that." "I'm relieved to hear it." "it is true that the growing violence is of equal importance." "It is criminal of the Moslem League to stir up religious hatred for political purposes." "when I say the League..." "I mean of course Jinnah." "Without him it is nothing." "I gather you find it difficult to work together in the interim government." "he manipulates to sabotage it. since he's already outvoted in the cabinet by 2 to 1." "Perhaps we should join the ladies." "I'm very glad you can see this." "It is a special dance from North India ... a Kathak." "Those Muslims." "They've done it."