Under the Pillow (2012)

A Suitable Girl

A Suitable Girl follows three young women in India struggling to maintain their identities and follow their dreams amid intense pressure to get married. The film examines the women's complex relationship with marriage, family, and society.

Nehru

Divided into three parts — The Awakening, The Struggle, and Freedom — this is a biographical film on Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. Relying on Nehru's writings and speeches, the film traces the evolution of Nehru from his birth through his life. It also deals with the effect of history on Nehru and in turn his impact on the world.

India on Film: 1899 – 1947

As part of the 2017 UK-India Year of Culture, the British Council and British Film Institute share a unique collection of films documenting the sights and culture of a bygone India. Filmed between 1899-1947, and preserved in the BFI National Archive since then, these rare films capture many glimpses of life in India, from dances and markets, to hunts and pageantry.

Ask the Sexpert

A sex columnist gains popularity even while a ban on comprehensive sex education in schools is adopted by approximately a third of India’s states.

Wheel of Time

Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.

India Cabaret

A documentary exploring the "respectable" and "immoral" stereotypes of women in Indian society told from the point of view of 2 strip-tease dancers in a cabaret house in Bombay.

Dams: The Lethal Water Bombs

Documentary short about the disastrous dangers of aging, ailing dams.

Kolkata with Sue Perkins

Sue Perkins immerses herself in the complex life of Kolkata and sees how it is reinventing itself as a megacity with a reputation for eccentricity, culture and tolerance.

Picturesque India or, In and About Calcutta

Botanical gardens in Bombay plus the highly decorative Jain Temple in Calcutta.

Simla and Lahore

Evocative observational scenes of Simla and Lahore, including the gorgeous Shalimar Gardens and Anarkali Bazar.

Darjeeling

This amateur film gives us a fair idea of the opulent life enjoyed by members of the British government in India.

Boat Repairs - Sunderbans

Boats and steamers on the mud flats and lakes of the Assam district, India.

Scenes at his Excellency the Viceroys's Garden Party at Belvedere

Indian high society enjoy themselves at a Calcutta garden party held to welcome the new Viceroy, Lord Irwin.

Old Barak

Amateur film of fishing and geese-shooting trips by a British party in India.

Pindi Events

Life in the bustling Punjabi city of Rawalpindi before partition.

Local Scenes in India and the Taj Mahal

This travelogue takes in some of the most important landmarks of Islamic power in India.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Malakand, Kapurthala and Dehra Dun

The future Edward VIII visits Malakand, Kapurthala and opens the Royal Military College at Dehra Dun

Sports in the Indian Army

A demonstration of sport and fitness by members of the Indian Army.

Wandering Tigers in North India

Tigers in the Himalayan foothills, filmed by famous hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett.

Indian Life

A motorist's excursion captures a world made by hand in the environs of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi.

Indian Elephants in the Service of Man

Indian elephants in action as working animals and in hunting.

Wonderful Temples of India

A Christian take on 'Edenless' India, where heathens are unafraid of snakes, and build 'interesting' temples to their gods.

Benares Chungking Ichang

Arresting early film images of both northern India and central and south western China.

Aka and Daffla Dances

A stunning display by Nyishi tribesmen from the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, north-eastern India.

Our Greatest Ambassador

Richly detailed record of the Prince of Wales' Indian tour.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Madras, Bangalore, Mysore and Hyderabad

This official travelogue of a royal tour follows the Prince on a series of regimental displays and a tiger hunt.

Delhi, Great Capital of India

Rare stencil-coloured images of early 20th century Delhi during a Muslim festival.

Wedding of Maharaj Kumar Shri Meghrajji Shaeb of Kutch and Maharaj Shri of Kishangarh

Fireworks, illuminations and traditional dance all feature in a stunningly opulent royal wedding at Kundla, Gujarat.

Calcutta Pageant

Scenes from a lavish pageant held during the royal visit to India, celebrating King George V’s coronation.

Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath

Kathakali performance featuring the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath.

5th Calcutta Battalion: Presentation of Colours by H.E. The Viceroy

The inauguration of a unit of the Indian Defence Force in Calcutta.

Mysore Dasara

The Mysore Palace shines with 100,000 lights in a dazzling 400-year-old celebration.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Delhi

The future Edward VIII enjoys a stately procession and visits the Taj Mahal before meeting senior Indian royalty.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bombay, Poona, Baroda, Jodhpur and Bikaner

The future Edward VIII visits his Empire, with Indian royalty, elephants, palaces and temples.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Bikaner, Lucknow, Benares, Nepal and Great Tiger Shoot

The future Edward VIII enjoys receptions, playing polo and hunting tigers on his royal tour.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Peshawar, The Khyber Pass and Rawl Pindi

The future Edward VIII enjoys stunning mountain scenery on a visit to the Khyber Pass during his royal tour

Procession at Gangtok

Traditional games, dancing and music among the people of Sikkim - in vivid colour.

Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Calcutta and Delhi

The future Edward VIII opens a durbar and enjoys a day at the races before inspecting the fire brigade in Calcutta.

Khyber Pass; Kashmir; Agra

Romantic, atmospheric travelogue capturing some of northern India’s most iconic places – not least the Taj Mahal.

Herzschlag der Kontinente

Plot unavailable

Sita Sings the Blues

Utilizing the 1920s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, the epic Indian tale of exiled prince Ramayana and his bride Sita is mirrored by a spurned woman's contemporary personal life, and light-hearted but knowledgeable discussion of historical background by a trio of Indian shadow puppets.

Fascinating India

"Fascinating India" spreads an impressive panorama of India’s historical and contemporary world. The film presents the most important cities, royal residences and temple precincts. It follows the trail of different religious denominations, which have influenced India up to the present day. Simon Busch and Alexander Sass travelled for months through the north of the Indian subcontinent to discover what is hidden under India’s exotic and enigmatic surface, and to show what is rarely revealed to foreigners. The film deals with daily life in India. In Varanasi, people burn their dead to ashes. At the Kumbh Mela, the biggest religious gathering of the world, 35 million pilgrims bathe in holy River Ganges. This is the first time India is presented in such an alluring and engaging fashion on screen.