Before The Rains

Set against the backdrop of the decline of the British empire and growth of the nationalist movement in southern India in 1937, this tale of forbidden love between an English spice merchant (Linus Roache) and a local village girl (Nandita Das) works as a powerful metaphor for the failure of colonialism. Working from a screenplay by the late American writer Cathy Rabin (to whom the film is dedicated), cinematographer and director Santosh Sivan (The Terrorist) makes his English language debut with this unsurprisingly handsomely shot film that’s loaded with visual symbols. Doom-laden as the tragedy is, there’s also an optimistic note in the presence of idealistic young Indian TK (Rahul Bose), who’s torn between loyalty to his country’s past and ambitions for his own future.

Cineworld, Thu 19 Jun, 8.30pm; Fri 20 Jun, 5.15pm, £8 (£6.40).