Ralph Whelan (Henry Lloyd-Hughes) clearly believes in keeping his enemies close, and those who might be useful to him even closer.
Channelling the awkward charms of a young Ralph Fiennes, he politely demands that his sister Sarah and Aafrin – the man that took the assassin’s bullet seemingly meant for him – get their stories of that fateful night straight before making their reports.
Aafrin is told later to take advantage of his new found position at Ralphie’s right hand – ‘If he is a good man, he will help’. The problem is, it’s increasingly unclear who in Indian Summers is good, and who is not.
Aafrin’s own sister, Sooni (Aysha Kala) is spotted making stirring speeches in the bazaar. She’s popular – the crowds: women, children and even the men are cheering her, but it’s not long before the authorities are out in force, breaking up the crowds and breaking bones. She’s soon bundled into gaol, and it’s clear that British rule is devastating for many respected people in their own home country.
Cynthia Coffin (Julie Walters) is doing much as she can to make everyone feel at home, as long as they understand what home gets to be in charge. She’s setting up what’s essentially a village fete in the foothills of Simla.
‘The challenge of recreating Claridges in the Himalayas’, she remarks drily after making an order for hundreds of scones. She is at once the most obviously likable character – a great hostess, funny, dirty-minded and direct – while being the least trust worthy and Machiavellian. When a drunk and rowdy white man drops to the ground from a heart attack after belting into a polite and reasonably defenceless native landowner, it’s clear where her loyalties lie: despite hundreds of witnesses, she still blames ‘the bloody Indian’.
Dougie (Craig Parkinson) and Sarah attempt to talk, without getting much said. Still, it’s the beginning of a conversation. Meanwhile, he and Leena (Amber Rose Revah) are so crushed by the weight of absolutely nothing happening between them that they finally steal a kiss.
The interruption that follows is enough to convince them that nothing else should happen, but it’s doubtful that these two good people will be able to resist for too much longer. Sarah (Fiona Glascott) is able to see the oncoming storm, and hisses a warning at Neena. She is close to screaming point, and something will have to give. And soon.
Elsewhere, Leena and Alice begin a hesitant and fragile friendship as they attempt to navigate their initial mistrust of each other. Alice asks about the children in Neena’s charge: are they all orphans? No, Neena tells her. They are simply mixed race foundlings, dumped on doorsteps.
Once you realise that some of the kids simply don’t know their own parents or history, it becomes apparent that there’s possibly a much bigger story about Adam (the child on the train tracks from the first episode) being dangled in front of us.
But at the centre of it all, Aafrin (Nikesh Patel) is on the rise in many ways: not only is he back on his feet, he’s landed on them too, as Whelan offers him a very important job.
‘This is it in action!’ his proud father proudly declares. ‘The British sense of fair play!’. Not everyone is convinced., but Ralphie is quick to get him on side. ‘You’re looking in fine fettle for a man who took a bullet to the chest’, he’s told, and Aafrin doesn’t disagree.
In fact, he rarely disagrees with anything, often doing what he’s told, and trying to make the peace with everybody, on both sides of the culture clash. All the time, he’s dreaming of earning his freedom, of being his own man, but he is warned that he risks being used, that he’s being naïve.
‘This is British propaganda,’ his sister screams at him. ‘You are British propaganda: look at the part you have been cast in.’ Later, he sneaks a look at, and actually steals a letter that indicates that perhaps not all is well. He’s agreed to give evidence that Ralphie was called a ‘British devil’ just before the gun was fired.
It may be soon before Aafrin realises it’s a devil that he himself has made a deal with.
Aired at 9pm on Sunday 1 March 2015 on Channel 4.
> Order Indian Summers on DVD on Amazon.
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