Henry (Linus Roache) is imperialism personified in 1937 India, a bold, British entrepreneur building a road to further his spice business. Henrys dedicated assistant, T.K. (Rahul Bose), is a Western-educated local who struggles to find a balance between his culture and his ambitions. Henrys adulterous liaison and local housemaid, Sajani (Nandita Das), exposes Henrys inner cowardice while facing the consequences of her own improper actions. Director/cinematographer Santosh Sivan effectively evokes the duplicity among people and cultures in this adaptation of Danny Veretes story.