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From Deepa Mehta, director of the ‘Elements Trilogy’ (Fire (1996), Earth (1998), and Water (2005)) comes this adaptation of Salman Rushdie’s much-loved 1980 masterpiece of post-colonial literature and magical realism, and winner of the ‘Booker of Bookers’ prize.

The film begins with the birth of protagonist Saleem at the precise moment of the institution of the independent republic of India. His life thereafter follows a path set by the development of the young state, buffeted between families and regions as India undergoes internal turmoil and wars. Gifted with strange powers as a result of the timing of his birth, Saleem is able to telepathically communicate with others born in the first hour of independence, two of whom, Shiva and Parvati, play major roles in his life.

Sumptuous to behold, it is, as one would expect from the source material, a film of great narrative richness and complexity, and a fascinating portrayal of the development of a nation. (Notes by Kevin Coyne.)