A Passage to India (film)
Updated: 12/20/2025, 12:34:24 PM Wikipedia source
A Passage to India is a 1984 epic period drama film written, directed and edited by David Lean. The screenplay is based on the 1924 novel of the same name by E. M. Forster and the 1960 play adaptation by Santha Rama Rau. The film stars Peggy Ashcroft, Judy Davis, James Fox, Alec Guinness, Nigel Havers, and Victor Banerjee. Set in the 1920s, in the British Raj, the film follows the interactions of Dr. Aziz, Mrs. Moore, Adela Quested, Ronny Heaslop, and Richard Fielding in the fictional city of Chandrapore, which is split between the British elite and the native underclass. However, their relationships become strained due to cultural tensions and personal misunderstandings. This was Lean's final film and marked his return to directing after a 14-year hiatus since Ryan's Daughter (1970). Upon its release, A Passage to India was met with widespread critical acclaim, with some praising it as Lean's finest since Lawrence of Arabia. The film received 11 nominations at the 57th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Davis. It won Best Supporting Actress for Ashcroft, making her, at 77, the oldest actress to win the award, and Best Original Score for Maurice Jarre, his third award in that category.
Infobox
Directed by
David Lean
Screenplay by
David Lean
Based on
A E. M. ForsterA Passage to India (1960)Santha Rama Rau
Produced by
John BrabourneRichard Goodwin
Starring
Peggy Ashcroft Judy Davis James Fox Alec Guinness Nigel Havers Victor Banerjee
Cinematography
Ernest Day
Edited by
David Lean
Music by
Maurice Jarre
Productioncompanies
Thorn EMI Screen EntertainmentHome Box Office, Inc.
Distributed by
Columbia-EMI-Warner Distributors (United Kingdom)Columbia Pictures (United States and Canada)
Release date
14 December 1984 (1984-12-14)
Running time
163 minutes
Countries
United KingdomUnited States
Language
English
Budget
£17 million or $14.5 million
Box office
$40 million (est.)
Tables
· Reception › Box office
United States / Canada
United States / Canada
Market(s)
United States / Canada
Release
1984
Ticket sales
7,700,000
Box office gross revenue
$27,187,653
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Market(s)
United Kingdom
Release
1985
Ticket sales
2,528,729 (est.)
Box office gross revenue
£4,313,000 ($5,536,585)
France
France
Market(s)
France
Release
1985
Ticket sales
984,724
Box office gross revenue
$2,668,602 (est.)
Germany
Germany
Market(s)
Germany
Release
1985
Ticket sales
713,303
Box office gross revenue
€3,136,849 ($2,716,217)
Spain / Sweden
Spain / Sweden
Market(s)
Spain / Sweden
Release
1985
Ticket sales
317,100
Box office gross revenue
$719,817 (est.)
Italy
Italy
Market(s)
Italy
Release
1985
Ticket sales
285,646
Box office gross revenue
$648,416 (est.)
South Korea
South Korea
Market(s)
South Korea
Release
1986
Ticket sales
135,032
Box office gross revenue
₩472,612,000 ($536,176) (est.)
Netherlands / Iceland / Portugal
Netherlands / Iceland / Portugal
Market(s)
Netherlands / Iceland / Portugal
Release
2007
Ticket sales
217
New Zealand
New Zealand
Market(s)
New Zealand
Release
2011
Box office gross revenue
US$13,591
Total
Total
Market(s)
Total
Release
12,664,751+ (est.)
Ticket sales
$40,027,057+ (est.)
| Market(s) | Release | Ticket sales | Box office gross revenue | Ref |
| United States / Canada | 1984 | 7,700,000 | $27,187,653 | |
| United Kingdom | 1985 | 2,528,729 (est.) | £4,313,000 ($5,536,585) | |
| France | 1985 | 984,724 | $2,668,602 (est.) | |
| Germany | 1985 | 713,303 | €3,136,849 ($2,716,217) | |
| Spain / Sweden | 1985 | 317,100 | $719,817 (est.) | |
| Italy | 1985 | 285,646 | $648,416 (est.) | |
| South Korea | 1986 | 135,032 | ₩472,612,000 ($536,176) (est.) | |
| Netherlands / Iceland / Portugal | 2007 | 217 | ||
| New Zealand | 2011 | US$13,591 | ||
| Total | 12,664,751+ (est.) | $40,027,057+ (est.) | ||
· Reception › Awards and honors
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Picture
Nominee(s)
John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin
Result
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actress
Best Actress
Award
Best Actress
Category
Judy Davis
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Award
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Art Direction
Best Art Direction
Award
Best Art Direction
Category
Art Direction: John Box and Leslie Tomkins; Set Decoration: Hugh Scaife
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Category
Ernest Day
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
Award
Best Costume Design
Category
Judy Moorcroft
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Film Editing
Best Film Editing
Award
Best Film Editing
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Original Score
Best Original Score
Award
Best Original Score
Category
Maurice Jarre
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Sound
Best Sound
Award
Best Sound
Category
Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Michael A. Carter, and John W. Mitchell
Nominee(s)
Nominated
American Film Institute
American Film Institute
Award
American Film Institute
Category
AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores
Nominee(s)
Maurice Jarre
Result
Nominated
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
Award
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
Category
Best Actress
Nominee(s)
Judy Davis
Result
Won
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Won
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Award
British Academy Film Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
John Knatchbull, Richard Goodwin, and David Lean
Result
Nominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Award
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Category
Victor Banerjee
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Award
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Award
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Category
James Fox
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Award
Best Adapted Screenplay
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography
Award
Best Cinematography
Category
Ernest Day
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Costume Design
Best Costume Design
Award
Best Costume Design
Category
Judy Moorcroft
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Production Design
Best Production Design
Award
Best Production Design
Category
John Box
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Score for a Film
Best Score for a Film
Award
Best Score for a Film
Category
Maurice Jarre
Nominee(s)
Nominated
British Society of Cinematographers Awards
British Society of Cinematographers Awards
Award
British Society of Cinematographers Awards
Category
Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film
Nominee(s)
Ernest Day
Result
Nominated
Directors Guild of America Awards
Directors Guild of America Awards
Award
Directors Guild of America Awards
Category
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
Nominee(s)
David Lean
Result
Nominated
Evening Standard British Film Awards
Evening Standard British Film Awards
Award
Evening Standard British Film Awards
Category
Best Actor
Nominee(s)
Victor Banerjee
Result
Won
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Foreign Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Award
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Award
Best Director – Motion Picture
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Award
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Category
Nominated
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Award
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Category
Maurice Jarre
Nominee(s)
Won
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
Award
Grammy Awards
Category
Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Japan Academy Film Prize
Japan Academy Film Prize
Award
Japan Academy Film Prize
Category
Outstanding Foreign Language Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Award
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
Category
Best Supporting Actress
Nominee(s)
Won
National Board of Review Awards
National Board of Review Awards
Award
National Board of Review Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Top Ten Films
Top Ten Films
Award
Top Ten Films
Category
Won
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Actor
Best Actor
Award
Best Actor
Category
Victor Banerjee
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Actress
Best Actress
Award
Best Actress
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Won
National Society of Film Critics Awards
National Society of Film Critics Awards
Award
National Society of Film Critics Awards
Category
Best Director
Nominee(s)
David Lean
Result
Nominated
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actress
Award
Best Supporting Actress
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Nominated
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Film
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Actress
Best Actress
Award
Best Actress
Category
Peggy Ashcroft
Nominee(s)
Won
Writers Guild of America Awards
Writers Guild of America Awards
Award
Writers Guild of America Awards
Category
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Nominee(s)
David Lean
Result
Nominated
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Picture | John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin | Nominated | |
| Best Director | David Lean | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Judy Davis | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Peggy Ashcroft | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium | David Lean | Nominated | ||
| Best Art Direction | Art Direction: John Box and Leslie Tomkins; Set Decoration: Hugh Scaife | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Ernest Day | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Judy Moorcroft | Nominated | ||
| Best Film Editing | David Lean | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score | Maurice Jarre | Won | ||
| Best Sound | Graham V. Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Michael A. Carter, and John W. Mitchell | Nominated | ||
| American Film Institute | AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores | Maurice Jarre | Nominated | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | Judy Davis | Won | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Peggy Ashcroft | Won | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | John Knatchbull, Richard Goodwin, and David Lean | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Victor Banerjee | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Leading Role | Peggy Ashcroft | Won | ||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | James Fox | Nominated | ||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | David Lean | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Ernest Day | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Judy Moorcroft | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design | John Box | Nominated | ||
| Best Score for a Film | Maurice Jarre | Nominated | ||
| British Society of Cinematographers Awards | Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film | Ernest Day | Nominated | |
| Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | David Lean | Nominated | |
| Evening Standard British Film Awards | Best Actor | Victor Banerjee | Won | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Foreign Film | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Peggy Ashcroft | Won | ||
| Best Director – Motion Picture | David Lean | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score – Motion Picture | Maurice Jarre | Won | ||
| Grammy Awards | Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special | Nominated | ||
| Japan Academy Film Prize | Outstanding Foreign Language Film | Nominated | ||
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Director | David Lean | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Peggy Ashcroft | Won | ||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| National Board of Review Awards | Best Film | Won | ||
| Top Ten Films | Won | |||
| Best Director | David Lean | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Victor Banerjee | Won | ||
| Best Actress | Peggy Ashcroft | Won | ||
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Director | David Lean | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Peggy Ashcroft | Nominated | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Director | David Lean | Won | ||
| Best Actress | Peggy Ashcroft | Won | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium | David Lean | Nominated | |
References
- See Box office § Average ticket price.
- BBFChttps://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/a-passage-to-india-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmza1ndi
- British Film Institutehttps://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150263965
- Alexander Walker, Icons in the Fire: The Rise and Fall of Practically Everyone in the British Film Industry 1984–2000, O
- MAGNIFICENT OBSESSIONS: Rosenfield, Paul. Los Angeles Times 24 March 1985: 1.
- www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/topic/A-Passage-to-India-novel
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/18/100-best-novels-a-passage-to-india-em-forster-robert-mccrum
- Phillips, Beyond the Epic , p.406
- Phillips, Beyond the Epic , p.403
- E. M. Forsterhttps://books.google.com/books?id=WX2wCwAAQBAJ&q=comedy+theatre+a+passage+to+india+1960&pg=PA132
- Phillips, Beyond the Epic , p.407
- LEAN'S 14-YEAR PASSAGE TO LOVE Mann, Roderick. Los Angeles Times 10 April 1983: w21.
- LINDSAY ANDERSON BREWS SOME CHAOS New York Times17 Jan 1982: A.19.
- Read, Piers Paul, Alec Guinness: The Authorized Biography.
- Filminkhttps://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-moguls-verity-lambert-at-thorn-emi-films/
- Walker 1985 p286
- Producer splits cost of films The Guardian 10 January 1985: 4.
- Filminkhttps://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-film-moguls-nat-cohen-part-five-1971-1988/
- A Passage To Indiahttps://www.mapability.com/travel/p2i/marabar.php
- Beyond the epic: the life & films of David Lean
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/14/movies/the-screen-passage-to-india-by-david-lean.html
- RogerEbert.comhttps://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/a-passage-to-india-1984
- Varietyhttps://www.variety.com/review/VE1117793886.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0
- Time Outhttps://www.timeout.com/london/film/a-passage-to-india
- Channel 4https://web.archive.org/web/20070807235850/http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=106941
- Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/passage_to_india
- "A Passage to India"https://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-passage-to-india
- Box Office Mojohttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=passagetoindia.htm
- KinoPoiskhttps://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/8761/
- British Film Institutehttps://web.archive.org/web/20150912042419/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-back-to-the-future-the-fall-and-rise-of-the-british-film-industry-in-the-1980s.pdf
- 25th Framehttps://www.25thframe.co.uk/detail-page/?rimage=a_passage_to_india
- World Bankhttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.FCRF?end=1985&locations=GB&start=1984
- Terra Mediahttps://www.terramedia.co.uk/reference/statistics/cinema/cinema_ticket_prices_1.htm
- JP's Box-Officehttp://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=6648
- Inside Kinohttps://www.insidekino.com/DJahr/D1985.htm
- fxtop.comhttps://fxtop.com/en/historical-currency-converter.php?A=3136849&C1=EUR&C2=USD&DD=31&MM=12&YYYY=1985
- KOFIChttp://www.kobis.or.kr/kobis/business/mast/mvie/searchMovieList.do
- A Cultural Interpretation of Korean Cinema, 1988-1997https://books.google.com/books?id=ilEeAQAAMAAJ
- World Bankhttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.FCRF?end=1986&locations=KR&start=1985
- Lumierehttp://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=20156
- Box Office Mojohttps://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0087892/
- "The 57th Academy Awards (1985) Nominees and Winners"http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1985
- "AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores Nominees"http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores250.pdf
- "BSFC Winners: 1980s"https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-1980s/
- "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1986"http://awards.bafta.org/award/1986/film
- "Best Cinematography in Feature Film"https://bscine.com/media/uploads/awards/bsc-cinematography-feature-film.pdf?v
- "The 37th Annual DGA Awards"https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1980s/1984.aspx?value=1984
- "A Passage to India"https://goldenglobes.com/film/passage-to-india-a/
- "28th Annual GRAMMY Awards"https://www.grammy.com/awards/28th-annual-grammy-awards
- "KCFCC Award Winners – 1980-89"https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-1980-89/
- "The 10th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards"http://www.lafca.net/Years/1984.php
- "1984 Award Winners"https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1984/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/03/movies/stranger-than-paradise-wins-award.html
- Observer-Reporterhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z31iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nncNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1195,3008667
- "Awards Winners"https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551