Bhowani Junction (1956) is a film adaption of the famous novel ‘Bhowani Junction’ by John Masters. The movie starred Ava Gardner as Victoria Jones, an Anglo-Indian serving in the Indian Army, and Stewart Granger as Colonel Rodney Savage, a British Indian Army Officer. The movie was filmed at MGM-British Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, the Longmoor Military Railway, and Lahore, Pakistan.
The plot
It is a brilliant piece of filmmaking and a drama of great intelligence. The Communist Party and the Congress Party are sabotaging Bhowani, a railroad junction, to help the British exit India faster. Both parties have their reasons for doing so. Ava Gardner and Bill Travers may have given some of the most outstanding performances of their careers. Both portray bi-racial characters who don’t belong in either society. However, they react differently. Gardner is experiencing a lot of anxiety, seeing both the British and Indian perspectives. Bill Travers is a railroad station manager who dedicates his whole life to his career. As a result of his tunnel vision, he is blind to the momentous changes around him. It’s just that, when the British leave, he may lose that little bit of authority that gives him status in the Raj society.
Below are some photos of Ava Gardner during the filming of ‘Bhowani Junction’.
