Bend It Like Beckham director in Bradford to talk about Indian partition - and the power of storytelling in helping us view and review British history

Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson, two of the stars of upcoming film Viceroy's House

From Bradford to Leeds, Dewsbury to Halifax, and Huddersfield to Keighley, the contribution of the South Asian diaspora to the fabric of Yorkshire has been immense - and that's not just because of the community's vital role in propping up the mill industry in a broken post-war Britain.

And this weekend, acclaimed filmmaker Gurinder Chadha - who made her name with Bhaji on the Beach and Bend it Like Beckham - will be exploring those very contributions, and the scars and healing journeys springing out of huge political events, when she visits Bradford as part of a promotional tour for her new film Viceroy’s House.

The period drama, starring Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Gillian Anderson (The X Files) and the late Om Puri (East is East), charts the events of 1947, when Lord Mountbatten (Bonneville) was appointed Delhi’s last Viceroy, and was charged with handing India back to its own people.

While overseeing the project, Mountbatten had a hand in the Partition; an action which resulted in the mass migration of millions of refugees who, dependent on religion, were forced to travel between two newly independent dominions – India and Pakistan.

Millions of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus died in the ensuing troubles, including members of Miss Chadha’s own family,

The movie - on nationwide release from this Friday (March 3) - views the seminal historical event both through the eyes of Mountbatten and of servant Jeet, the upstairs-downstairs structure becoming a microcosm of the wider social upheavals.

The film’s release will coincide with the 70th Anniversary of the independence of India and the founding of Pakistan.

British Asian film-maker Miss Chadha, who has Punjabi heritage, was inspired to delve into the subcontinent’s rich history, and the events surrounding independence, after filming an episode of BBC ancestry series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’.

It’s a topic that she says has been virtually wiped from classroom curriculums, but which continues to reverberate throughout history.

“The partition of India during the last days of the British Raj is a subject not many people talk about,” Miss Chadha told The Yorkshire Post.

“Even though it was one of the largest forced migrations of refugees ever, and about 14 million people were made refugees overnight.

“In Yorkshire, a lot of people’s parents and grandparents would have been directly affected.

“So it’s a very relevant story not just for the Asian community, but also the English community, because it’s about our joint history.

“It’s important to remember that a lot of English people have a history with India too.”

This Sunday, Miss Chadha - who holds an honorary degree from Leeds University - will take part in a Q and A at Bradford’s National Media Museum following a special screening of the film.