The Chess Players

In 1856, amidst the intrigue of colonial India, two wealthy noblemen of the kingdom of Awadh indulge in a game of shatranj (chess) that becomes a metaphor for their detachment and cowardice. Set against the backdrop of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the film tells the story of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, who is overthrown by the British, alongside the tale of two noblemen obsessed with chess. The movie weaves together historical drama and personal narrative to explore the self-centredness and moral decay that contributed to the annexation of Awadh, a tragic and comical tale of lives lost in the pursuit of pleasure.