Episode 1

Following the 1857 Mutiny, Ashton, a young English orphan, is disguised by his ayah as her Indian son, Ashok. And so - as he forgets his true identity - his destiny is set.

MM Kaye's epic of love and war dramatised by Rukhsana Ahmad.

Series of 20 episodes spanning the years between the Indian Mutiny in 1857 and the Siege of the British Mission in Kabul in 1879.

MM Kaye's masterwork is a vast, rich and vibrant tapestry of love and war that moves from the foothills of the Himalayas, to the burning plains, to the besieged British Mission in Kabul, filling them with immediacy, meticulous historical accuracy, and a rare insight into the human heart.

A story of divided loyalties and fierce friendship; of true love made impossible by class and race; a critique of the imperialist adventure; and an examination of the cultural and spiritual clash between East and West peopled by a wonderful cast of characters, The Far Pavilions is the very stuff of drama.

Sita / Narrator ..... Vineeta Rishi
Biju Ram ..... Inam Mirza
K-Daad ..... Sam Dastor
Ashok (child) ..... Joseph Samrai
Anjuli (child) ..... Nishi Malde
Hira Lal ..... Sagar Arya
Lalji ..... Nazim Khan
Daya Ram ..... Kaleem Janjua
Pelham Martyn ..... Sam Dale

Directors: Marc Beeby and Jessica Dromgoole

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2011.