Heat and Dust

Set in India, a British researcher uncovers the tale of her great‑aunt’s scandalous 1920s liaison with a local nobleman, revealing family secrets and societal tensions of the era. The drama, featuring Julie Christie and Greta Scacchi, brings the hidden history to life.

Heat and Dust is a programme presented as a movie‑style drama. It is listed under the genre “drama” and is identified simply as a programme rather than a series or documentary. The story follows a British researcher who is working in India and comes across the hidden history of her great‑aunt. She learns that, in the 1920s, her great‑aunt became involved in a scandalous liaison with a local nobleman, an affair that had remained concealed until the researcher’s investigation. The drama features performances by Julie Christie and Greta Scacchi, who portray the central figures connected to the discovered romance. Their involvement anchors the narrative, linking the contemporary researcher’s perspective with the events of the past. Set against an Indian backdrop, the programme weaves together the present‑day quest for truth with the recollection of a bygone era. By uncovering the affair, the researcher not only reveals a family secret but also offers a glimpse into the social dynamics of the 1920s, bridging two generations through a single, concealed love story.