AllMovie

The lavishly produced three-part telemovie The Far Pavilions was adapted from the best-selling novel by M.M. Kaye. Set in colonial India during the second Afghan war, the film concerns the exploits of Ashton Pelham-Martyn (Ben Cross), a British officer. Born and raised in India, Pelham-Martyn finds himself a victim of his own divided loyalties as he leads a campaign against the rebellious tribal leaders on the northwestern frontier. The meat of the drama is Pelham-Martyn's "forbidden" romance with his lifelong friend, half-caste Hindu princess Anjuli (Amy Irving). The supporting cast includes the illustrious likes of Omar Sharif and Christopher Lee. Filmed on location on a budget of $12 million (the most costly made-for-cable movie up to 1984), The Far Pavilions originally aired over the HBO service on April 22, 23 and 24, 1984.