Michael Winterbottom breathes new life into Thomas Hardy’s classic novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles, relocating the story to contemporary India. Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) stars as the eponymous Trishna, a rural peasant girl working to support her family, whose life is torn apart after she meets and falls in love with wealthy British businessman Jay Singh (Riz Ahmed). Divides of class, and clashes between rural traditions and modern lifestyles mean their love affair is from the start overshadowed by tragedy.
Vividly evoking its location, with an almost documentary-style cinematography giving a gritty realism, Trishna avoids a picturesque Slumdog style portrayl of India.