The Deceivers (1988)

20% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(970 ratings)

This historical drama, based on a novel by John Masters that was in turn inspired by actual events, follows William Savage (Pierce Brosnan), a British agent of the East India Company, as he is sent with his new wife to India in the early 19th century. While Savage holds the unusually progressive… More This historical drama, based on a novel by John Masters that was in turn inspired by actual events, follows William Savage (Pierce Brosnan), a British agent of the East India Company, as he is sent with his new wife to India in the early 19th century. While Savage holds the unusually progressive view that the people of India are human and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, he is still a very proper subject of the British empire and behaves accordingly. One night, when he sees a group of seemingly crazed men rob and kill a defenseless woman, he demands to know what has happened. He learns that the killers were members of a bizarre cult called the Thugees; Savage is determined to do something about them, and he works his way into the group by disguising himself as one of their number; however, the more Savage tries to win the trust of the Thugees, the more he must act as one of them, which leads him into a murderous secret life of his own. The Deceivers was produced by Ismail Merchant, his first film with a director other than James Ivory. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 52 min.
Directed By: Nicholas Meyer
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1988 Wide
On DVD: Jan 18, 2005
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
a Victorian colonialist potboiler with art film pretensions
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
just isn't very interesting or entertaining

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Cast

            Pierce Brosnan as William Savage

            Saeed Jaffrey as Hussein

            Shashi Kapoor as Chandra Singh

            Helena Michell as Sarah Wilson

            Keith Michell as Col. Wilson

            David Robb as George Angelsmith

            Tariq Yunus as Feringea

            Jalal Agha as Nawab

            Gary Cady as Lt. Maunsell

            Tim Van Rellim as Reverend Matthias

            Amin
            
            Akbar Bakshi
            
            Salim Ghouse as Piroo

            Ramesh Goyal
            
            Neena Gupta as Widow

            Nayeem Hafizka as Sepoy

            Bijoya Jena as Harlot

            H.N. Kalla as Nawab Servant

            Kammo as Official

            Goga Kapoor as Shor Dhil

            Kaushel
            
            Haroon Khan
            
            Manmohan Krishna as Old Rajput

            Harish Magon as Sepoy

            Nilesh Malhotra
            
            Manmaujee as Ferryman

            Giles Masters as Captain Devril

            Ramesh Ranga as Rajput's Son

            Dalip Singh Rathore as Sowar

            Gilla Sethna as Chandra Singh's Maidservant

            Kanwaljit Singh as Gopal

            R.P. Sondhi as Prisoner

            Shanmukha Srinivas as Hira Lal

            Dalip Tahil as Daffadar Ganesha

            Rajesh Vivek as Priest
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