An exploration of friendship, cultural divides, and the intricacies of human connection set against the backdrop of British colonial India, A Passage to India by EM Forster centres around Dr Aziz, an Indian Muslim physician, and his interactions with the British residents of Chandrapore, including the idealistic but naive Cyril Fielding, the open-minded Adela Quested, and the sceptical Mrs Moore.

When Adela accuses Dr Aziz of assault during a trip to the enigmatic Marabar Caves, the resulting trial reveals the deep prejudices and tensions between the colonisers and the colonised. The caves, with their haunting echoes, symbolise the inscrutability of truth, evocatively captured in the acclaimed 1984 Merchant-Ivory film adaptation, directed by David Lean and starring Judy Davis, Victor Banerjee, and Peggy Ashcroft, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Mrs Moore.

Forster’s sharp critique of imperialism and his poignant examination of the impossibility of true connection in a divided world make this a deeply thought-provoking work.