Sharpe's Challenge is a two-part series set in early 19th century India, starring Sean Bean, and a sequel to the hugely popular 1996 series by the same name. The original Sharpe's Challenge was set in the Battle of Waterloo. The present programme focuses on the Anglo-Maratha wars that were instrumental to the formation of the British Empire in India.

The film follows the fortunes of British soldier Sharpe (Sean Bean), after his exploits in the Peninsular War against the French, which thwarted the imperialist ambitions of Napoleon and his cohorts. In the original series, the romanticised British soldier is shown pitting wit and bravery against cunning enemy hordes and overwhelming immense odds to emerge triumphant.

I expected much of the same in the present show, the backdrop of which is the creation of the British Empire in India in 1818. The plot is loosely based at the court of the last independent Holkar King, son of the famous Jaswant Rao Holkar who so famously defeated the British on so many occasions in the 1803 Anglo-Maratha War. The Maratha Empire, of which Holkar is part, is determined to make a last attempt to vie for the supremacy of India against the British forces backed by their numerous Indian sepoys.

The scene shows the cruelty of casual punitive punishments at the Indian court as they attempt to modernise their forces with the help of French and British mercenaries. Refreshingly however many of the British and French characters are shown equally devious and cruel as their Indian counterparts and scenes of honour and courage are apparent on both sides.

A further snippet of history is shown as an English mercenary, loosely based on the 'Irish Rajah' George Thomas attempts to carve out his own principality with the aid of the troops of the Begum Samru, an erstwhile Mughal princess. (In real life Thomas was killed and his so called principality faded into the fold of the Maratha Empire)

The British Indian troops are led by a Mohan Singh who exhibits character and courage throughout the program and even whilst dying with great dignity affirms his faith in Hindu beliefs as he tells Sharpe that this is not the first nor the last time of him meeting death. A hint of the anti-Indian racism and prejudice that later inflamed the Indian soldiers to the great rising of 1857 is also shown (although needless to say, this racism is challenged by hero of the show, Sharpe)

The film hints at the fall of the Marathas and the failure of a great conspiracy against the British Empire, but manages to do so without falling into the trap of pretending that a great social revolution was taking place. In other words, the program didn't make out that the British were 'civilising' barbaric Orientals, as so many British dramas, films and writings make out.

There are positive affirmations of Hindu culture as the young prince Holkar tells the general's daughter of the antiquity and depth of Hindu culture. Also the Indian soldiers are shown firm in refusing to perform duties that violated their sense of dharma. The soldiers of the Holkars are also shown as Hindu soldiers fighting with courage and determination. In fact, there were quite a few positive Hindu inputs to the flavour of the film.

Overall not a bad effort. Sharpe was hardly likely to lose, but managed to achieve success without mocking and condescending, unlike most other shows about India and her history.