This isn’t Downton Abbey – there are guns and swords ...

TOM BATEMAN is no stranger to period drama. Take his turn as the dashing Giuliano de’ Medici in Da Vinci’s Demons, for example, or his portrayal as the eponymous Jekyll and Hyde; and more recently, military man Rawdon Crawley in Vanity Fair.

But by all accounts, finding himself “transported” to historical India for a new six-part ITV drama was a first for the classically trained actor.

Set on the cusp of the 19th century in Delhi, Beecham House – co-created, written and directed by film-maker Gurinder Chadha OBE – follows former soldier John Beecham (Tom) as he snaps up an imposing mansion in a bid to begin a new life with his family.

Wealthy and distinguished, John has witnessed exploitation during his time with the East India Company and has now resolved to conduct his business as a trader in a more equitable manner from here on.

With a baby in tow, however, and two Indian nursemaids (neither of whom openly identify as the mother), it seems there’s more to the Englishman than meets the eye.

For Tom, the merging of two very different worlds proved to be a real draw.

“It always comes down to script and characters,” he says. “I was sent the first three scripts and I really wanted to know what happened next. I got very invested in all the characters.

“There’s a great line that John says which is, ‘I’m not here to build walls’,” he recalls. “And I thought the idea of working with two very different cultures would be very interesting.”

He adds: “My characters are normally quite energetic, but John is very strong, quite hard and you don’t really know who

he is at first. He internalises, he’s a man of mystery...

“He’s got a baby but there’s no mother and he doesn’t tell anybody anything about that, which instantly makes you think something’s going on because otherwise why wouldn’t he just tell people who the baby’s mother is?”

He is inherently “a good man”, however. “(He’s) trying to do the right thing, but he’s been through the wars. He’s also very forwardthinking,” insists Tom, who read lots of history-led books and had Urdu lessons in preparation.

“He left the East India Company because he didn’t agree with the way they did things which, at the time, was very bold,” he adds, the show having been set before the British ruled the region.

“A lot of people just went along with it and didn’t question it, but he refused to be part of it. For someone to stand up against the norm makes them very intriguing to me.”

For Beecham House, he says: “Gurinder tipped everything in; there is action in it, there’s a lot of pounding through the countryside on horseback, there’s guns and swords being drawn. The first two seconds you are going to go, ‘This isn’t Downton Abbey’ – no offence!”

So the “Downton in Delhi” reference that’s been floating around is unfounded?

“I can see the headlines now!” he says, laughing. “No, I mean, it is that sort of world and the reason people loved Downton ... was because it captures that world and that idea and people got invested in the characters.

“That has been a huge thing for Gurinder,” he reveals. “So hopefully people love it as much as Downton!”

Beecham House continues on Sunday on ITV, 9pm.