Staying On is a 1980 British television film directed by Silvio Narizzano, based on Paul Scott’s 1977 novel. Set in the 1970s, it follows Colonel Tusker Smalley (Trevor Howard) and his wife Lucy (Celia Johnson), the last British couple residing in the small Himalayan town of Pankot after India’s independence. While Tusker clings to the past, Lucy grapples with their uncertain future in a rapidly changing India.​

The film features Pearl Padamsee as Mrs. Bhoolabhoy, the temperamental owner of Smith’s Hotel, and Saeed Jaffrey as her husband, Frankie Bhoolabhoy. Their interactions with the Smalleys highlight the cultural and social shifts of post-colonial India.

Staying On offers a poignant exploration of identity, belonging, and the complexities of post-colonial life, serving as a reflective coda to Scott’s Raj Quartet series.​