Shakespeare Wallah

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Shakespeare Wallah

Released Mar 22, 1966

2h 0m

Drama

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89%

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9 Reviews

66%

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100+ Ratings

Tony (Geoffrey Kendal) and Carla Buckingham (Laura Liddell) and their acting company journey through India performing Shakespearean plays. When their daughter Lizzie (Felicity Kendal) loses her heart to well-to-do Sanju (Shashi Kapoor) after a show, his movie-star ex-lover, Manjula (Madhur Jaffrey), tries to disrupt their union. The Buckinghams must protect their daughter while facing the fact that their plays are falling out of style and the locals are losing their patience for foreigners.

Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

"Shakespeare Wallah" is a tribute to the gallantry, talent and courage of the Kendals. Its gentle humor, however, has a Chekhovian cast.

Dec 14, 2017

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Alan Scherstuhl

Village Voice

A breezy and beguiling study, comedy, romance, elegy.

Nov 8, 2017

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

Very delicate and lovely.

Rated: 4/5

May 9, 2005

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Dwight MacDonald

Esquire Magazine

Everyone acts naturally and Mr. Ivory's direction is light and sensitive, managing to suggest the subtlety and comedy and pathos of Anglo-Indian relationships.

Aug 13, 2019

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Sean Axmaker

Turner Classic Movies Online

... a bittersweet drama of the twilight of a theatrical way of life.

Dec 17, 2011

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 25, 2005

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Johnny Z

Wonderful cinematography. Fantastic actors. Very well-written story. Merchant Ivory at it's finest.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/01/22

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Audience Member

Particularly acute in catching the peculiar matrix of moods and emotions that hold the troupe together and which keep the British and the Indians from ever really understanding each other.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

I really enjoyed this movie in class, great story.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

ssssssssllllllllllooooooooooooowwwww. makes later merchant ivory pacing seem speedy.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

I watched it for 5 minutes..... Felicity Kendall is a draw!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

An early Merchant/Ivory film featuring the real life Kendal family (including a very young Felicity) as members of a traveling Shakespeare company in post-independance India. Rather enjoyable with nice cinematography and a stealing performance from Madhur Jaffrey as the Bollywood Queen though the ending felt a little rushed and dissatisfying.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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James Ivory

Director

Shashi Kapoor

Sanju

Felicity Kendal

Lizzie Buckingham

Madhur Jaffrey

Manjula

Geoffrey Kendal

Mr. Tony Buckingham

Laura Liddell

Mrs. Carla Buckingham

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Synopsis

Tony (Geoffrey Kendal) and Carla Buckingham (Laura Liddell) and their acting company journey through India performing Shakespearean plays. When their daughter Lizzie (Felicity Kendal) loses her heart to well-to-do Sanju (Shashi Kapoor) after a show, his movie-star ex-lover, Manjula (Madhur Jaffrey), tries to disrupt their union. The Buckinghams must protect their daughter while facing the fact that their plays are falling out of style and the locals are losing their patience for foreigners.

Director: James Ivory
Producer: Ismail Merchant
Screenwriter: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, James Ivory
Distributor: Criterion Collection, Continental Distributing Inc.
Production Co: Merchant Ivory Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 22, 1966, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 2017
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 22, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.6K
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Mono

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