Shakespeare Wallah (1965)

83% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
64% of users liked it
(126 ratings)

Lizzie (Felicity Kendal) is an actress in a Shakespearean theater troupe that has seen better days. The troupe tours India to dwindling crowds who are less interested in all things British in the wake of Indian independence. When she has an affair with the Indian playboy Sanju (Shashi Kapoor),… More Lizzie (Felicity Kendal) is an actress in a Shakespearean theater troupe that has seen better days. The troupe tours India to dwindling crowds who are less interested in all things British in the wake of Indian independence. When she has an affair with the Indian playboy Sanju (Shashi Kapoor), Lizzie feels the wrath of her disapproving father Tony (Geoffrey Kendal) and her mother Carla (Laura Liddell). Madhur Jaffrey plays the role of the Indian actress Manjula in this romantic drama with musical score from Satyajit Ray. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr.
Directed By: James Ivory
Written By: James Ivory
Genres: Drama, Romance, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1965 Wide
On DVD: Apr 27, 2004

Critic Reviews

Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Very delicate and lovely.
Don Druker, Chicago Reader
Ivory is 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.
Sean Axmaker, Turner Classic Movies Online
... a bittersweet drama of the twilight of a theatrical way of life.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Surprisingly light and enjoyable early James Ivory film with luminous Felicity Kendal.
David Bezanson, Filmcritic.com
more intimate and nuanced work than the team's subsequent high-profile period films, like The Remains of the Day.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Emily B

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… More
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.