Shakespeare Wallah
Encyclopedia
Shakespeare Wallah is a 1965 Merchant Ivory Productions
film. The story and screenplay are by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
. Madhur Jaffrey
won the Silver Bear for Best Actress
at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival
for her performance. The Music was composed by Satyajit Ray
actors as they perform in towns in post-colonial India
performing plays by Shakespeare. In this story, Tony Buckingham (Geoffrey Kendal
) and his wife Carla (Laura Liddell) oversee the troupe. Their daughter, Lizzie Buckingham (Felicity Kendal
), falls in love with Sanju (Shashi Kapoor
), who is also romancing Manjula (Madhur Jaffrey
) a Bollywood
film star.
In real life, Shashi Kapoor
fell in love with Felicity's elder sister Jennifer Kendal
. Their marriage would provide an important contribution to the Indian film industry until Kendal's death in 1984.
Merchant Ivory Productions
Merchant Ivory Productions is a film company founded in 1961 by producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory. Their films were for the most part produced by the former, directed by the latter, and scripted by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, with the noted exception of a few films. The films were often...
film. The story and screenplay are by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, CBE is a Booker prize-winning novelist, short story writer, and two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter. She is perhaps best known for her long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, made up of director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant...
. Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey is an Indian actress and food writer who introduced the Western world to the many cuisines of India.- Personal life :...
won the Silver Bear for Best Actress
Silver Bear for Best Actress
The Silver Bear for Best Actress is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actress.-Awards:- External links :*...
at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival
15th Berlin International Film Festival
The 15th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 25 to July 6, 1965.-Jury:* John Gillett * Alexander Kluge* Ely Azeredo* Monique Berger* Kyushiro Kusakabe* Jerry Bresler* Karena Niehoff* Hans Jürgen Pohland...
for her performance. The Music was composed by Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
Plot
Loosely based on the real-life Kendal family, this film follows the story of nomadic BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actors as they perform in towns in post-colonial India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
performing plays by Shakespeare. In this story, Tony Buckingham (Geoffrey Kendal
Geoffrey Kendal
Geoffrey Kendal was an English actor-manager.Born Richard Geoffrey Bragg in Kendal, Westmorland, he took the name of his place of birth as his surname. He married the actress Laura Liddell...
) and his wife Carla (Laura Liddell) oversee the troupe. Their daughter, Lizzie Buckingham (Felicity Kendal
Felicity Kendal
Felicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
), falls in love with Sanju (Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
), who is also romancing Manjula (Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey
Madhur Jaffrey is an Indian actress and food writer who introduced the Western world to the many cuisines of India.- Personal life :...
) a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film star.
In real life, Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
fell in love with Felicity's elder sister Jennifer Kendal
Jennifer Kendal
Jennifer Kapoor - born Jennifer Kendal - was a British actress who married Shashi Kapoor of the Kapoor family.-Childhood:Jennifer Kendal was born in Southport, England, but spent much of her youth in India...
. Their marriage would provide an important contribution to the Indian film industry until Kendal's death in 1984.
Cast
- Shashi KapoorShashi KapoorShashi Kapoor , born Balbir-Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on 18 March 1938 in Calcutta , is an award-winning Indian film actor and film producer. He has also been film director and assistant director in Hindi Films. He is a member of the Kapoor family, a film dynasty in India's Bollywood cinema...
- Sanju - Felicity KendalFelicity KendalFelicity Ann Kendal, CBE is an English actor known for her television and stage work.Born in 1946, Kendal spent much of her childhood in India, where her father managed a touring repertory company. First appearing on stage at the age of nine months, Kendal appeared in her first film, Shakespeare...
- Lizzie Buckingham - Geoffrey KendalGeoffrey KendalGeoffrey Kendal was an English actor-manager.Born Richard Geoffrey Bragg in Kendal, Westmorland, he took the name of his place of birth as his surname. He married the actress Laura Liddell...
- Mr. Tony Buckingham - Laura Liddell - Mrs. Carla Buckingham
- Madhur JaffreyMadhur JaffreyMadhur Jaffrey is an Indian actress and food writer who introduced the Western world to the many cuisines of India.- Personal life :...
- Manjula - Utpal DuttUtpal DuttUtpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
- Maharaja - Praveen Paul - Didi
- Prayag Raj - Sharmaji (as Prayag Raaj)
- Pinchoo KapoorPinchoo KapoorPinchoo Kapoor was a noted Indian actor. He acted in many Hindi films during 70s and 80s. His film career lasted from 1969 to 1989. He was born in Jaipur in Rajasthan. He is best remembered for his role in film Don.-Filmography:- References :*...
- Guptaji - Jim D. Tytler - Bobby (as Jim Tytler)
- Hamid SayaniHamid SayaniHamid Sayani was a popular announcer with the Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon. He was the brother of Ameen Sayani who presented Binaca Geetmala....
- Headmaster's Brother - Marcus Murch - Dandy in 'The Critic'
- Partap SharmaPartap SharmaPartap Sharma was an Indian playwright, novelist, author of books for children, commentator, actor and documentary film-maker.- Background :...
- Aslam