Elegiac and atmospheric, SHAKESPEARE WALLAH was the feature film that really put Merchant Ivory Productions on the international movie map, winning them great critical acclaim. Starring a young Felicity Kendal, the film's inspiration lies in the real-life adventures of Ms. Kendal's family as a traveling theater group in India during the final days of English colonial rule. The Buckingham Players try to uphold British tradition by staging Shakespeare plays for the general public, boarding schools, and local royalty, but are unable to compete with the wildly popular Bollywood film industry. The film also traces the developing relationship between the acting troupe's young ingénue, Lizzie, and Sanju, a wealthy Indian playboy. But their romance is beset by hindrances, not the least being the machinations of Manjula, a fiery Indian film star who is also in love with Sanju. Nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear and winner of the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actress (Madhur Jaffrey) at the **Berlin International Film Festival.** *"A breezy and beguiling study, comedy, romance, elegy." - Alan Scherstuhl, **Village Voice***