This Month’s Films: Shakespeare Wallah & The Namesake
Cuisine: Indian

I’ve been curious about this film ever since I saw the title. With my lifelong love of Shakespeare, and my esteem for the teamwork of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, it’s bound to be a winner. Here is the NetFlix synopsis:

“Director James Ivory’s 1965 film tells the story of a struggling English troupe of Shakespearean actors (called Shakespeariana) that goes on tour in India at a time when English influence is on the wane. When the troupe’s caravan breaks down, an Indian playboy stops to help, creating drama of, well, Shakespearean proportions. The film explores familiar themes of social displacement (a staple of later Merchant-Ivory movies).”

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