"Actor: Prayag Raj"

• Shakespeare Wallah | DVD | (28/04/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Elegiac and atmospheric Shakespeare Wallah made in 1965 was the feature film that really put Merchant Ivory Productions on the international movie map winning them great critical acclaim. It is now recognised as a classic.Starring a young FELICITY KENDAL SHASHI KAPOOR and MADHUR JAFFREY the film's inspiration lies behind the real-life adventures of Felicity Kendal's family as a travelling theatre troupe in India during the twilight days of English colonial rule. Essentially a culture-clash romance which blends Shakespeare and British tradition with the emerging Indian 'pop' culture the film traces the developing relationship between Lizzie one of the members of the acting troupe with Sanju a wealthy Indian playboy. But their romance is beset by hindrances not the least being the machinations of Manjula a fiery Indian cinema star who is also in love with Sanju.

• Bombay Talkie | DVD | (30/06/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Bombay Talkie is Merchant Ivory's affectionate bemused view of bollywood - India's huge dream factory. The film is like a brightly coloured sumptuous Indian sweet covered in gold foil and cameraman Subrata Mitra's ravishing photography has never been surpassed in any other of James Ivory's films. The story set off by elaborate studio numbers is a melodrama echoing those of Bombay's mass audience movies and the sexy best sellers of the film's heroine American authoress Lucia Lane (Jennifer Kendal). Visiting India in search of 'new material' she becomes romantically involved with handsome move star Vikram (Shashi Kapoor). When that doesn't work out she flees to an ashram to take up the spiritual life. That also - hilariously - doesn't work out and the ill-fated couple get together again with explosive results.