Indianizing

Shakespeare: Adaptations and Performances

Dr. Satyabrata Rout

Abstract

Shakespeare has been performed extensively in varied ways, expressed through
multiple cultures of India. From folkloric presentations to the contemporary theatre,
Shakespeare’s plays are being adapted, transformed, altered, restructured and
successfully presented for the last two hundred years. The socio-cultural milieu of India
fusing with the tradition of West, often creates an ‘Indianized Shakespere’. This paper
will identify a few of Shakespearean productions adapted and performed in India from
three different perspectives: a) Shakespeare in Folk and Traditional Theatre, b)
Shakespeare in Entertainment Industry, c) Shakespeare in Experimental Theatre.

Shakespeare’s plays are largely performed in folk theatres with flexibility and loudness.
Plots and characters in this context are easily moulded according to the circumstances
in these popular theatre forms. This paper will shed light on a few of Shakespearean
plays in Indian folk and traditional theatres (King Lear and Macbeth).

Indian Parsi theatre has adapted Shakespeare for commercial purposes in 19th century,
which was taken over by Indian cinema for entertainment over the years. Dealing with
current Indian socio-political situations, a few recent groundbreaking Hindi movies-
Omkara (Othello), Maqbul (Macbeth) and Hayder (Hamlet) have created history. This
paper will also look at the adaptability of Shakespearean plays into Indian
entertainment industry.

Presently, new experiments are undertaken to adapt Shakespearian plays in India.

Some of the major productions namely, Barnum Vanam (Macbeth in Hindi), More Naina
Ranga Chadhe (A Midsummer...) and The Sting (Musical adaptation of The Merchant of
Venice) will be analyzed with demonstration.

Key words: Adaptation, Indianized Shakespeare

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Introduction

The plays of William Shakespeare have been presented in various ways and
styles for the last two centuries in India, entertaining millions through Theatre, cinema,
and other popular mass mediums. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the plays
of Shakespeare are being produced everyday in some regional languages in the length
and breadth of the country. “William Shakespeare is understood far better in India than
his birth country and the iconic playwright’s popularity in the emerging economies
exceeds his fame in the UK, a new survey released on Tuesday has found” (The Hindu
News, London, April 19th 2016). The reason being the adaptability of the Bard is
malleable enough to fuse with the local cultures and traditions to articulate in the
people’s language, making him the most popular playwright in the sub-continent. The
universal appeal of his characters and the plots brings Shakespeare close to the human
heart in spite of its Western origin. A close look at the plays of Shakespeare produced in
India in the last two centuries can be categorized into three broad types: Literary
translations of the plays, adaptation into socio-cultural and political situation of the
country and the reflection of Shakespearean plays on Indian writings and
performances. While the first category is more to cater to academia, the second one
serves more to the masses, the last one is more experimental in nature and used more
in a post-colonial light.

A Colonial Shakespeare

Shakespeare was introduced to India by the British for teaching English to the
Indians as well as for their own entertainment and education. While explaining English
theatre in colonial India, Ms. Anita Das mentions: “The Calcutta theatre, patronized by
Warren Hastings, staged exclusively British repertoires such as The School for Scandals,
Richard III and Hamlet, among others. […] The Merchant of Venice was reviewed in
Selections Calcutta Gazettes 29 (One of the earliest English-language newspapers in
India, founded in 1784) as: ‘On Monday evening the Comedy of the “Merchant of Venice”
was performed here to a very full theatre. Shylock never appeared to great advantage,
and the other characters were in general, well supported. (2016: 394)i”

New theatre houses were built in the city of Calcutta during 1775- 1808 for the
presentation of English plays, particularly the plays of William Shakespeare. Plays like,
Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Comedy of Error
and Taming of the Shrew were presented regularly which grabbed the attention of the
elite Indians and were translated first into Bengali later into Marathi. Around 1850,

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Shakespeare was translated and adapted into various Indian languages: Bengali,
Marathi, Urdu and Gujarati. The Comedy of Errors (1879) was the first Shakespearean
play to be adapted in Hindi by Munshi Imdad Ali. The Parsi Theatre Companies in India
are accredited to make Shakespeare popular among the masses. These company
theatres, in the later half of the 19th c. presented Urdu and Gujarati adaptations of
Shakespearean plays fraught with folk songs and dances. The aim of these theatres was
to provide the best entertainment to the audience as a survival strategy, creating an
Indian idiom to the productions. The Parsi theatre took liberty to Indianize Shakespeare
by radically deviating from the original text and investing more upon Indian flavour,
tones and texture. Prof Javed Mallik, an eminent scholar of Indian theatre argues: “In
contrast to the monolithic icon that was taught in schools and collages, the Parsi
theatre’s Shakespeare was often a deviant, multilayered, and, sometimes, fractured text.
This deviation from the canonical model seems to have characterized the attitude of the
founders of Parsi theatre companies from the very beginning. (2006: 83)ii.

Many of the Shakespeare’s plays were adapted into Indian socio-political situations
and were performed regularly for the common folks with much applaud and success.
These adapted plays were moulded into the Parsi style: Musical, folk-dance based and
melodramatic in nature which became synonymous with the Parsi theatre. The major
adaptations undertaken by the playwrights of the colonial India are- Pt. Radheshyam
Kathavachak, Agahashra Kashmiri, Narayan Prashad Betab, Lala Sita Ram, Govind
Prasad Ghildiyal and Tulsidas Shaida. Listed below is the Hindustani adaptations of the
popular plays for the Parsi theatre:

1. Romeo and Juliet -- Bazm-e-Fani (1890)

2. Cymbeline -- Meetha Zahar (1895)
3. The Winter’s Tale -- Murad-e-shoke (1895)
4. Hamlet -- Khoon-e-Nayak (1898)
5. Othello -- Shahid-e-Wafa (1898)
6. The Merchant of Venice -- Dil Farosh (1900)
7. King Lear – Haar Jeet (1902)
8. Twelfth Night – Bhool Bhulaiya (1905)
9. Antony and Cleopatra – Kali Nagin (1906)
10. The comedy of Errors – Gorakh Dhandha (1912)
11. Much Ado About Nothing – Manmohan Ka Jaal (1915)
12. The Tempest – Jungle mein Mangal ( 1914)
13. Measure for Measure – Bagula Bhagat (1923)

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 Bharatendu Harishchandra (1850-1885), the father of the modern Hindi literature,
condemned outright the style of presentations of the Parsi theatre by criticizing them as
vulgar and cheap. He instead propagated a kind of theatre which would have an edifying
effect on the society apart from its entertainment value. While maintaining the
educational and cultural dignity of Shakespeare he adapted ‘The Merchant of Venice’ in
the name of “Durlabh Bandhu” (Invaluable Friends-1880). This perhaps is the first ever
adaptation of Shakespeare in India with a meaningful interpretation and political value.
Bharatendu tries to bring down the play into Indian situation by changing the name of
the characters, places and actions without changing the plot. Creating a parallel to the
conflict between the Christian and Jews in the original play, he placed it as the conflict
between the Hindu and the Jain religions. The play turns to be political and becomes a
metaphor of India’s independence struggle against the British rule representing Shylock
as a foreigner who wants to encroach the native land and grab the money by killing the
innocent people through deceitful means. ‘The adaptation also indicates how the
knowledge of colonial models used as a tool to strike back the colonizers’ (Nandi Bhatia,
64).

In the beginning of 20th c. till the independence of India, Shakespeare has been
translated, adapted and modified almost in all Indian languages. But unfortunately, due
to the irregularity in the committed theatre practices, the translations and adaptations
were mainly confined to literary circles and academia. On the eve of independence, a
British actor named Geoffrey Kendal formed a theatre company in India named
‘Shakespeareana Theatre Company’ (1947). It was a touring company aimed at
presenting Shakespeare in its original English language and form. A few of its major
productions presented with interpretation and intensity included, Othello and Richard
III, etc. A noted Bengali actor, Utpal Dutta joined this company and performed
Shakespeare in English for many nights, afterwards continued performing and adapting
Shakespeare in Bengali forming his own company, The Little Theatre Group. His famous
adaptation of ‘King Lear’ into Jatra performance as, ‘Ajker Sahajahan’ will remain a
milestone in the history of theatre. Later, this was adapted into a film “The Last Lear”
(2007) directed by Rituparno Ghosh which bagged him the National film fare award.

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 A scene from The Merchant of Venice- 1931Performed by Geoffrey and Laura Kendal
Courtesy: Shakespeareana by Geofferey Kendal

A few eminent playwrights and poets of the post-independence India have adapted
Shakespeare with interpretation and socio-political ethos. Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan
(1907-2003), a noted Indian poet has adapted a few of the Shakespeare’s plays in free
verse. His adaptations of Macbeth (1957), Othello (1959), Hamlet (1969) and King Lear
(1972) shed new lights on Shakespeare’s interpretation and are considered as an
invaluable treasure of Indian literature. But they could not live up to the expectation of
presentations due to their higher literary dominance. They are proved more suitable for
educational domains and included in the academic syllabus in the Universities and
Colleges.

Shakespeare in Indian Cinema

Apart from the stage versions of Shakespeare, Indian cinema has played a
pivotal role in popularizing his works among the common and ordinary masses. Indian
cinema remains the most popular entertainment industry for the last hundred years.
Not only it brought new changes in the socio-cultural milieu of the country, but also it
tried to cinematize the great literary works including novels, stories and plays thus
expanding the horizon of the art, making it accessible to the common masses in the sub-
continent. For many Indians, cinema is a religion and the actors are regarded as Gods.
Shakespeare’s dramatic strength and super portrayal of human nature every time
draws the attention of the filmmakers to mould them into the celluloid medium. In
1935, Sohrab Modi, a Parsi actor and producer adapted Hamlet into Hindi Cinema as

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Khoon ka Khoon by playing in the lead role, followed by The Merchant of Venice as Zalim
Saudagar in 1941. The famous Indian poet and lyricist Gulzar (Sampurna Singh Kalra)
adapted a Bengali version of Shakespeare’s play “Comedy of Errors” into a Hindi movie
named as “Angoor” in 1982. This comedy film was a huge success in the box office. Critic
Manju Jain writes: “The only way of being ‘faithful’ to Shakespeare, in the intercultural
context, it seems, is to relocate him fully. […] Of these, Gulzar’s Angoor (1981), a
complete Indianization of The Comedy of Errors, has been the most successful, in fact,
the most commercially successful Indian Shakespeare film to date, as is proved by its
continuing sale of DVD yet.” (2009: 233)iii.

The film versions of Hamlet, Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, Romeo
and Juliet, etc. are continuously contributing to the Indian entertainment industry for
almost a century. But the recent cinematic adaptation of Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet
into Hindi as, Maqbool (2004), Omkara (2007) and Haider (2014) respectively, set
Shakespeare in the post-colonial structure of India by fusing Indian current socio-
political situations into the plots. These three films of Vishal Bharadwaj, the ‘Trilogy of
Shakespeare’ as he says, are probably the most appropriate adaptations till date into
the Indian cinema. Through ‘Maqbool’ (2004), the director tries to draw a scape of
today’s Mumbai and its changing cultural and political scenario. Once a British colony,
Mumbai is portrayed as a global centre of commerce and multiculturalism through this
adapted version. “Maqbool celebrates openly the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity
of modern Mumbai and ultimately holds up the ideas of the younger generation as being
at least equal to those of the older one”(2015, 362).iv Omkaara (2007) the adapted
version of Othello deals with Indianization of the play not only by transposing the plot
into the backdrop of rural India, but also by changing the temperament of the
characters, situations and sometimes even the plot. The characters, instead of their
changing names and occupations, are very similar to that of the original play. The film is
based on a contemporary underworld gangster of North India, where all the illegal and
illicit activities take place. On analyzing Omkara, Prof Poonam Trivedi states: “Rather
than underlining elements such as cast and race, drawing attention to “other kinds of
urgencies that mark the contemporary postcolonial milieu in India: problems and crime
related to cast warfare and the violence against women that remains in the centre of
these crimes, along with lawlessness, clan rivalry and political deceit” (2003: 170)v.
Vishal Bharadwaj’s latest flick Haider (2014)- Hamlet follows the similar ideology as in
his previous ones. The film has been successfully interweaved into the controversial
Kashmir issue by relocating it on the backdrop of 1990’s insurgency and the growing
terrorism in the Kashmir valley, thus making the film entirely Indian. This region has
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witnessed and still continues with the worst arms struggle between the separatist
groups and the Indian army, demanding freedom from India. The adaptation succeeds
in bringing out the raw emotions of the people through this controversial and most
sensitive issue thus making the film a huge success.

Shakespeare in Postcolonial Theatre Practices

India has witnessed a large number of Shakespeare’s adaptations into theatre

performances in the postcolonial period. After the independence, Indian art and culture
were restructured and visualized through an Indian perspective so as the theatre.
Indian folk and traditional theatres were revitalized for the new theatre expressions.
Most of the playwrights and directors of the postcolonial India tried their hands to
assimilate the incredible heritage of the country into the modern theatre, through
original Indian writings, translations and adaptations. Shakespeare as one of the major
playwrights was also revisited with a different angle. The current Indian socio-political
scenario started interweaving either in the adaptations or in the performances resulted
in presenting Shakespeare through various Indian indigenous theatrical forms: an
attempt to decolonize Shakespeare. The second half of the Twentieth century has
witnessed Shakespeare’s plays performing for the contemporary theatre, interwoven
into the traditional and folk theatre forms such as, Jatra, Kathakali, Yakshagana, and
Nautanki etc. Such Indianization of Shakespeare is not only achieved through a fusion of
the forms, but also in a deeper philosophical level resulting in an intercultural
rapprochement with the text and practice.

Indian ‘Theatre of roots’ movement is a postcolonial concept that approaches

for an indigenous kind of theatre expression, found its roots in the traditions and
cultures of the country. The movement spreads its wings in India in 1970-90s, and still
continues but with a different approach. The performances of Shakespeare through the
root theatres brought multitude dimensions into the presentations. Contrary to the
earlier presentations where the text serves as the central nerves, in the postcolonial
theatre, emphasis is transferred to the interpretation and performances. Among the
Shakespeare’s productions for the root theatre, the Bengali adaptation of ‘Macbeth’,
directed by Utpal Dutt, explores the potentials of ‘Jatra’ theatre forms of Bengal to bring
indigenous expression to the production. According to Rustom Bharucha, “Dutt’s
conception of staging Shakespeare for the [Bengali] masses may have been crude but it
was in all probability, closer to the guts of the Elizabethan theatre than most European
revivals of Shakespeare’s plays in recent years” (1983: 62-3).vi

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 With the establishment of the ‘National School of Drama’ in 1958, Shakespeare
was revisited with new interpretations and concept. The Drama School played a key
role in restructuring the modern Indian theatre in the postcolonial period. The works of
all the great playwrights of the world have been translated or adapted for the NSD
(National School of Drama) presentations with higher perfermative values. Out of many
experimental works undertaken by the alumnus of the drama school, B.V Karanth’s
Barnam Vanam (1979)- The Varnam wood: a Hindi adaptation of Macbeth will remain
one of the the groundbreaking productions of Shakespeare in Indian experimental
theatre.

A few of the Shakespeare’s play productions by NSD

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 The Hindi adaptation of
Macbeth as Varnam Vana by the noted
Indian poet Raghuveer Sahay brought
poetic imageries into the text. B.V
Karanth, the former director of NSD
tries to visualize Shakespeare through
an Indian eye in this legendary
production of the National School of
Drama Repertory Company in 1979.
An architect of Indian ‘Theatre of
Roots movement’, B.V Karanth knitted
the play with the expressions of
Yakshagana: a folk theatre form of
Karnataka (South India). The form
brought stylization and Indian images
into the production. With the
amalgamation of Karanth’s
experimental theatre music and
stylized movements of Yakshagana,
the play brought new aesthetics
enriched with visual and aural
sensibility. Karanth in his director’s
note confesses: “I choose the

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Yakshagana form instead which has fluid rhythm and a strong dramatic style. I do not
find myself capable of producing Shakespeare the way he is produced in his own
country. Were I to do so, it would be false of me. Therefore, my use of the Yakshagana
form is not for my own sake, but because it is a part of my awareness and expression”
(1992: 122).vii

The playwright’s creation of the situations, plot and characters for ‘Macbeth’ is
empowered with universality, high emotions and larger than life situations which are
well expressed through the application of the native stylized form of Yakshagana. Fused
with the form, the play is expressed through Indian sensibility, while the form helps
establish the entry and exit of the characters and the emotional tensions in the play.

The production also moved a step ahead to speak loudly a different

interpretation that no one in India conceived ever before. The ‘Varnam Wood’ in this
production, represents an ‘intricate jungle of ambition’, existing nowhere except in our
mind. It tries to trap us in its web thus making us our own enemy. The adaptation of
Macbeth into ‘Varnam Vana’ justifies this unique interpretation. The witches in
‘Macbeth’ are also an extension of his creation of fear, a creation of his own mind.
Surrounded with fear, Macbeth trapped himself in a dark world of nightmare which was

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full of sufferings. The end the play revealed the universal primitive passions of human
being through an Indian viewpoint. The design of the play borrowed elements from the
oriental theatre traditions such as from, Bali, Indonesia, Cambodia and Japan whose
colors and forms were reflected in costume, props and set design. It was all to create an
Oriental ethnic expression to the production. Dr. Suresh Awasthi notes: “[…] the Indian
director B.V Karanth mounted Macbeth in a new Hindi verse translation with the
repertory company of the National School of Drama in a most innovatively conceived
production, with stylized movements by the actors and costumes inspired by Indian
and Indonesian traditions. Using such an approach Karanth made Shakespeare truly
‘our contemporary’ for the first time in a century of Indian Shakespearean production
(1993; 178).”viii

In another production of ‘Macbeth’ (2014) in Manipuri for the Chorus Repertory

Theatre Company, an illustrious Indian director, Ratan Thiyam presents entirely a new
interpretation which set an example of a true postcolonial Shakespeare. In this Indian
version, Thiyam tries to visualize Macbeth as a tribal chieftain with notorious intention
and ambition and treats him as an epitome of a ‘dreadful disease’ of unlimited desire,
greed and violence that are creeping the contemporary society and eating out the
humanity, in the 21st c in general, and India in particular. The play speaks of a de-
humanized Indian society that has forgotten its ethical and cultural values and
philosophy due to the impact of globalization. It is a disease spreading first among the

Scene from ‘Macbeth” (2014), Directed by Ratan Thiyam

Courtesy: Chorus Repertory Theatre, Imphal

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man by entering into his mind and nerves. “These symptoms are not easily diagnosed
as they aren’t seen in the surface but are born inside polluted and corrupted minds”
(The Hindu, July 4th 2016). Thiyam has borrowed materials from the original play, i.e.
conspiracy, complexity, instigations, and the dramatic moments, which he has, weaved
into his specific style. His representation of Macbeth is the most horrified one ever-
visualized in theatre, set in the 21st c. global backdrop, providing a postcolonial
experience to the spectators.

Scene from ‘Macbeth” (2014), Directed by Ratan Thiyam

Courtesy: Chorus Repertory Theatre, Imphal

Ratan Thiyam’s deep association with the culture and tradition of Manipur, like
in his earlier productions, fashioned the play in a highly stylised manner with
movements and choreography. The manifestation of Thiyam’s Visual theatre is reflected
time and again in this production; in costumes, masks, prop and in the entire design
which provides an aesthetic pleasure to the viewers.

In two of my adaptations of Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night’s Dream as ‘More

Naina Rang Chadhe…’ (2009) and The Merchant of Venice as ‘Reth: Songs of the Sand’
(2016- rehearsal is still on and the production is slated in November-4th, 5th, 6th at
Mumbai), I have tried deliberately to deconstruct a European Shakespeare by
fragmenting it into typical Indian rural situations.

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 More Naina Ranga
Chadhe…. (Which means,
Colours spreading in my
eyes) has been treated as an
Indian folklore with its
flavour, fantasy and
wittiness. The varied colours
of Indian folk forms and
their theatrics have been
knitted in designing the play.
Nautanki, a folk theatre form
which has been explored to
weave the production,
enthralls the audience in its
full charm

Scene from the play
“More Naina Ranga Chadhe…”
Presented by the students of
Bharatendu Natya Akademi, Lucknow
Directed by: Satyabrata Rout

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Reth: Songs of the Sand (Indianization of The Merchant of Venice)

Reth: Songs of the sand, an Indianization of “The Merchant of Venice” is set in

the backdrop of a desert in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The changing hue of the desert
and its rhythm and music add colours to the production. Though ‘Reth: Songs of the
Sand’ has borrowed elements from Shakespeare, it differs many a time, structuring it
into an Indian production.

Weaving the play within the perimeter of an Indian folktale, the three witches
meet at the desert. They, out of their notorious tricks, create a beautiful woman, Rani
Bhamari (Shylock), in sand, to fulfill their evil designs. Rani Bhamari, a tribal woman,
controlled by the witches like Indian puppets, involves in money lending and water
selling business in the desert. In the due course of time, she falls in love with another
businessman of the locality, Antu Nahar (Antonio), who is vary much popular among
the natives because of his helpful nature. Rani Bhamari wants to marry him but is
refused outright by Antu. Rani gets angry and promises to take revenge of her
humiliation and of course of business rivalry.

On the other end of the desert, Vishnu (Basanio) is a childhood friend of Antu
Nahar with whom he used to play ‘marbles’ in their childhood days. One day in the
game of marbles, Antu defeats Vishnu deceitfully which humiliates him. This indecent
behavior of Antu forces Vishnu to stop talking to him. In due course of time, Antu leaves
for ‘Maru Nagar’ (replacement of Venice), a village in the desert and turns out to be an
honest and successful businessman. But, he cannot forget his discourteous behavior to
his best friend Vishnu and lives in guilt. He always keeps those marbles with him as a
memorabilia of their friendship. Vishnu on the other side, joins a ‘Nautanki’ company
but is expelled because of his bad acting performance and also loses all his money in
gambling. He is eventually penniless.

Meanwhile, Vishnu falls in love with his childhood friend-Pursi (Prussia), the
daughter of a tribal chieftain, but is refused because of his being poor. He is told that in
order to get the hand of Pursi, he must bring an equal amount of gold of the weight of
her father in a month’s time or else she will be married off to a wealthy man of the same
community, who invariably fulfills all the condition. A distressed and disheartened
Vishnu having no other option, decides to meet his wealthy friend, Antu Nahar on the
other side of the desert. Therefore, he starts for Maru Nagar.

At Maru Nagar, Antu Nahar is on a business deal. His caravan of Four Hundred
camels along with his business assistants leaves for Kandahar in the desert with all his

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goods and commodities. They are supposed to return in two months with a huge
amount of wealth. Upon their meeting, both the friends greet each other and recall their
childhood memories being oblivious of all acrimonies. Antu wishes to help his friend in
his distressed condition, but he has no wealth left with him. Everything is invested on
the caravan to Kandahar. He decides to lend the money from Rani Bhamari, the
businesswoman of the desert. He is greeted by Rani Bhamari at her palace, who gladly
offers the wealth in two alternate conditions:

“First: If Antu Nahar fails to pay back the money in two months, he has to marry
her and the second: he has to pay back the amount in double in the due course of
time or else Rani Bhamari will crush all his marbles into powder in her own
hands and make him swallow it.”

The first option is rejected, agreeing upon the second one. Antu gets the money
after signing a formal agreement. Vishnu leaves for his village with the wealth in order
to marry Pursi.

The news of a sand storm which destroyed his caravan in the desert on their way
back to home reached Maru Nagar. Now, Antu has nothing left to repay the loan, not
even a single penny. Pursi also comes to know about it and rushes to the site to help
their dear friend Antu Nahar, from the marriage place itself.

Rehearsal photo of Reth: Songs of the Sand - Produced by AGP World, Mumbai
Directed by Satyabratya Rout

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 As the stipulated time is over, all the witches bring Hammam diarrhea: Mortar-
Pistel and start crushing the marbles and try to make Antu swallow the glass powder. It
is intervened by Pursi who insists on crushing the marbles by Rani’s own hand and not
by any other means, as written in the agreement paper. After a few arguments, Rani
Bhamari starts crushing the marbles by her own hand but in vain. She starts crushing
the marbles madly. Blood oozes out of her hand profusely. The witches leave her
screaming and gradually Rani gets sanctified after losing all her bad blood. Finally she is
libarated, rises to consciousness as a noble and beautiful princess who gets married to
Antu Nahar with all dignity and respect.

Conclusion

Indian Shakespeare is not a foreigner, rather a reconstructed Shekespeare whom we in

postcolonial India, know well. Most of us in India, grew up with the tales and plays of
Shakespeare much before knowing him at all. I recollect, in my boyhood, I watched a
play in a Jatra performance where an angry father divides his property in two equal
parts, between his two sons, while the third one is deprived of any property, since he
loved his wife more than that of him. While reading King Lear much later, I was shocked
by the similar story. My first impression was: “How William Shakespeare brought an
Indian story into English?” (I was 14 year old then). How funny it is that we are exposed
to his works in various ways and means without even knowing him! Apart from
numerous translations, adaptations or alterations, Shakespeare has a great impact on
Indian poets, novelists and playwrights, including Rabindranath Tagore, Jaishankar
Prasad and Bharatendu Harishchandra. In a way, Shakespeare is re-created in India as
India’s Shakespeare and that is the greatest contribution of the bard of the Avon to
Indian sub-continent.

A Scene from “Julius Ceasar ke Akhir Sat Din” (2008) Directed by Bapi Bose
Courtesy: The Circle Theatre Company, New Delhi

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Bibliography

i Routledge Hand Book of Asian Theatre. Edited by Siyuan Lui, Published by Routledge, New

York, 2016

ii India’s Shakespeare: Translation, Interpretation and Performance. Edited by Poonam Trivedi

and Dennis Bartholomeusz, published by: Dorling Kindersley (India) pvt. Ltd, 2006

iii Narratives of Indian Cinema, Edited by: Manju Jain, Primus Books Delhi, 2009
iv The History of British Literature on Film (1895-2015), Greg M. Colon Semenza and Bob

Hasenfratz, Bloomsbury Publishing Inc. (New York, London, New Delhi, Sydney), 2015, p. 362

v Translation and Adaptation in Theatre and Film, Edited by Katja Krebs, RRoutledge

Publication, New York, 2014

vi Rustom Bharucha, Rehearsals of Revolution: the Political Theatre of Bengal (Honolulu:

University of Hawai Press, 1983), p. 62-3.

vii Rangayatra, National School of Drama Publication, 1992.

viii Suresh Awasthi, ‘The Intercultural Experience and the Kathakali Kinglear’, The New Theatre

Quarterly (NTQ), Volume-IX, No.34, May-1993, p. 178

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Satyabrata Rout/Associate Professor, Scenography/ Dept. of Theatre Arts/ University of Hyderabad/ India

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