Latest news with #Hamlet
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Bestsellers behind the box office: 5 books that made Bollywood history
(Written by Somya Panwar) Lights! Camera! Literature! Over the years, Indian cinema has drawn inspiration from literature and transitioned the audience from readership to viewership by giving us some hit book-to-movie adaptations. This collaboration of Bollywood and literature has made it more convenient to absorb the plot through visuals. These films not only widen the scope of literature but offer a unique blend of cinema and books. Let's explore five such adaptations that made their way to the silver screen: Haider (2014), a cult classic by Vishal Bharadwaj, reimagines Hamlet, Shakespeare's five-act revenge tragedy against the the politically charged backdrop of conflict-ridden Kashmir. If movie-goers found the film politically resonant, the credit reportedly goes to the film's poet-lyricist Gulzar as the film had earlier been conceived as an espionage thriller. Much like the tortured Prince Hamlet, Haider, – essayed by Shahid Kapoor – returns to the restive valley upon learning of his father's disappearance to confront his uncle, whom he suspects of foul play. Irrfan Khan, playing Hamlet's Ghost (Roohdaar), masterfully haunts both Haider and the audience, as he seeks justice. Tabu is dazzling as Haider's mother (Gertrude), while Kay Kay Menon does justice to the formidable and slippery Khurram (Claudius). Unlike Shakespeare's Hamlet, who delivers seven soliloquies, Haider distills this inner turmoil in just one: 'Hum hain ki hum nahin' ('To be or not to be'). Bhardwaj's Haider is the final installment in his acclaimed Shakespearean trilogy, following Maqbool (2003), inspired by Macbeth, and Omkara (2006), based on Othello. Each film masterfully transposes Shakespeare's themes of ambition, jealousy, and revenge into the Indian socio-political landscape. Shahid Kapoor's performance in the titular role is widely regarded as one of his finest, earning him accolades including the National Film Award, Filmfare Award for Best Actor, and the IIFA Technical Award. With evocative cinematography and an emotionally charged narrative, Haider captures the existential anguish and moral conflict at the heart of Hamlet, while grounding it firmly in the reality of modern Kashmir. Despite its slightly extended runtime, the film maintains narrative momentum and emotional depth throughout. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya (2008) is a lavish and stylised cinematic adaptation of White Nights, a short story by 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. Bhansali reimagines Dostoevsky's tale of unfulfilled love and emotional isolation within the grand framework of Bollywood, casting Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor in the lead roles. Through his protagonist who yearns for love, Bhansali remains faithful to Dostoevsky's recurring themes of self-destruction and human alienation, distilling the essence of White Nights on the big screen. Despite its impressive visuals and music, the film falls short on emotional depth due to an impoverished plot. Despite its lack of commercial success, the film remains a guilty pleasure for cinema enthusiasts who admire Sanjay Leela Bhansali's lavish and larger-than-life direction. A perfect title that resonates with the identity crisis, a brilliant cast that strengthens the narrative, and music that evokes a sense of belonging, Mira Nair adapted Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jhumpa Lahiri's novel with remarkable finesse. The Namesake, starring Irrfan Khan and Tabu in lead roles dwells on the complexities of the immigrant experience and is best known for exploring themes of cultural displacement and love through her body of work. The film's script reflects Lahiri's literary style, providing a faithful representation of her voice. The film explores, with great sensitivity, the cultural and social conflicts that come with an identity crisis—particularly for the children of immigrant parents. Mira Nair, known for her cinematic explorations of similar cultural themes, adeptly blends her directorial approach with Lahiri's nuanced storytelling. The protagonist, ashamed of his American-Desi identity, struggles to adapt to a foreign lifestyle and resents his parents for their cultural imposition. Nair aimed to portray a more empathetic and humanised version of Gogo, the protagonist, and her effort to capture this sense of 'in-betweenness' translates to the screen. Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf is an adaptation of Ruskin Bond's classic short story Susanna's Seven Husbands. The plot follows the mysterious deaths of all seven of Susanna's husbands, holding the audience's attention with a suspenseful, well-constructed narrative. Recognising the story's cinematic potential, Bhardwaj expanded the script, giving each character adequate screen time. The film integrates the seven deadly sins from Roman Catholic theology, aligning closely with Bond's original vision. However, despite these creative choices, the film's overdramatised execution and heavy-handed use of music undermined its impact, affecting its box office performance. Several actors, including Ruskin Bond himself, made a cameo in the film. Try to spot him if you watch the film! Guide, directed by Vijay Anand, is a cinematic interpretation of RK Narayan's celebrated novel of the same name. Narayan, one of India's most respected authors, is best known for creating the fictional town of Malgudi. In 1964, Dev Anand approached Narayan to acquire the film rights for The Guide. Though the film went on to achieve both critical and commercial success, Narayan initially had reservations about major changes made to the plot, which he felt deviated from the spirit of his novel. When Dev Anand offered him a modest financial arrangement and a share of the profits, Narayan famously declined, saying, 'Let me rise or sink with your film. I do not want to exploit you.' Despite these early concerns, Guide went on to receive numerous awards and accolades, including an Oscar nomination. The film's rich visuals and linguistic elegance set a new benchmark in Bollywood's cinematic landscape, and continues to be revered as a landmark in Indian film history. (The writer is an intern with The Indian Express.)
New Statesman
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Thom Yorke's Hamlet is brilliantly rendered sacrilege
Photo by Manuel Harlan Many would proclaim a Radiohead-Shakespeare fusion a coming together of the two greatest miracles of consciousness. Others would roll their eyes. On Thursday 12 June, Stratford-upon-Avon's Royal Shakespeare Theatre was packed with members of the first camp, including the Radiohead band members themselves. The frontman Thom Yorke had reconceptualised Hamlet, adapting the music from the band's sixth album, Hail to the Thief. Throughout the show the music did the talking. Swathes of the script were reimagined as song and dance, sometimes interpretatively yet recognisably, always impressively. The staging was bleak, with stark lights and a cold mist drifting through the cavernous theatre. Fans had wondered if Yorke drew on Hamlet for the album before the show was announced. The lyrics of its opening song, '2 + 2 = 5', for instance, perfectly articulate the prince's torment: 'Are you such a dreamer/To put the world to rights?' Discussing this show, Yorke confirmed that Shakespeare was 'totemic' for him. In fact, imposing music on it seemed 'a kind of sacrilege'. We are lucky, then, that Yorke is also 'always up for a bit of sacrilege'. But however fruitful the harmonies, such a marriage is also extremely demanding. The show brilliantly rendered perhaps the most acrobatic and sensitive music, and perhaps the most magnetic and intelligent character, ever. So huge credit should go to all involved, especially to the all-singing, dancing and acting Hamlet (Samuel Blenkin), Ophelia (Ami Tredrea) and dark-cloaked Horatio (Alby Baldwin). The ovation was tremendous but preceded by a hesitant silence. The audience had lost all its mirth and knew why; we had been transported from the hottest day of the year to the coldest night in literature. It is only a truly great artist who can bring out 'that within which passeth show'. We were lucky to have enjoyed the work of not just one such artist, but two. Hamlet Hail to the Thief Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon [See also: Laughing at the populist right is not a political strategy] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘I don't mean to sound naughty, but I fell in love with myself while playing Hamlet': Jayant Kripalani
From powerful stage performances to acclaimed TV shows like Khandaan, Jayant Kripalani has been a towering presence in Indian theatre and television. A veteran of over four decades, his work reflects a deep commitment to the craft of acting and storytelling. Though he has appeared in several popular films and helmed TV shows, it's the stage that remains closest to his heart, where his love for character-building and the dramatic arts truly comes alive. After a quiet phase post-2019, his return to the stage came through a serendipitous collaboration with Kolkata-based director-actor Kaushik Sen with Marx in Kolkata. In Howard Zinn's Marx in Soho, reimagined for a contemporary Kolkata audience, Kripalani stepped into the shoes of Karl Marx, in turn bringing both intellect and empathy to a role that demanded internal transformation. We caught up with the veteran in his element – amid books, memories, and renewed passion for the stage. Excerpts from a freewheeling chat. In your long and notable acting career, are there characters you have played that you are particularly fond of? That's a tough one, because when I play a character, I have to fall in love with the person that I am playing. It is only then that I enjoy the role to every fibre of my being. I know it sounds dramatic, but that's the way I feel about each of the characters I play. One of the first roles I played on stage was Hamlet, hence, it remains special. There are many others that I thoroughly enjoyed, especially in black comedies and dramas. I loved directing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, where I played Guildenstern. I believe I've been lucky, as most of my characters have been favourites. I played a truly nasty role in the play Miss Julie – but the audience liked him. It was an eye-opener. I realised how people interpret and even sympathise with such characters How did you get that role in Hamlet? By pure chance! I'd gone to pick up someone from an audition, and the director said, 'Why don't you audition?'That's how I got the role. It was one of the turning points of my life. Hamlet was one of the toughest roles I've ever comprised. I don't mean to sound naughty, but I think I fell in love with myself while playing it! How was your experience working with Kaushik Sen, his troupe Swapnasandhani, and also with Srijit? I want to adopt the three – Kaushik, his wife Reshmi and son Riddhi – as my family. After the production's first performance, Reshmi was so warm to me, and during the whole process, I never once felt out of place. I had my apprehensions, but it all turned out to be organic. The troupe is young, talented, and dedicated. I've rarely seen such a well-balanced group. Reshmi keeps things together while Kaushik brainstorms. Srijit was fun – he kept us all on our toes with his take on the Devil. Working with them was a wonderful experience and quite the ideal return after a hiatus. Becoming Marx Portraying Karl Marx on stage had its own challenges, and Jayant knew he couldn't depend on past performances for reference. 'I knew a few things about him, but I had to reach into my home library upstairs, and the one in my head.' Extensive reading helped him piece together the man behind the ideology. 'He wasn't perfect. He made mistakes, lived in poverty, and didn't see much success during his lifetime,' he reflects. To make the role his own, he went beyond the history books. 'I started wondering – how would he perceive present-day Kolkata?' Jayant says. The process became an exploration not just of Marx the man, but of Marxism itself – its ideals, contradictions and continued relevance. 'I had to understand his philosophy, its scope and limitations, and how he viewed money, love, life.' A return to the Kolkata stage Jayant Kripalani's return to theatre came after an unexpected break post-2019. 'I was working on a serious project in 2020 when COVID hit,' he says. Though he'd worked extensively in film, TV and theatre, not much had happened in Kolkata. 'As I said, I was apprehensive about working with a Kolkata-based director,' he admits. But after meeting Kaushik, things changed. Originally planned as a conversation piece, the project evolved into a reworked version of Marx in Soho. 'The play was received well,' adds Jayant.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘I have no fear': L.A. Opera lovers attend shows in downtown L.A. despite protests
Hours before downtown Los Angeles headed into its sixth night under curfew orders imposed by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, dozens of opera and theater fans funneled into the Music Center on Sunday afternoon to catch matinee performances of L.A. Opera's 'Rigoletto' and Center Theatre Group's 'Hamlet.' The shows took place just one day after thousands of 'No Kings' demonstrators flooded the streets to protest immigration raids across the city. Center Theatre Group had canceled its Wednesday night performance of director Robert O'Hara's world-premiere adaptation of 'Hamlet' before officials announced a curfew exemption on Thursday for ticket holders of indoor events and performing arts venues downtown such as the Music Center. Saturday's matinee and evening performances of 'Hamlet' were also canceled in anticipation of the protests. No performances of 'Rigoletto' were canceled and L.A. Opera's 'Renee Fleming and Friends' event took place on Saturday night. On Sunday afternoon, aside from a handful of police cars sprinkled throughout the area, there wasn't much of a law enforcement presence and no protests were happening, which made many attendees feel more relaxed about coming downtown. Ahead of the 'Rigoletto' show, we spoke to ticket holders about whether they hesitated about coming to the Music Center and downtown Los Angeles and how they feel about supporting the arts even in times of conflict. Their responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Why did you want to come to the show today? Pancake: I've never seen 'Rigoletto' live and I haven't been to the L.A. Opera even though I've been [in L.A.] since 1987. I've been to the Mark Taper and Ahmanson hundreds of times, but never to the opera. I'm here because my nephew turned 21 and even though he's a punk rock, heavy metal dude, he really likes the opera. I was going to bring him here for his birthday on Thursday, but he felt weird about coming down here. I have no fear. I'm old. I don't care anymore. I've lived through all the riots, strikes and protests. I'm gay. I've been marching since 1987 for a million different reasons, so I changed it to today because he was concerned about the curfew and then he still didn't come. So I brought Gabe, my good friend, who is also a theater guy. Acero: My father is a security guard at the Federal Building and I told him I was coming here, and he was like, 'Oh, that's closed.' And I'm going, 'No it's not. 1) That's only a nighttime thing. 2) That's changed. Ticketed events are still allowed because they want the arts to happen.' It's just funny that there's this dichotomy of like someone you'd think is in the thick of it and they don't even know what's going on in the area with rules and what's happening. Pancake: I was at the 'No Kings' rally all morning and afternoon yesterday and so I'm at the opera today. The L.A. Opera and the Music Center has done a really good job about sending emails and updating us about what was going on. How often do you come to downtown L.A.? Acero: I'm usually downtown at least every Friday. I go to Precinct all the time. Pancake: I'm down here often. I go to the theater. I'm an actor and I know a lot of actors. [Gabe] is a prosthetic makeup artist, so we are in the world of acting and theater. As an actor, nothing will stop me from doing theater and attending theater. Do you have any plans after the show? Pancake: I think we're going to go eat afterward. Why do you think it's important to support the arts, which are still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hollywood strike and the recent wildfires? Pancake: To show them, the performers and the artists, that we're here for them. Then the flip side, it's like I appreciate it when people show up for my stuff, so it's a give and take and I'm happy to be a part of it. Acero: That's theater. You go there for a relief from the real world. It's sort of an escape. Why did you want to come to the show today? Asch: I love the opera. In our community, there was a bus organized to bring us up here, so we did it. I went to the protest yesterday. It was so exciting and we were all cheering and saying, 'No kings.' Block: We felt like this would not be in the area where there are a lot of protesters and that it would be perfectly safe to come on down. Why do you think it's important to support the arts? Asch: I think they lift your spirits. I mean even though this is a depressing opera, the music is thrilling and I know I'm going to shed a tear at the end. Block: We get tired of talking about politics and worrying about it, and this is an opportunity to get away from it. Are you doing anything after the show? Block: No [laughs]. We're getting on the bus to take us back home. Why did you want to come to the show today? I finished preaching a sermon, changed my clothes and then came down here for the show. I'm a social justice pastor, so basically when you bring me into your church, I'm going to talk about current events. The title of my sermon was 'This is God's world, we're just living in it.' Remember in 1865, we were looking for freedom and in 2025, we're still looking for it. I'm an avid opera goer. I feel that more people of color should go to the opera. They think that we're not included, but we are included, it's just that we have to show up. Also, I'm a big Verdi fan so anything Verdi writes, I'm going to go see it. Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests? You're talking to a man of faith. I didn't feel threatened coming downtown because I understood the cause. I think the people who are feeling threatened coming downtown are people who don't maybe agree with the cause. They're looking at too much CNN, and CNN is only [showing] what they want you to see. But no, I don't feel nervous in doing that. These people have a right to be out there. I don't believe in the violence part, but violence is gonna happen no matter what kind of protest. The American Revolution had violence. I felt that our current administration was overdoing it and I just passed by [some] Marines but there's nobody in the streets. Why did you want to come to the show today? Kelley: My husband conducted a performance of 'Rigoletto' about 15 years ago with an opera company in Chinatown. Hougesen: I wasn't worried. The L.A. Opera sends regular emails and they told us that we may want to take the 110 Freeway and the Temple Street exit. They also said if you don't feel comfortable, they would be happy to refund your money. So I wasn't afraid. I watch the TV news regularly and the [Los Angeles Police Department] was very good with crowd control yesterday, so I didn't think it was going to be a problem. Kelley: I had full trust that it was going to be OK. The 'No Kings' protest was yesterday, so I just figured especially if you arrive early enough, I figured it wouldn't be a problem. I hadn't heard of any of the protesters being on the ground at the Music Center.' Why do you think it's important to support the arts? Hougesen: Well, I have season tickets. I have for many years. I go to the L.A. Philharmonic and the L.A. Opera. Kelley: I think the arts are what keep a lot of people going. They uplift everybody. My late husband started an orchestra in 1965, the Palisades Symphony. He died about a year and a half ago, but the orchestra continues. It's an all-volunteer orchestra and I am still involved with it and I'm an active cellist. Also, some of those people lost their homes so it gives them a sense of continuity and friendship. Just playing music together is very very important to so many people. Why did you want to come to the show today? We just like to do things in the city. If anything sounds interesting, we'll go check it out. Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests? Not really and the freeway was clear when we came down so we weren't really concerned. How often do you come downtown? About once a month to visit the Ahmanson and the Mark Taper. I try to see whatever is playing. Are you planning to do anything after the show in the area? Our plan was to come early and enjoy the pavilion before the show. It's a school night. Why do you think it's important to support the arts? It's important to take a step back and pause, and get in tune with your emotions or experience something new and creative before you go back into the world because it might shift your perspective. It might change your mindset. So I think it's important, no matter what's going on in L.A., to support the arts. If we want an art scene here, we have to patronize it. Why did you want to come to the show today? Lass: We live in the mountains and were bored. We've both grown up in Southern California, and L.A. is not scary. You could be in a bad place at the wrong time, but that can happen anywhere. Roblee: They did cancel our brunch reservation though. When we were driving through, we saw some boarded-up buildings. Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests? Lass: A little bit just from seeing what was on the news, but it was not like I've seen in the past. I lived in Hawthorne during the riots, so if all the buildings aren't burning, everything is good. ... People want to fight for what's right. How often do you come downtown? Roblee: A couple times of year, mostly for activities. Why do you think it's important to support the arts even during times of strife? Roblee: The artists need to make a living and the theater has never been a place to get rich. It's important. It's culturally important and we enjoy it, so you have to support it. Take it away and life is boring. Why did you want to come to the show today? Kareem: We came to the opera last year and that was our first time, and we thought let's go again in the summer. We're teachers. Were you nervous about coming to downtown L.A. today? Amy: I didn't feel nervous today. I figured it was during the day. I was kind of curious to see the [freeway] off-ramps and all that stuff, but I wasn't nervous. Kareem: I was a little bit nervous because I'm the driver. As we got closer and into the city, I felt a little bit more relaxed. I didn't get nervous because I saw cars were moving, but I saw police cars lined up above the freeway and they had closed some off-ramps. But then as I kind of pulled off and I didn't see any activity, I felt more relaxed. We sat down. We ordered a beer. I feel like it was a little quiet when we got here. For me, it was like I have the tickets. Even going back to things that have happened in the past, like 9/11, you just kind of don't want to be roaming around in fear. I'm going to live my life and if I have to turn around for some reason, then I just turn around, but I'm going to move on and get things back to normal. The faster we do things without fear, the faster things can kind of move on. How often do you come to downtown? Kareem: A few times a year. Are you doing anything after the show? Kareem: We're doing a Father's Day dinner near our home. Why do you think it's important to support the arts? Amy: Our daughter is a senior in college and she's in the arts. She does musicals and theater, so it's kind of been a part of our family. And we've gone to shows at the Pantages and on Broadway, and we've just always enjoyed them. I know they work really hard and they don't make a lot, whether they're on stage or they are the stage crew. Kareem: In my family, it's kind of been like a way to bond every since we've been together through dating and marriage. My godfather's son grew up in the theater and still works as a professional in the arts and he's always working hard, so we try to support them. We don't know any of these people, but we enjoy it.
The Age
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Melbourne doesn't give up its secrets easily. This festival is delving below its surface
Swingers gave us a free lesson in the feminist history of minigolf, founded in 19th-century Scotland by ladies unamused at being excluded from golf courses (through constricting fashions as much as the misogyny of the age). The more traditional performing arts program held its own, too. International theatre threw up some creative engagement with Shakespeare. Peru's Teatro de la Plaza offered a fierce and joyful deconstruction of Hamlet from an ensemble of actors with Down syndrome, on par with our own Back to Back Theatre, while the experimental UK company Forced Entertainment pared Shakespeare down to the bone, condensing the plots of the Bard's complete works into hour-long episodes, narrated by a single performer using only household items. I found the disarming break-up show Heartbreak Hotel from Aotearoa New Zealand oddly comforting in its curated messiness and was pleased to see some hotly anticipated Australian theatre. The follow-up to Counting and Cracking, S. Shakthidharan's The Wrong Gods, didn't have the same epic sweep as the previous play, but it certainly held the stage with poised intensity. Set in a remote valley in India, this tale of environmental and economic disaster, and resistance to it, laid bare the incommensurable values of global capitalism and indigenous ways of life with dramatic economy and four charismatic performances. It had a gravitas that the hell-bound comedy of cultural collision from Merlynn Tong and Joe Paradise Lui, LEGENDS (of the Golden Arches), did everything in its power to avoid … with flamboyant lo-fi success. Performance from Latin America had been radically underrepresented in Melbourne until Brazilian artist Carolina Bianchi's searing Cadela Força Trilogy (Bitch Power Trilogy) at last year's Rising. That work found a radical companion in Kill Me, from Argentine choreographer Marina Otero – a piece of autobiographical avant-garde dance theatre which transformed naked outrage and mental ill-health into a frenetic carnival of deranged theatricality. Contemporary dance shone as a vehicle for otherwise silenced or inexpressible lived experience. Botis Seva's BLKDOG combined street dance with haunting and vigorous modern choreography, embodying the struggle against abjection in the face of the surreal recursions of childhood trauma. Indigenous resistance was powerfully alive in Joel Bray's MONOLITH, a brilliant work for five women that played with the pareidolia of seeing human figures in ancient rock formations. Starting with hallucinatory living tableaux of bodies slowly writhing and intertwined with each other, suggesting connection between ancestors and Country, the piece shifted to embrace steely defiance in the face of colonialism and discrimination, with an ambiguously symbolic, yet sensual, finale that returned us to a vision of shared humanity over atomised individualism. Our dance critic, Andrew Fuhrmann, gave it five stars. He wasn't wrong. It is impossible to see everything at Rising – I was out almost every night and barely touched the sides of the huge music program – but I did catch Beth Gibbons at Hamer Hall. Best known for her work with trip-hop pioneers Portishead, the ethereal Gibbons held us spellbound with a set from her 2024 solo album and indulged fans with the Portishead classic, Glory Box, at encore. My bucket list is shorter now. Loading No one could deny that Rising has experienced growing pains. It was interrupted by the pandemic, which wreaked havoc on Melbourne , and looked like the awkward child of Dark Mofo and some half-realised international arts festival as it tried to find its feet. It is true, too, that Rising doesn't have the same clear raison d'etre as arts festivals in cities such as Perth or Adelaide. Remote places tend to have bigger and more distinguished festivals out of cultural necessity. Still, in 2025, Melbourne can be proud to embrace a festival that gives every sign of having matured into an assured, aesthetically distinctive and culturally diverse event, with both popular and underground appeal.
