Vishal Bhardwaj hopes for an 'Indian Shakesperean League' as he joins an Indo-Brit initiative celebrating 400 years of the Bard
Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 1, 2015)

Vishal Bharadwaj feels "humbled and pampered" to be part of an initiative that will celebrate 400 years of William Shakespeare in 2016 with a feature film based on or inspired by one of Shakespeare's works.

The filmmaker who completed a trilogy of Shakesperean tragedies with Haider, an adaptation of Hamlet, last year, after Maqbool (Macbeth) in 2004 and Omkara (Othello) in 2006, admits that he is not the first to bring the British playwright's works to the Indian screen.

"Gulzar saab's Angoor was inspired by The Comedy of Errors, Raj Kapoor's Aan reworked The Taming of the Shrew and I think Jairaj did a black-and-white version of Hamlet decades ago. I was lucky that the audience embraced my trilogy and feel so proud when festivals want to screen these films," says Vishal, revealing that he has a perfect setting for an Indianised King Lear.

He also has plans for a trilogy of Shakesperean comedies. "Which ones I select will depend on the state of my mind at the time," he quips.

For now, Vishal, along with two directors, Vikas Bahl (Queen) and Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox) will be mentoring a team comprising a producer, director and script-writer for a joint initiative between UK-based Film London and India's Anand Mahindra led Cinestaan Film Company for a film which will release next year.

Five applicants from each category will be shortlisted by June 15. The script has to be a first-draft, contemporary spin on a Shakespearean work. The producers and directors need to have at least one feature to their credit. The five filmmaking teams will then be put through a five-day Microschool in London at the end of July. They will then get six weeks to repackage their projects before re-pitching them to an expert panel. One production of the five will be green-lit for a 2016 opening.

Rohit Khattar whose Indian film company will invest up to £250,000 in the feature, along with Film London and the British Council, feels the initiative, Microwave Interbnational: Shakespeare India, will be a learning experience for our talent at home. "We will produce one of the scripts but there will be four other projects ready for other producers to pick up," he points out, admitting that he would happily produce King Lear if Vishal directs it.

Vishal on his part says that if five films inspired by Shakespeare come up next year, he'll be happy to add his King Lear to make it a six-ball over. "Then we can have an Indian Shakesperean League next year," he signs off.