Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 25, 2016)

Ria Lawrence (MID-DAY; May 25, 2016)

When one of the most revered actors, with over 50 international acting awards and more than half a century reign on film and stage comes to India, it is a given that movie stars and film enthusiasts alike would be drawn to the event like moths to a flame. Sir Ian McKellen shared an inspiring conversation with Aamir Khan about the life and works of Shakespeare and world cinema in general at the debut of Mumbai Academy of Moving Images’ (MAMI) Film Club at NCPA. Among the Bollywood brigade were Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan with Sonam’s endearing exchange with the 77-year-old leaving the audience delighted.

We want to refrain from commenting about Sonam’s attire for a change because what impressed us more was her endearing exchange with McKellen. When the actress, a self-confessed literature junkie, got an opportunity to pose a question to him, she chose to delve into why Shakespeare didn’t sketch as many striking female characters in his works. She went on to say that if she could, she would love to portray the character of Portia (The heroine of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice).

“Well, I don’t know you much at all, and I can only see your legs from up here; you could probably play Lady Macbeth,” the veteran responded cheekily as they went on to discuss the Bard and the role of women in his writings. He later shared that his favourite female character from a Shakespeare work was Lady Macbeth from the 1611 play Macbeth.

Sonam also shared an anecdote from her childhood, saying, “When I was in school, we did a play on Shakespeare where all the main characters were women.” At this point, Aamir jumped into the conversation asking her if she went to an all-girls’school, leaving the audience in splits.

The Lord of the Rings star also made a dig at Section 377 of Indian Penal Code which criminalises homosexuality. When Aamir pointed out that the British made our laws, the actor with his signature waywardness said, “We changed it long back in England but you are holding on to it to protect yourself from Western culture.”

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; May 25, 2016)

Sir Ian McKellen on Shakespeare, naughty tales from his LGBT activism, and why India needs to shed its colonial hangover
Vishwas Kulkarni (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 24, 2016)

You've been associated with Shakespeare all your life. You've recently launched the Heuristic Shakespeare app to demystify the bard to a younger generation. You also quoted, "I've never downloaded an app in my life."
(Laughs). That is true. Actually, one of my long-standing collaborators, Richard Loncraine, the director of Richard III, was very keen on creating this app. He went to a good school that taught bad Shakespeare. The idea was to teach young kids Shakespeare in a way that is fun. For instance, how are you going to explain the significance of Shakespeare to a 14-year-old? So therefore an app that brings to life the text. That said, the Heuristic Shakespeare is an aid; it is not meant to be a substitute for reading Shakespeare or watching it on film or stage.

Speaking of stage, 10 years ago, The Daily Telegraph released a DVD indeed of Trevor Nunn's studio production of Macbeth, starring you and Judi Dench in her most iconic stage performance. To date, the publicity stills look edible.
It is, in my opinion, the most successful adaption of Macbeth. It had no scenery, we just wore these stark costumes. And Shakespeare suits television rather well. Characters can speak directly into the camera, almost like newscasters do. And Judi Dench was very, very good as Lady Macbeth.

Have you seen the latest Macbeth adaptation, starring Michael Fassbender? Critics call it one of the most relevant adaptations
I have, as a matter of fact, seen it. Yes, I did like it, though I think the director was more concerned with how good Scotland looked in the film. Shakespeare is like life itself. He keeps coming back, you see. Which is why it is very important to recreate him, to modernise him. My cousin got married a few years ago, and I asked her, "Can I gift you some towels?" And she said to me, "I already have towels". So yes, a modern context is helpful when it comes to adapting Shakespeare.

In the 1980s, you famously visited Environment Secretary Michael Howard to protest against a homophobic bill that was about to be passed. He didn't concede to your commands, but insisted that you leave an autograph for his kids. Legend goes that you signed off with "F*@k off, I'm gay".
That's not true. I said to a friend later that that is what I ought to have written, and that is how this fictitious anecdote came to be. You know how well-behaved gay people are.

On a live show in Singapore, you did ask the television talk show hostess to recommend some gay bars though. That wasn't very well-behaved.
Now that I did do! I found it preposterous that I was a criminal in Singapore. So I found a nice way to snuggle it in at the end. So, when the talk show hostess was done with the show, she asked me, "So what are you looking to do in Singapore?" And I said, "I'm looking for some decent gay bars here. Can you recommend some?" I think the end credits started rolling a lot faster after that comment. And by the way, I did find a cool gay bar! See, that is the great irony. You can have a dictatorship, you can have laws that criminalise homosexuality, but gay men will find a way to live a life, have fun.

Do you feel the 1980s were a lot more loaded with connotation for the queer community in the West than at present, where there is so much more acceptance?
The 1980s was loaded with context because, with the onset of AIDS, the government was being forced to talk about the sexual act publicly, specifically the gay sexual act. At the same time, they were attempting to pass a bill that would make it illegal to discuss homosexuality with children, which I found deeply offensive. Can you imagine the thousands of lives that could have been ruined with such policies? That was my fight with Michael Howard, who later did publicly apologise, because the point is that the lives of millions are at stake with laws such as these. India is going through what the UK went through 30 years ago. It is appalling and ironical that India would use a colonial law to oppress its homosexuals. India needs to grow up. India needs to realise that it doesn't need to follow British laws any more. But things are changing on other fronts. Kashish, Mumbai's LGBT film festival, is a great example of that.

BOMBAY TIMES (May 13, 2016)

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 3, 2016)

Vishal Bhardwaj has just returned from London where his Shakespearean trilogy— Maqbool, Omkara and Haider— was screened as part of an event marking the Bard's 400-year death anniversary co-hosted by the British Film Institute and Indian Shakespeare on Screen. The shows were sold out and the filmmaker who'd thought his adaptations would be confined to Bollywood, was enthused by the audience's interest, particularly in Haider for the way he'd interpreted Hamlet in Kashmir, despite the fact that 95 per cent of them were foreigners. "They loved the witches of Maqbool, my Iago, Langda Tyagi, Haider's ghost and Shahid's (Kapoor) soliloquy in the Lal Chowk. They also liked the use of the word chutzpah, despite its Indianised pronunciation," informs Vishal.

The biggest high was meeting Sir Ian McKellen at a dinner at the Asia House on April 27. The legendary actor in the '70s and '80s had performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, playing several Shakespearean roles, including Macbeth with Judi Dench as Lady Macbeth, and as Iago in Othello. Vishal is in awe of the Tony and Golden Globe winner and was overwhelmed when he admitted he'd loved Tabu in Maqbool, Omkara's Langda Tyagi and thought that Haider was the best Hamlet adaptation he has seen yet.

Mesmerised, he watched the Brit legend perform a soliloquy from As You Like It, but the biggest surprise was when he asked Vishal about his plans after dinner. "Nothing," Vishal shrugged, and Sir Ian invited him and his friends home, joining them in the back seat of the cab.

"Once we reached his place, he served us the best wines, showed us the hat he had worn as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and his sword, and a scene from his Macbeth. We were there till 3 am and discussed everything from cinema to politics and religion," exults Vishal.

Sir Ian who reiterated at the screening of Richard III that the Indian adaptations were the best, will be in Mumbai on May 23 to open the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Film Club with a Masterclass. He was keen to share the stage with Vishal but the filmmaker is flying out to New York a week before. But during the time they spent together the veteran said that he was keen to do a film with the Indian auteur, particularly after hearing that another Tony Award-winning Brit actor, Richard McCabe, features in his Rangoon, a period love story set against the backdrop of the Second World War. "I asked Sir Ian if he would learn Hindi like Richard and he said if the role is good enough, he would," laughs Vishal.

He admits that he had thought he was done with the Bard, but after the reception to his trilogy he wants to continue with the adaptations. "After all the dark dramas I'm thinking of a comedy next, but at the same time I am really excited about King Lear. In fact, Sir Ian who in 2007 performed King Lear for the Royal Shakespeare Company gave me an idea on how to interpret the tragedy on screen." So will he cast the actor as Lear in his film? "Sir Ian wants to collaborate with me on a project. I don't know if he would fit into the Shakesperean adaptation since the subject is rooted in India. But I am looking for another story with him in mind and I'll shoot that film in London," Vishal promises.

The filmmaker is set to join celebrations marking The Bard's 400th death anniversary in the UK
Ketaki Latkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 6, 2016)

British Council, British Film Institute (BFI) and veteran actor-writer Ian McKellen have announced Shakespeare On Film — an initiative to commemorate Shakespeare's 400th death anniversary — that will showcase handpicked adaptations on The Bard's works from around the world. It also features a two-day fest of Indian adaptations, on April 29 and 30, marked by Vishal Bhardwaj's trilogy of Maqbool (2003), Omkara (2006) and Haider (2014), to be screened at London's renowned repertory, BFI Southbank.

"I feel honoured to represent India on Shakespeare at such a global stage," Vishal said. Other international adaptations include a new 4k restoration of Akira Kurusowa's adaptation of King Lear—Ran (1985).

McKellen, who's performed Shakespeare on stage and screen for a better part of his six-decade career, will travel around the world with the project. "Shakespeare's plays continue to dominate stages worldwide, mostly of course in translation, challenging actors, directors, designers and audiences. We'll engage audiences with single films shown in embassies, schools and English language-teaching centres, film festivals and outdoor events," he informed.