Regarded As Indian Shakespeare, This Maverick Director Has Redefined Indian Cinema

News18

3 days ago

'Hum Hai, Ya Hum Nahi?', 'Tu to Raja Hai Maqbool...', 'Langda Tyagi...Bahubali'. Do these lines ring a bell? Vishal Bharadwaj or Shakespeare? No doubt Bharadwaj is often called as the 'Indian Shakespeare'. A master of mayhem, music and melancholy, he blends poetry and politics in the Indian setting. The way his characters emote and embrace the essence of love, jealousy, ambition, hatred and guilt are a cinematic treat. A true maverick director, Bharadwaj defines a unique set of tone, tension and trope, setting his filmography apart in Bollywood. Diving into a mysterious world of macabre, Shivangi Sharma, Chief Entertainment Officer, Excitel, revisits 3 landmark films by the director that redefined Indian cinema. (Imge: IMDb)
Maqbool (2003): Macbeth meets Mumbai Underworld: Vishal Bharadwaj knew exactly how to portray greed and guilt of Macbeth through the lens of Indian underworld. (Imge: IMDb)
Set amidst the gruesome world of gang wars, Macbeth becomes Maqbool and Scotland turns into Mumbai. Maqbool (Irrfan Khan), a loyal henchman kills Abbaji (Pankaj Kapur) to take over the throne. However, he never knew what was awaiting him. Soon, he spirals into a mortal quagmire of fear, guilt, and madness. Bharadwaj crafted this Shakespeare classic into a quiet, psychological, and tension-filled world. If you want to experience a gangster story infused
with Shakespearean depth, Maqbool is your next watch. (Imge: IMDb)
Omkara (2006): Othello trapped by Langda Tyagi: To adapt Othello into UP's setting is one thing, and putting the suave Saif Ali khan into the shoes of rustic Langda Tyagi (Iago) is another one. Yet, it's the brilliance of Vishal Bharadwaj that made it possible. (Imge: IMDb)
Crafting a world around love, betrayal and jealousy, Omkara also peeks into the evil of caste politics, power and fragile male ego. Here, Italy's Othello turns into Omkara (Ajay Devgn), Desdemona becomes Dolly (Kareena Kapoor Khan), Cassio becomes Keshu (Vivek Oberoi). However, it was Saif's Langa Tyagi who stole the show. What happens when Omkara, a local bahuballi promotes Cassio as the next strongman instead of Langda, who was a loyal henchman? Langda becomes the green-eyed monster, harboring hatred against Omkara, and eventually towards everyone. His evil plan to destroy Omkara is used as a beautiful trope by Vishal Bharadwaj showcase jealousy, that wasn't just emotional, but social, cultural, and political. Omkara was a bold, brutal, beautiful take on Shakespearean Othello. (Imge: IMDb)
Haider (2014): Hamlet and Paradise's devastation: Vishal Bharadwaj once knocked on Shahid Kapoor's door and said, 'You know till today, Irrfan, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri never got a chance to have a monologue in my films. But you are doing it.' And, what a haunting monologue it was. Remember the end sequence where Haider (Shahid Kapoor) is devastated? That's how iconic Haider is. (Imge: IMDb)
Vishal Bharadwaj brilliantly adapted the story of Denmark's Hamlet into Kashmir's Haider. Touching upon the issues of identity, loss and revenge, it's the tale of Haider, who is devastated after his father's murder and his uncle's betrayal. Amidst all this he meets his father's ghost, which is beautifully infused through the mysterious character of Roohdaar. (Remember the iconic cameo of Irrfan Khan?). That's when revenge starts boiling and we also experience the deep-rooted conflicts of both Haider and Kashmir. Bharadwaj disguised the Shakespearean tragedy and gave us a chilling account of human emotions and Kashmir's scars. (Imge: IMDb)