Characterization of Women in Hindi Film Adaptations of Select Shakespearean Tragedies
A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of
Master of Philosophy in English
by Ojha Kritika (Reg. No.1530017)
Under the Guidance of Arya Aiyappan Assistant Professor
Department of English
CHRIST UNIVERSITY BENGALURU, INDIA December
Approval of Dissertation
Dissertation entitled Characterization of Women in Hindi Film Adaptations of Select
Shakespearean Tragedies by Ojha Kritika, Reg. No. 1530017 is approved for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in English
Examiners:
1. ______
2. ______
Supervisor: ______
Chairman: ______
Date: ……………………..
Place: Bengaluru (Seal)
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DECLARATION
I Ojha Kritika hereby declare that the dissertation, titled Characterization of Women in Hindi
Film Adaptations of Select Shakespearean Tragedies is a record of original research work undertaken by me for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in English. I have completed this study under the supervision of Dr. Arya Aiyappan, Department of English.
I also declare that this dissertation has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or other title. It has not been sent for any publication or presentation purpose. I hereby confirm the originality of the work and that there is no plagiarism in any part of the dissertation.
Place: Bengaluru
Date: ………………… Ojha Kritika
Reg No. 1530017
Department of English
Christ University, Bengaluru
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the dissertation submitted by Ojha Kritika (1530017) titled
Characterization of Women in Hindi Film Adaptations of Select Shakespearean Tragedies is a record of research work done by her during the academic year 2015-2016 under my supervision in partial fulfillment for the award of Master of Philosophy in English.
This dissertation has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or other title. It has not been sent for any publication or presentation purpose. I hereby confirm the originality of the work and that there is no plagiarism in any part of the dissertation.
Place: Bengaluru
Date: ………………… Arya Aiyappan
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Christ University, Bengaluru
Signature of the Head of the Department
Department of English
Christ University, Bengaluru
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Acknowledgements
The building up of this thesis has been an inspiring journey. In the course of researching this topic, I have learnt a lot about the trends and setting of women in the Indian context, not just in films but also in the real world. Through this research it became clear to me that the women are fluid and enriching to study.
First and foremost, I would like to thank my guide, Dr. Arya Aiyappan, for leading my idea to this concrete thesis. Her knowledge and patience has only inspired me to move ahead with my work. Her suggestions and insights are the reason behind my success in submitting the thesis within the deadline. She has always stayed calm and pushed me forward when it was required the most. My internal, Dr. Sushma V. Murthy, has provided me and my guide with suggestions that helped in streamlining my research and making it true to its title. With the joint effort of my guide and internal, this thesis has become worthy of contributing to the world of academia.
I would like to thank my family for supporting me in making this research a success.
Their constant encouragement has played a vital role in the shaping of this thesis. My friends have also understood the level of commitment and have stayed by my side through the challenges that I faced while on my topic of research and been the source to my positivity and zeal to complete this thesis.
In the course of this thesis, I faced many challenges and had to make tough decisions, which have proved to be fruitful at the end of my research. It has truly been a learning experience for me as I got to know the research etiquettes and knowledge associated to the
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field of my research. It was a tediously enlightening process from the point where I started to the finishing line.
Ojha Kritika
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Abstract
The idea for this thesis came about from watching inspirational characters being created by filmmakers in the Indian Cinema with films that propagated women as more than a prop. Women have been portrayed as only dedicated lovers, mothers and wives. The identities are fixed to either good or bad. A woman is shown to be a selfless human being who is incapable of standing for herself. This research aims at defying these concrete ideas because identity cannot be in a water-tight compartment. The films under research depict women are free individuals and not someone who is an epitome of sacrifice and selflessness. The women are shown to find their way into the system they get placed in through the films.
The research attempts at finding the various factors, interior as well as exterior, that determine the flow of thoughts and actions of the female characters in the films. They have been compared to the characters from the plays in order to verify what kind of changes have come about and why have they been incorporated. The first chapter looks at the factors that have affected the functioning of the characters from within. The chapter looks into the issues that prevail within the mind of the women reasoning with the way in which the plots unfold.
Every individual reacts to a certain set of actions and situations in ways that are influenced by various factors other than internal conflicts and violence. The second chapter explores socio- cultural factors of identity determination. This is because Indian mentality is largely derived from the factors that affect the life around them such as ethnic identity, religion, caste and professional status and hierarchy. These aspects play a vital role in not just determining a man‟s identity but also affects the way in which the women around him react and perceive him. This chapter explores these issues. It also looks into the other changes that have come about in the Indian adaptations in order to make it more receivable to the Indian audience and fit in the cinematic history as well.
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Contents
Approval of Dissertation ii
DECLARATION iii
CERTIFICATE iv
Acknowledgements v
Abstract vii
Chapter 1 Introduction 1
Chapter 2 Women and Personal Identity Markers: Shakespearean to Indian 21
Chapter 3 Women and Social Identity Markers: Shakespearean to Indian 39
Chapter 4 Conclusion 67
Works Cited 72
Bibliography 75
Chapter 1
Introduction
“Movies are entertainment. Movies are documents of their time and place. Movies are artistic forms of self-expression. Movies we see at theatres, on television, or home video are typically narrative films. They tell stories about characters going through experiences.” (Jacobs 01)
Films include lines of dialogue and depict development of characters that explicitly communicate meaning to the viewers. The scope of Indian cinema has always remained wide with reference to the issues it picks up and portrays. The deep rooted male dominance in the
Indian society has kept the portrayal of women stereotypical and covered from the reality.
Most of the female characters depicted in Bollywood are still confined to the old norms of the society despite being put in a modern setup except a few where there have been attempts of representing free-spirited and open-minded women. The women characters under research in this thesis come close to being free spirited, but caught in the traditional setup of a male dominated world. This research attempts to unearth the factors that are considered while shaping these women characters through a detailed study of the aspects of technicality and storytelling.
Shakespeare and his works have always been under research and have been considered canonical as it has been successful in holding relevance to the society even after four centuries. What his works captured were very minute qualities of the human psyche but they were the most significant in determining the identity of his characters. Shakespeare‟s idea and construction of his characters is neither completely black nor completely white has not gone out of style even in the contemporary context. The plots of his plays incorporate complexities and reactions of the human mind to pressure, power and politics which have remained significant even today. With the branching out of English literature to other countries and
OJHA KRITIKA 2 exposure to other cultures, literary works got attached to different ideologies, perspectives and frameworks. India was the first country to have studied English literature as part of the curriculum and studied them critically. With the passage of time, these works became open to interpretations which were influenced by various cultural and psychological backgrounds.
Shakespeare‟s work also underwent this process of interpretations and appropriation to the
Indian context. When the motion pictures first came to existence, the storylines were taken from canonical works. It started with absolute adaptations of plays and novels, but as technology and freedom of creativity increased, diversion from the original work became more acknowledged and practiced. Shakespeare has been considered to be one of the most popular scriptwriters of Hollywood. Not just adaptations but also spin-offs of Shakespeare‟s works became popular with time. Enough has been commented on the issue of Shakespeare‟s connection and belonging to India and vice versa. With the progress in time, Shakespeare‟s works on the Indian foreground have become a way to convey imbalance in various facets of the nation like acts of crossing racial and religious barriers laid by the normalized framework of society. Over the years, many works of Shakespeare have been adapted to Indian cinema.
Some works have been adapted exactly from the literary text whereas some have only been inspired by the author‟s work. Adaptations in India have grown largely from being blind unacknowledged copies of classics to acknowledged films that have a purpose of being adapted. In comparison to the theatrical adaptations, where insinuation is minimal and in keeping with the tone and speech techniques of the original work, motion picture satisfies the demand for authenticity of the setting and movement of the characters. Despite the addition of authenticity, the biggest challenge is to adapt a larger-than-life literary work into a motion picture of only two to three hours without losing the actual essence of the text.
Shakespeare‟s works were plainly adapted to the Indian context in the beginning with almost no modifications in movies like Do Dooni Chaar (1968). As time passed and the „art‟ of film creation became a little more liberal and accepting, Shakespearean plays got adapted
OJHA KRITIKA 3 with a few differences. They were adapted not just as Shakespeare‟s plays but created in a way to exist as independent works as well. The films captured the spirit of the actual text and got moulded and transformed with the influence of the perspective, background and interpretations of the region it got adapted in. The way in which the Indian podium has adapted Shakespeare‟s work has been majorly nativized. This research attempts to study various aspects of these adaptations.
The film industry of any nation acts as a mirror of that nation‟s mindset and situations faced by its masses. Its main aim is to cater to entertain the common man and also create a relatable impact on its viewers. A number of points need to be taken into consideration when the adaptation is of a work completely different from one‟s cultural and ethnic base.
Adaptations don‟t just include blindly adopting the plot but it is also important for the filmmakers to make it logical to the Indian sensibility.
The primary texts for this research are the Hindi film adaptations of Shakespeare‟s tragedies Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet. The movies under research are Maqbool (2003),
Omkara (2006) and Haider (2014). The rationale for selecting these three adaptations only is that they are all adaptations of Shakespearean tragedies made post 2000. They have all been directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, who has interpreted these three tragedies in his own way in the
Indian context. Not only have the literary aspects been affected with time, the depictions have largely been modified with the cinematographic techniques such as camera frames and lighting. These movies have adapted the core plotting from Shakespeare‟s work simultaneously bringing about a change. The main characters in all these movies hold a sense of independence, but are administered by the society around them. The research will attempt to identify factors that make these adaptations as modified versions of the original play.
This research will attempt to do a study evaluating the adaptations on the factors listed above. This will be helpful in constructing a frame that will determine the way in which
OJHA KRITIKA 4 women are characterized and how adaptation of texts have changed along with the portrayal of the tragedies in the Indian context.
The question of research is that the characterization of the female characters of
Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet in the Indian cinematic adaptations of the play changes from the text to film. The change in character building of the female characters of Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet is brought about by the socio-political, culture specific (class, religion and ethnicity) and gender ideologies of the time period that these adaptations are based in.
Another shift that is seen in the primary texts is the shift of the work backgrounds. Where the plots of the plays revolved around royalty, the fields of underworld, politic and militancy are in question in the concerned cinematic adaptations. Other parameters that will be looked into in this research are the regions of the country that these adaptations are located in and how the female sexuality is affected accordingly. India being a multicultural nation, changes in its thoughts and ideologies majorly with the change in location as the socio-political aspect also varies. The main objective of the thesis is to study „how‟ and „why‟ do these shifts in characterization occur with respect to Getrude, Lady Macbeth, Desdemona and other female characters while being adapted to the three primary texts set in the Indian context. The study will be conducted keeping in mind the various factors listed.
The framework that will be used in evaluating these films is Linda Hutcheon‟s theory of adaptation. Her concept of the story and discourse will be used extensively in the study.
Linda Hutcheon explains three distinct perspectives which are useful in analyzing an adapted work. She suggests that an adaptation can be studied firstly as a formal entity or product, secondly as a process of creation, thirdly as a process of reception. This paper will attempt to do a detailed study as to how the same plot of Shakespeare has undergone the process of creation as well of reception in these three films. This will help in bringing about clarity towards understanding the changes in perception of the audiences over time and what technical and interpretative changes has the process of creation undergone in this course of
OJHA KRITIKA 5 time. There is a parallel drawn between the theory of interpretation and that of adaptation as the commonality lies in the fact that adaptation is in fact the “appropriation of a meaning from a prior text” (Andrew 97). The research will also try to study the uniqueness of each these adaptations. Every adaptation is unique in itself as the mode and technique of adaptation is largely influenced by the ideologies of the period it has been made in. Dudley Andrew‟s categorization of adaptations will also be under study. This will be helpful to analyze the kind of adaptation the movies listed in the primary text are. It will not only be helpful in generating knowledge about the kind of adaptations that Shakespeare‟s works undergo today, it will also help in identifying the adaptation techniques that the Indian industry espouses. The thesis will also attempt to uncover the creative process and understanding of the Indian psyche when it comes to Shakespeare who is accepted as a classic worldwide. It will list down the adjustments and modifications put forth by the filmmakers in order to make Shakespeare acceptable in the Indian scenario.
Considering the fact that this research will mainly revolve around the women characters, it is important to understand that these adaptations have been made from first world literature to the third world cinematic industry. The earlier waves of feminism revolved around the concept of common womanhood which indicated that every woman is dominated and subjugated in the same manner, but in the recent waves, the idea of fluidity of woman identity has been encouraged to include factors like region, religion, caste, class and ethnicity to be included while looking at third world characters. An important concept termed as the
„differential consciousness‟ will also be used to study the evolution of the women characters.
The term was first introduced by Chela Sandoval, who defined differential consciousness as a tactic that separates the idea of feminism from the rigid classifications of dominance, hegemony and feminism of the white women. This perspective looks at how the identity of women is constructed differently in the “worlds” of home and work. These techniques of
OJHA KRITIKA 6 construction will also help in studying the shaping of characters from the beginning till the end of the films.
Keeping the mise-en-scene in mind, a work of adaptation may be studied with reference to the original. This will help in analyzing how the technical aspects contribute towards conveying the ideology that the concerned film maker tries to convey. The mise-en- scene will also look into the movies independently with respect to the setting, character costumes, lighting. The setting and character costumes of a film are influenced by the location and time period that the director bases his interpretation in. Studying the major frames of the concerned films will help unearthing factors of ethnicity, social class and caste that correspond to the region of picturization. The opening shots of the primary texts will also be studied as they convey the ideology with which the filmmaker wants the viewers to proceed.
Other aspects like the angle and movement of the camera and colour will also be used to derive meaning along with discourse analysis.
Shakespeare‟s work was brought to India as a political tool for the purpose of colonization with the Bible and English language. But several researches conducted earlier have shown how closely Shakespeare‟s idea of life and reality relates to the Indian sensibility.
Yoshiko Kawachi borrows an idea by John Keats that calls Shakespeare „an observer of life‟ who knew that life is never static and nothing exists as absolute truth. The paper clarifies how life is a journey of wonder to which art and literature opens a medium of unraveling, indicating that it is important for every individual to re-discover Shakespeare‟s ideologies as it would lead to a consciousness towards their own humanity and saneness per say. This is precisely what adaptations have done over a period of time. With different filmmakers interpreting and portraying the plots with their understanding, the main text gets exposed to various ideas and widens the horizon of creativity with the plot.
An article in peer – review journal, The Hare, talks about how Shakespeare‟s work is a mimesis of the natural world in the most unexpected manner. The article states that
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Shakespeare‟s characters are always constructed with several flaws and gaps, with many twists and angles to their existence and actions. It defends Shakespeare by stating that these existences are often in many places at a point of time. Simon Palfrey states that location is metaphysical, something that is dependent on factors like memory and projection. He further elucidates in very simple words, the justification for adaptation which has often been critiqued of being without inspiration and creativity, “It is easy enough to think of a world as a potential concatenation of lives. But the converse is true: each life is a potential concatenation of worlds”. The same article further elaborates on the physical presence of the settings that
Shakespeare attempts to put forth in his works by saying that his works have always been ahead of time and about things that aren‟t easily evident. This exemplifies why William
Shakespeare‟s works are the most popular in being recreated on screen. Even in the contemporary setup, Shakespeare‟s work holds a round like no other playwright‟s. His works have been adapted the maximum number of times with maximum successful interpretations.
These researches clarify the reason because of which Shakespeare‟s works are still the most preferred and experimented by filmmakers in India and abroad.
Considering the fact that Shakespeare is known as the Bard of India, Nativizing
Shakespeare: Shakespearean Speech and Indian Vernaculars talks about how his works and concepts have been internalized as a part of the literary tradition keeping in mind the suitable linguistic and cultural tastes of the audiences here. Bollywood has been inspired by
Shakespeare not only by his plots and characterization, but also by the way in which the setting has been put forth i.e., stage setting, music, melodrama, angry parents and mistaken identity. These adaptation shave been influenced over the years by factors like the fashion of that particular time period, gender roles and societal norms. Not only have the literary aspects been affected with time, the depictions have largely been modified with the cinematographic techniques such as camera angles and frames. Now with the rise in the exposure that Indian cinema has witnessed these adaptations have a wider audience and acceptance worldwide.
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This has resulted in the producers having more confidence in experimenting with several other plots. Tamara M. Valentine talks about how the linguistic traditions demanded the performers to memorize lines in the local dialects. In this process, the themes, endings and the background was modified in keeping with the Indian view of life and death. This was done because the Indian productions were often in favor of sentiment, the concept of “happily ever after” and had clear lines between good and evil, but Shakespearean drama concentrated more on the concepts of tragic ending and basic elements of personal conflict which have been persistent elements in the Indian adaptations of these tragedies. This research will study the issues of conflict and tragedy in the adaptations by studying the frames of the films that assert these characteristics.
Films today have viewers across borders of its cultural and ethnic background.
Globalization has expanded the reach of filmmakers and strengthened their identities. Mark
Thornton Burnett and Meenakshi Shedde talks about how the Shakespearean film adaptations of today stand in lines with globalization along with Indian cinema. This can be related to the choice of portrayal and camera techniques adopted in the films. The papers also say that the
Indian cinema market is largely influenced by trends prevalent in Hollywood. Burnett and
Shedde also point out that movies of today are the reasons as well as the results of the current cultural dimensions of globalization. It is clearly accepted that films depict the mindset of a country‟s mass as well as the factors that affect it. Dudley Andrew also comments on similar lines with a crisp statement, “Adaptation is…both a leap and process” (Andrew 97), in his book Concepts in Film Theory wherein he also discusses the various methods of adaptation at length. The moment any script is picked up for adaptation, the first thing that is taken into consideration is how the marketplace of the location will react to it. It is the team‟s job to identify the thematic changes that will come about in order to increase acceptability of the adaptation which this research will look into extensively. The changes made in accordance to the viewership and its background will be studied under clear focus.
OJHA KRITIKA 9
Films can be adapted in different ways. Some remain loyal to the original text while some bring about changes in the plot and characters. Many scholars have categorized adaptations on the changes brought about in the aspects of storytelling and plot. Geoffrey
Wagner distinguished between transposition, commentary and analogy. Transposition is where a novel is adapted with the original framework and minimal interference maintaining the seriousness of the literary work but is the least satisfactory in terms of creating an adaptation. Wagner defined commentary as the alteration of the text according to the intensions of the filmmaker and analogy involves inspiration of certain aspects but by and large a new work. Dudley Andrew also makes a distinction among various adaptations by categorizing them into three. The first is borrowing, where the artists begin with picking an idea, material or form of a previously known work. Its main agenda is to capture the audience‟s appreciation basing on the prestige of the work it has adapted from. To evaluate this technique of adaptation, one must be well-versed with the power of the original text. The analysis is done with regards to how the work is continuing as a specimen of culture.
Intersection occurs when the original essence of the work is preserved to such an extent that the word adaptation is merely a word. This is how most of the viewer‟s expect an adaptation to be, which is why a large number of adaptations adapt the method of borrowing. Finally, fidelity of transformation, aims at capturing only the spirit of the original work. This is considered to be the most difficult way of adapting because it is open to interpretations and manipulations. As free as it is with reference to the thought process, it is important to keep in mind that the original essence is not lost in the process. In this study, the attempt is to analyze the kind of adaptation the movies listed in the primary text are. This will not only be helpful in generating knowledge about the kind of adaptations that Shakespeare‟s work undergo today, it will also help in identifying the adaptation techniques that the Indian industry espouses. It will be fruitful to uncover the creative process and understanding of the Indian psyche when it comes to Shakespeare who is accepted as a classic worldwide. The study will
OJHA KRITIKA 10 list down the adjustments and modifications put forth by the filmmakers in order to make
Shakespeare acceptable in the Indian scenario.
Shakespeare was brought to the Indian theatre as a tool to develop and promote the
English language and literature which led to the development of a new literary tradition influencing the direction of Indian literature and drama. With the arrival of Shakespeare, old traditions of writing and creativity got revived with new forms of dramatic writing, bringing about a change in Shakespeare to the Indian Shakespeare. Even so, adaptations have faced ample criticism on the deviation from the actual texts. They have often been called secondary or unauthentic. But Anne-Marie Scholz and Samita Basu have argued otherwise. According to
Anne-Marie, the approach to a text is linked with cultural events, having said that she proposes a two-fold strategy of looking at cinematic adaptations, the first of which is extracting from the work of Barbara Klinger, which examines the impact of extra textual processes. Schloz further categorizes this into three divisions. First being the relationship between the literary text and the director who adapts it, followed by the relation between the audience‟s reception and the text, and lastly her own contemporary reading of the uneven processes. This research aims at looking at the first relation mainly, i.e., the relation between the literary text and the director who adapts it. The second strategy is to tap the cinematic adaptation as works of mediating cultural discourse and creating new interpretations which will also be used in the research to study the primary texts in relation to the research questions.
Adaptation is one of the oldest forms of story-telling that has been around from the
Greek mythology. Greek mythologists adapted myths that had been passed on through oral history. Soon enough the practice of adaptation became prevalent in the form of theatre and progressed soon in the area of films, which led to a lot of critique. Pauline Kael wrote in1976,
“If some people would rather see the movie than read the book, this may be a fact of life that we must allow for. But let‟s not pretend that people get the same things out of both, or that
OJHA KRITIKA 11 nothing is lost”. Tamara M. Valentine defends the criticism by making points that if translations are second rate to the original work then why are there so many of them widely read and appreciated.
Linda Hutcheon explains three distinct perspectives which are useful in analyzing an adapted work. She suggests that an adaptation can be studied firstly as a formal entity or product, secondly as a process of creation, thirdly as a process of reception. Through this paper, the researcher will attempt to do a detailed study as to how the same plot of
Shakespeare has undergone the process of creation as well of reception in these three films.
This will help in bringing about clarity towards understanding the changes in perception of the audiences over time and what technical and interpretative changes has the process of creation undergone in this course of time. Dudley Andrew attempts to draw a line between the works of adaptation and that of inspiration. He says that the ones who are faithful to the original text keep the work as the signified, whereas, in case of the works of inspiration, the text is used as a source of reference. He draws from what several Marxists and other social theorists said. They often believed that a human‟s way of perceiving the world is not influenced by the way the world actually exists but is filtered by the ideology that an individual carries. In this case, every cinematic or literary work is in existence because of not being questioned with reference to a certain public experience.
This article also draws a parallel between the theory of interpretation and that of adaptation as the commonality lies in the fact that adaptation is in fact the appropriation of a meaning from a prior text. The article also suggests that every adaptation is unique in itself as the mode and technique of adaptation is largely influenced by the ideologies of the period it has been made in, which holds true for this research. Even though the works have been adapted from a classic script, they have very well incorporated the contemporary aspects. Not just that, they have also been well received by the audience and proved to be successful adaptations that can also exist as independent works.
OJHA KRITIKA 12
The article makes a very valid point that adaptations should not be negatively criticized but it should be looked as the cultural prototype of the background it belongs to.
The concluding lines of this paper suggest that films should be looked at as a discourse in themselves and analyzed accordingly. This is precisely what the research will try to examine.
Indian cinema has been critiqued often with regards to being an industry that‟ copies‟ the best of plots and attempts to gain a reputation of being a great industry of high creative capabilities. If a work of art is looked at as something that is derived from inspiration and evaluated on the basis of how creatively has it been brought in the contexts comprehensible to the Indian masses, then the long running debate about the reputation of adaptations in Indian cinema can be put to rest. This is so because the work of any literary or visual retreat is to entertain and appeal to the thought process of the readers and viewers.
When the medium of adaptation changes, it brings about a few modifications with respect to the technique of picturization, dialogues, backgrounds and frames. The attention to detail increases in the case of filmmaking as opposed to a theatrical performance. Parvin
Sultana says that the adaptation of any literary text for theatre and cinema are two very different activities. She mentions that back in the time when adaptations were limited to theatre, the settings and decorative were minimal but when it comes to the adaptation in cinema, the filmmakers have the liberty to make the settings as authentic as possible. Back then the plays were performed during the day and women weren‟t allowed to perform but when the motion pictures came to existence these aspects got eliminated. The theatre performances had certain technical limitations as well, which got sidelined with the motion picture coming in. She also mentions that back then the target audience was limited to the people who could access the theatres but films have a more far reaching target audience which is more universal and varied.
Anne-Marie argues that the fact that a director makes new interpretations of the historical works is not a valid point of criticism but the fact that they unknowingly bring about
OJHA KRITIKA 13 the change in culture, narrative and film over time is noteworthy. This thesis will study the characterization of women in the selected Hindi film adaptations with reference to factors like cultural influences, societal norms of the background and setting of these films and try to justify that the changes are not made to negate the stature of the work but to depict the society it is based in, authentically.
An article by Amanda D. Lotz talks about the various waves in the movement of
„Feminism‟. The movement mainly comprises of three waves. The first and the second waves mainly operated on the concept of common womanhood, which went by the theory that all women face the same levels of oppression and subjugation. These were categorized primarily by the white women. The first two waves did not consider the ways of oppression that women of the third world or the women of color faced. It was only in the third wave that the term third-world feminism came to existence.
Third wave feminists like Naomi Wolf, Chela Sandoval, Christina Hoff Sommers and many others recognized the racist, hetero-sexist, classist and other implications of crossing out of differences. They understood the fact that women of color face other hardships which are not derived from the white women problems. As this research discusses the women characters in the Indian film adaptations, it is necessary to adapt this view of study. In order to analyze and study the development of the women characters in these films, the factors of location, race, ethnicity have to be taken into consideration. Shoma Chatterji‟s ideas of how
Indian women react to family and honour will also be taken into the study. The focus will mainly be on this idea as the Indian outlook brought about by her is significant to the research question.
Subheshini Moodley talks about Chandra Talpade Mohanty‟s idea that critiques western feminisms by saying that they have a narrow outlook which cannot be applied to study the plight of a third world woman or a woman of colour. Western feminisms have a universalist approach according to Mohanty, which assumes the oppression of the third world
OJHA KRITIKA 14 women as a homogenous rigid group with a singular identity. Mohanty and Naficy suggest the consideration of race, class gender, ethnicity, politics and nationalism as it‟s an important framework for analysis. Naficy justifies this by emphasizing on a truer reflection of the third world women or women of colour in films. This can happen either when these women have become active participants in their self-presentation or the western ideologies have to take into account race, ethnicity, class and politics and the role they play. The thesis will also take into account these factors in order to study the identity and thought process of the women characters that the filmmaker is trying to convey. This will help in analyzing the various patterns and discourses of identity building and shaping with reference to the women characters in the concerned region within the concerned systems of the individual films.
A concept termed as the „differential consciousness‟ will also be used to study the evolution of the women characters. The term was first introduced by Chela Sandoval, who defined differential consciousness as a tactic that separates the idea of feminism from the rigid classifications of dominance, hegemony and feminism of the white women. This perspective looks at how the identity of women is constructed differently in the “worlds” of home and work. These techniques of construction will also help in studying the shaping of characters from the beginning till the end of the films, not compartmentalizing the attitudes and thought processes of the characters as stagnant or concrete.
Ania Loomba gives a brief history of Indian feminist movement which is based along the issues of child marriage, widow remarriage and female education. With the progress of time and Indian society, a „new woman‟ was built who was educated and accomplished, but even then was not completely liberated as she was inculcated with the value of acting for the well-being of her family and not herself. This meant that even if the women are independent, the concept of selfhood doesn‟t exist. In fact, the concept of selfhood and culture were rewritten as synonymous with that of the larger community. The study also discusses another difficulty of the growing skepticism about the relevance of post structuralism to Indian
OJHA KRITIKA 15 intellectuals. It believes that issues such as fragmentation of subjectivity, heterogeneity of power, and multiplicity of identities are harmful to the analysis of the world and social change which is an impractical assumption. Identities are built with time and experiences which are necessary to take into account while studying the aspect of characterization. Eliminating points of cause and effect will result in an incomplete and presumptuous study, barring the reality.
Keeping the mise-en-scene in mind, a work of adaptation may be studied with reference to the original. This will help in analyzing how the technical aspects contribute towards conveying the ideology that the concerned film maker ties to convey. The mise-en- scene will also look into the movies independently with respect to the setting, character costumes, lighting and dialogues. The setting and character costumes of a film are influenced by the location and time period that the director bases his interpretation in. Studying the mise- en-scene of the major frames of the concerned films will help unearthing factors of ethnicity, social class and caste, brought about by the region of picturization. The opening shots of the primary texts will also be studied as they convey the ideology with which the filmmaker wants the viewers to proceed with. It creates a mood and perception from the beginning, which will be looked at from the view of the women characters. Other aspects like the camera angle, movement of the camera and colour will also be used to derive meaning.
With the help of theories from film studies and feminism, the research will attempt to unearth the way in which women are perceived and portrayed. Considering that everything is global in today‟s world, the way in which the women characters are shaped in the Indian context conveys a lot about the thought process, not just to the Indian audience but also to the overseas audience. Studying three films made by a director over a period of 14 years will help in building a map of the change in techniques and methods of adaptation and characterization, which can stand as a prototype of the change in the Indian conscience, if any. The thesis will also attempt to get the readers acquainted with the various dynamics of relationships and
OJHA KRITIKA 16 evaluate their complexities and portrayal under the pressure of such powerfully influential systems as depicted in these films. It will also try to unearth the social factors that this shift is influenced by. An analysis of the text as well as the visuals will help the researcher in conducting a thorough study. This research will run with the adaptation theory and its history at its base and will prove to be beneficial to the research as it will clarify the dynamics of adaptation in that particular year when the movies were made. It will attempt to study how the meanings created by an author in his texts are made to work in the form of visuals which will also help the readers evaluate if the growth of Indian Cinema is comparable to that of the
American and English Cinema with reference to the theories and technicalities adopted by them.
This research will try to study the changes in the techniques of creation and characterization of Shakespeare‟s women characters and will unearth the social factors that affect the structuring of a role and compare it to the complexities and attributes of the original characters. This research can serve as a time guide to show the way in which the filmmaker has perceived the characters of and will also show the change in the understanding and depiction of a Shakespearean tragedy with respect to the Indian mindset. Prior research on the general techniques of adaptations has been conducted, but no study has been specific to the women characters in the Indian context. This thesis will attempt to lay down the factors responsible in creating characters and assigning meaning to their actions in the course of a film.
This paper attempts to contribute to the vast ground of academia over which the
Shakespearean canons are evaluated. It will also prove helpful in further research with respect to the authenticity of each characters adapted through similar references over the years. The researcher will be looking at the above mentioned factors only in order to conduct a thorough and well informed study.
OJHA KRITIKA 17
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A Critical History of Film Adaptation. Chapman.edu. N pag. 2015. N.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
Andrew, Dudley. “Adaptation.” Concepts in Film Theory. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1984. 96.
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Eadon, Lindsey. DudleyAndrew‟s Ideas onAdaptation. N pag. N. d.Web. 23 Aug. 2015.
Fisher, Joshua B. “Review of Filming Shakespeare in the Global Marketplace.” Shakespeare
Bulletin. 27. 2. 2015. Shakespeare Bulletin. Summer 2009. Web. 14 Aug. 2015.
Haider. Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj. Perf. Shahid Kapur, Tabu and Kay Kay Menon. 2014. DVD.
Web.
Hutchen, Linda. ATheoryofAdaptation. N pag. N d. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
Jacobs, Christopher P. Film Theory and Approaches to Criticism. N.Pag. 2015. N.d. Web. 17
Aug 2016.
Kapadia, Karin. “Confrontation and Negotiation: The Women‟s Movement‟s Responses to
Violence Against Women.” The Violence of Development: The Politics of identity,
Gender and Social Inequalities in India. 207. 2002. Kali for Women. Print. 9 Aug.
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Kawachi, Yoshiko. "Shakespeare: The Indian Icon." Questia. ed. Vikram Chopra. Web. 13
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Loomba, Ania. "Tangled Histories: Indian Feminism and Anglo-American Feminist
Criticism." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature: 12.2. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Lotz, Amanda D. "Communicating Third-Wave Feminism and New Social Movements:
Challenges for the Next Century of Feminist Endeavor."ProQuest Research Library.
26.1. Spring 2003. Web. 27 July 2015.
OJHA KRITIKA 18
Maqbool. Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj. Perf. Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Pankaj Kapur. 2003. DVD. Web
McFarlane, Brian. NoveltoFilm: AnIntroductiontotheTheoryofAdaptation. Oxford:
ClarendonPress, 1996. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
Mohsin, Syed Wahaj. Cinematizing Shakespeare: A Study of Shakespearean Presence in
Indian Cinema.International Journal of Language, Literature and Humanities. 2015.
N p. n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2015.
Moodley, Subeshini. "Postcolonial Feminisms Speaking through an 'Accented' Cinema: The
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Mehta."Empowering Women for Gender Equity. JSTOR. Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on
Behalf of Agenda Feminist Media, 58. (2003). Web. 27 Aug. 2015.
Omkara. Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj. Perf. Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. 2006.
DVD. Web.
Orfall, Blair. Bollywood Retakes: Literary Adaptation and Appropriation in Contemporary
Hindi Cinema. Proquest. N pag. 2009. University of Oregon. Web. 15 Aug. 2015.
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Untimely Reviews of Renaissance Literature. ed. Jeremy Lopez and Paul Menzer. 1.3
(2013) : N pag. The Hare Online. Web. 14 Aug. 2015.
Pereira, Lindsay. William Shakespeare is Our Heritage too. Rediff. 2015. Rediff.com News. 26
Sep. 2006. Web. 14 Aug. 2015.
Scholz, Anne. "Introduction." From Fidelity to History: Film Adaptations as Cultural Events
in the Twentieth Century. New York: Berghahn, 2013. Print.
Shedde, Meenakshi. Bollywood Cinema : Making Elephants Fly. 30. 3. Jstor. 2015. Cineaste
Publishers, Inc.. Summer 2006. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
OJHA KRITIKA 19
Siegel, Deborah L. "The Legacy of the Personal: Generating Theory in Feminism's Third
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OJHA KRITIKA 20
Chapter – 2
Women and Personal Identity Markers:
Shakespearean to Indian
The women in Shakespearean plays have been vital in supporting the male protagonists as well as being a central character in their own sub-stories that run in the plays.
They support the main plots but they also carry their own characteristics. They are often called to be the intelligence of the play that lead to further twists and complications in the plot which often begins by subjugation and underestimation of these characters. Even though the women of the time period in which Shakespeare based his plays did not enjoy a lot of power and freedom, their way of influencing their men have been noted to be often subtle and unusual, which the men often fail to notice or encourage (Smith). The women in
Shakespearean plays break away from the stereotypical women of the Indian film industry.
The Indian film industry has always stuck to the image of women being either white or black with respect to their role and character, but there are only a counted few who can be placed in the grey area. The women characters are often represented as the carriers of the family values and prestige (Masculinity and Popular Hindi Cinema 135). „Grey‟ talks about those characters, which cannot be placed in the section of white characters who are good mothers or wives and stick to the norms of the society. They can also not be categorized as black characters which are outright evil with fixed motives of destroying someone. Through this kind of depiction, the characters are closer to the raw reality than made up and glorified imaginations. This aspect comes about clearly as none of the women in plays come about as villains. In the films, there are outright villains at all except in Omkara where there is a defined male villain who leads to the twist and the final fall of the characters including him.
OJHA KRITIKA 21
In the Indian film industry, women are either equivalent to the goddess or to the witches. The roles that women are subjected to, have always been clearly framed and there are no shades of grey or any scope of fluidity or interpretation left in their characters (Chatterji
62). But Shakespearean‟s adaptations have found a place to explore the area in between explicitly. In every adaptation of Shakespeare‟s, the women are those who seem to confirm to the societal norms but their desire is to break free from them, which they eventually do making these characters epitomes of „grey characters‟. Getrude, Ophelia and Lady Macbeth are sought to be the most fitting to the characters that Shakespeare propagates. The Indian adaptations use these characters‟ fluidity and mould them in the Indian context and adhere to the original idea of Shakespearean women being complex characters (Figure 1).
Fig 1: Ghazala (Getrude): Transition from the Victim to A Confident Woman
The characters of the play are known to have the inner conflict with self which leads to numerous events. They often contradict their own actions and thoughts which results in guilt and their own doom. The adapted films capture the conflicts between castes, professional hierarchy and power status but it also captures the conflict within which is brought out clearly in Maqbool and Haider. Omkara incorporates the inner struggle of the men the women seem to be fairly balanced in their outlook when it comes to right and wrong. These characters not only struggle with their status and continuous power struggle, they also have a constant tiff going on with their inner conscience and motives, the Hamartia that leads them to their respective dooms (Turpin 3). This has been drawn directly from the play, as the kinds of
OJHA KRITIKA 22 struggle shown in them are persistent to the general psyche of any individual who aims higher. In the Indian context, such struggles are very pertinent to the ones who aim higher and work against the flow and women in particular.
The assassination of Abbaji by Maqbool which is orchestrated and planned by Nimmi leads to them getting married (Maqbool 1:10:16).Nimmi is seen nudging Maqbool constantly by putting the choice between love and work in front of him. Maqbool starts experiencing guilt from the time Nimmi proposes the plan of killing Abbaji, but it still remains subsided due to Nimmi‟s constant reminder that what he is doing right now is for their own future. The symbol of guilt has also been borrowed directly to the adaptation (Andrew 98). The hallucination of blood is seen as a constant symbol of guilt, both in the play and the film.
Initially, it is Maqbool who sees blood before even killing Abbaji (Maqbool 1:15:50). In the
Indian context, it is very clearly established that the senior is the superior, irrespective of what the reality might suggest. The twist comes about when Nimmi is found to be pregnant. Later,
Nimmi is shown hallucinating like Maqbool after she comes to know that she is pregnant with
Abbaji‟s child (Maqbool 1:36:30).She experiences the guilt as her pregnancy and the birth of the child is a constant reminder of what she did to lead a comfortable life with Maqbool
(Maqbool 1:41:09-1:41:20).
Victimized Happy Guilty Fig 2: Transition of Nimmi‟s (Lady Macbeth) Character
She is seen wiping her face off at numerous instances when she is accused of being the murderer. This later translates to her insanity and further to Maqbool‟s repentance as he keeps emphasizing on the fact that the child is in fact Maqbool‟s (Maqbool 1:41:30). This brings them to their doom and a fatal end to the film. There has been a major modification from the
OJHA KRITIKA 23 play wherein Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are married from the beginning and the plot of murder is plainly on the demand for power and Macbeth gaining the confidence of his wife.
The element of guilt is strengthened in the adaptation by adding a child which poses to be a constant reminder of their crime. Considering how value based the Indian setup is with respect to women, the aspect of guilt gets magnified in the adaptations that have come about with the Indian society in mind. Despite belonging to a part of the society wherein morality doesn‟t really play a major role in case of men, the underworld still expects its women to be at their best behavior of the subjugated possession of beauty. By bringing this aspect into light, the attention that falls on the darkness of guilt is magnified as compared to the play. This in turn not only affirms to the Indian notion of family and honour of women, but also confirms the essence of the play being captured (Figure 2).
Another aspect that is modified from the play is Duncan‟s descendants. Malcolm from the play is replaced with a daughter named Sameera in order to propagate the importance of family. The replacement of the daughter brings in the element of morality more prominently.
Sameera is shown to be the woman who goes according to her father‟s wishes. She falls in love but not at the cost of jeopardizing her relationship with anyone. She remains the daughter of the house who is docile but free-spirited as compared to the high aspiring son, Malcolm in the play. This in turn strengthens the treachery that Nimmi and Maqbool plot in order to get what they want further in comparison to the play. Kaka (Banquo) is shown to be faithful to
Abbaji which is true to the play‟s character. He decides to attain power through rightful means of getting his son married to Abbaji‟s daughter and becoming the heir. However, considering the position at which Maqbool already is in the eyes of Abbaji, he cannot see the throne he deserves go to someone he never pictured answering to. This is what Nimmi uses to coax him when he becomes weak. She uses her position as the mistress to gain Maqbool‟s sympathy, if not love. She constantly calls out to the possessive lover in him by saying how she feels every time she sleeps with Abbaji.
OJHA KRITIKA 24
Nimmi can be categorized as a vicarious achiever considering the path she builds for herself in the film. She carefully orchestrates her path to honour. Vicarious women derive their honor and achievement needs from the position at which the men in their lives are placed
(Chatterji 51). This comes about clearly in the way she drives herself. She finds her way into the system through Abbaji but falls in love with Maqbool. She coaxes him to take Abbaji‟s place to be with him. She often uses the dialogue that she is only a mistress and nothing much and that she is only being used for her body till a new Biba (the name Abbaji uses to address
Nimmi) comes in his life. She is more insecure about Guddu marrying Sameera and becoming the next official heir as she will be left as a mere mistress. Her desperation to find a stable partner is more aggressive than Maqbool wanting to be the head of the system. This derives the need for Indian women to have a stable partner in order to save themselves from the constant vulture-eyes of the men around. It depicts the insecurity women face with respect to their integrity in the absence of a man. This comes about clearly in sequence wherein
Inspector Pandit says that ideally everything that belonged to Abbaji is now Maqbool‟s, whether it is his daughter or his mistress (Maqbool 1:24:45-1:24:59). The way of delivering this dialogue is very casual and far from attachment. It directs at the fact that she was only a possession and not a person.
In the play however, the hunger is for power and power alone. Lady Macbeth wants her husband to be at a higher stature in order to boost her own ego. In the Indian context however, the hunger for power doesn‟t come about as strongly as it does in case of honour.
Nimmi only wishes to be Maqbool because he is clearly the second in command after the very old Abbaji. Her motive behind falling in love with him is directly related to the age that
Abbaji is at along with the trust he bases in Maqbool. Nimmi sees that trust as her way to reach the top with her pride intact.
In Haider, he is constantly brought face-to-face with his father‟s wish of avenging his death. But he is also caught between his mother‟s wish of not wanting to drift to the other
OJHA KRITIKA 25 side. He is seen to choose the way of insanity to escape this choice which he is often shown to have made. Haider believes that it is his father‟s brother, Khurram, who has murdered Dr.
Meer to marry Ghazala. But his mother‟s defense often makes him wander off his belief.
Being built on the Oedipus complex, Haider‟s obsession with his mother plays a major role in bringing justice to his father. He expresses clearly that he doesn‟t know whose story he should believe, however, the way he states it is very clear as to what he believes in. He makes the statement only to make it clear that he is being asked to choose a story he doesn‟t buy (Haider 1:37:45). This indicates that Haider was sane afterall and he only lost his mental balance because of the ones he loves and gets
constantly betrayed by. This is indicative of the attention Fig. 3: Ghazala‟s Inner Conflict and complexity that a woman brings into a man‟s life.
Ghazala is shown having a constant rift within herself where she has to make a choice between her son and Khurram. She is subject to manipulation as opposed to plotting her husband‟s murder in the play. She is looking for the same stability that Ghazala looks for in
Dr. Meer which is why she chooses Khurram out of the convenience as opposed to the choice of love by Ghazala. She realizes that Khurram has betrayed her and confronts him as opposed to the guilt in the play. She also pays for her sins at the end of the film willfully as compared being killed out of chance in the play. This again brings out the moral-conscious attitude of an
Indian mother. For having played with Haider‟s emotions and future, she decides on becoming the suicide bomber to kill the ones who want to capture her innocent son. She finds out that her son is being framed and it bothers her.
Arshia, however, comes about as an independent woman but only as a support system to Haider‟s spiel around the conspiracy. She tries her best to be the centre of Haider‟s universe by being the one who is always there for him. This doesn‟t help her much as the obsession he has with his mother, Ghazala, is deeper than she can mend. Arshia in the
OJHA KRITIKA 26 adaptation is borrowed directly from the play. However, Arshia in the film is more self- dependent and opinionated as compared to Ophelia in the play. Being a career-woman, she develops her own identity which becomes hard for her father and brother to limit despite several attempts.
In Omkara, Omkara is constantly fighting with Langda Tyagi‟s manipulation and his eyes with respect to Dolly‟s loyalty. He says it himself that she is either too innocent or too cunning to be the way she is (Omkara). His doubt also deepens due to his own inferiority driven thoughts. Dolly is constantly shown to adhere by the rules of the house and elders.
Even while coming out clean about her love for Omkara, she has trouble confronting her father. However, she is shown to be of progressive thought wherein she learns how to sing and English song with the help of her college-mate, Kesu. But, she falls under the tragic innocent woman category of Shakespearean characters, under which Desdemona is listed as a prototype. She doesn‟t voice her opinion as long as she is loved by her lover.
Fig. 4: Indu‟s (Emilia) Wise Nature
Indu on the other hand, is a free-spirited woman who is happily married to Langda
Tyagi. She comes across as the most balanced female character out of the three adaptations and plays. She is a wise and sorted woman, who knows what to tell whom. She is borrowed directly from the virtuous character of Emilia from the play. She is not just Iago‟s wife like in the play, but she is also Omkara‟s sister. She acts as a support system for Dolly through the film and is very open about her take on men and their character. By adding her as a part of
Omkara‟s family, the element of familial values comes in again. However, it is different as
OJHA KRITIKA 27 compared to the other two films. In this film, it is shown how a woman in the husband‟s house comes to the rescue of the one that has just been welcomed into the family. Despite bringing this element into the film, there is not a major change that comes about in the outlook of the man. He still doubts her and leads her to her doom. But the stand take by
Emilia against the father of her child sends a stronger message as compared to the play.
When confronted by Emilia in the play, Iago kills his own wife. In the adaptation, it is not confirmed that Langda Tyagi and Indu are married. Even if they are, she doesn‟t hesitate from taking matters in her own hands in order to bring her brother justice. She proves that despite the character of the men, a woman chooses to put family above all and avenge her brother‟s destroyed life.
Films are institutions influenced by cultural ideologies and discourses of the background it belongs to. The way in which a story is portrayed and built depends a lot on the region, religion and caste it is based out of. The Indian film industry and society are the influenced and the influencers as well. Burnett and Shedde also point out that movies of today are the reasons as well as the results of the current cultural dimensions.
The way in which a relationship is built is largely derived from previous practices and trends set. However, the Shakespearean adaptations under research move away from the normalized practice of relationships. The ideology on which a relationship stands, get influenced by societal institutions of economical status, religion and caste, which is captured in all the three primary texts keeping at least one of these tangents as a point of view. The primary texts are Maqbool (2003), Omkara (2006) and Haider (2014). These films have been adapted from the tragedies of Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet.
Shakespeare‟s plays are known to capture the complexities of human nature, which holds true across the test of time. The aspects of relationship that Shakespeare captured through his plays have been adapted in the primary texts and stand as a prototype of today‟s societal ideologies. Some relationships have been brought into the adaptations as they are, like
OJHA KRITIKA 28 that of Hamlet and his mother. But some are modified for the benefit of the story and reasons of convincing of the plot to its viewers, like the relationship between Duncan and his two sons.
In Maqbool, the characters of Abbaji and his daughter share a deep relationship. As compared to the play wherein, Duncan has two sons whose roles are not very significant, Chhoti has a very strategic role to play in the plot of the film. The bond that the father and daughter share in the Indian context is different from the bond that a father and son share. Also, the element of authority that Fig. 5: Abbaji (Duncan) and Sameera‟s Bond comes into the relationship is not as evident in a father-son as it is in a father-daughter relationship. The way in which most of the relationships derive their shapes are based on this one relationship. In the beginning of the film itself, it is established how particular Abbaji is about his daughter when she is unwell. The relationship is very public for everyone to understand that it is only through this that Abbaji can be manipulated. Kaka uses this to his advantage by tactfully working his son‟s love story with
Chhoti. It initially seems to be like any other love story that is born within networks but that is not how it turns out to be as the plot progresses. In the scene after the love story coming out to the entire family, wherein Kaka himself beats his son as if he had made a big mistake, Kaka is seen attending to his son‟s wounds and saying that he should‟ve been careful and he was lucky that Abbaji found it out through an internal source and not someone else. Abbaji is shown to have an open mind when it comes to his daughter‟s happiness as he agrees to the alliance without any protest. This part of the film brings out the aspect of camaraderie among religions. They have no biases about anyone within their network irrespective of which religion they belong to. It shows a breakthrough in the ideology wherein most films depict
OJHA KRITIKA 29 love stories disputed on due to different religious backgrounds. It subtly sends the message across using trust and faith as the central ideas.
Where religion has been used as a positive tool in Maqbool, caste has been used as a tool that builds the plot negatively in Omkara.
Inter-caste marriage and the politics of color become a constant reminder and cause of most of
the conflicts in the film. Omkara‟s insecurity and Fig. 6: Omkara and Dolly complexities get highlighted after he gets married to Dolly only rise. In this film, the aspect of caste has been used as a negative influence by the other characters to make their way. Langda
Tyagi uses Omkara‟s complex and intensifies it with respect to Dolly‟s fair complexion and
Keshav being more educated and better looking. He often brings the aspect of caste to the surface to weaken his relationship with his wife, who was the reason for a lot of development that happens in Omkara‟s life. Tyagi uses the friendship between Keshav and Dolly to twist it for his benefit to exact revenge on Omkara. Even though Omkara is the authoritative individual who is respected and looked up to, his half-caste „blood‟ doesn‟t get him the full respect of his own brother-in-law, Langda Tyagi. Omkara basing his judgment completely on strategies doesn‟t come clear to Tyagi as he is clouded by the fact that he doesn‟t choose family in the election of the „bahubali‟ of the party they belong to. Caste plays a very important role in Indian societal setup. It derives most of the hierarchical structures in the country. However, when this system gets disrupted in the primitive settings of politics, such individuals are often found to have a list of people ready to bring them down. This has been portrayed in Omkara in clarity. When from Dolly falling in love with him to him being a major figure of the party to stand up for elections, things go the right way for him despite him belonging to an „odd‟ part of the society. It indirectly hints at the mentality of arranged marriage that prevails in most of India. Love is shown to be a taboo in all the three primary
OJHA KRITIKA 30 texts. In Omkara, none of the couples in the film are married. They consider marriage due to the different views held by Dolly.
The aspects of economic status also play an important role in the way the women are placed in all three stories. The women crave for better attention and higher status in all the films which has been derived from the plays. Even though the protagonists of the films are prototypes of the most stereotyped classification of women in India, the supporting actors also stand for another description of women who bring about a wave of breakthrough from these.
In Maqbool, Nimmi is caught up in the situation of choosing between two men because the status that Abbaji gives her is still constructed as a mistress and not the queen. When she finds respect and companionship from Maqbool, her mind starts to work in order to achieve it. But in the same house, there is Chhoti, who falls in love and gets her chosen fate. In Omkara,
Dolly marries the man she loves, but what follows is only doubt and speculation fueled by
Langda Tyagi. Tyagi doesn‟t let a moment pass by for Omakra to think otherwise. He constantly keeps manipulating his thoughts even though they keep getting washed away with
Dolly‟s innocence. However, Tyagi makes Omkara reach a point wherein, he cannot perceive anything on his own and looks at it completely they way Tyagi wants him to see it.
Shakespeare‟s idea of jealousy, greed and manipulation come across clearly through the way in which Omkara‟s manipulation is carried out.
The relationship that Dolly and Indu share is also very unique. Wherein Dolly often bears the brunt of doubt and speculation from Omkara, Indu comes out as a strong character that plays the rational mind. In the plot, where there is chaos emerging from every character‟s mind, the women characters stand for blind trust and rational thinking in the play which is brought about in the play directly. However, considering the level of cognition the women of the contemporary times have reached at, there have been certain intersections in the way the characters react. The thought process that Indu carries comes across as the fairest means to look at things with respect to justice. When she finds out what her husband has been up to in
OJHA KRITIKA 31 order to bring down the happiness Omkara was looking to build, she gives him no chance to explain. In a space where women are constantly suspected by the men, the women in this film are not seen justifying or explaining themselves. It is to capture the aspect of guilt that comes out after the men realize. The approach that Langda Tyagi comes out with doesn‟t stop him from accusing his own wife in front of his brother to save himself. The dedication with which women are shown to care for the house is much higher than what the men hold towards them in this film. The relationships are shown to be more intense and stronger from the woman‟s side than that of the man as the women as a constant spectacle of pride and shame as well.
In Haider, Ghazala and Haider share a special bond. The Oedipus complex is borrowed from the play here. When Haider comes back after his father‟s death to meet his mother, he sees Ghazala sing while Khurram (her then brother-in-law) dance to the song. That is when Haider‟s insecurity crops up about which he remains very open through the time he is shown to be sane. He repeatedly says that his mother forgot about him running after her selfish motives. He fails to understand initially that it is Khurram who carefully orchestrates the killing of his own brother to get Ghazala. While Haider expresses obsession towards his mother, Arshia is obsessed with Haider and his safety all the time. She plays a very docile role of fighting for Haider wherever she can manage to get out of her brother and father‟s hands.
However, her screen space not being much pretty much indicates the importance she has.
Haider sees her as someone who can help him in finding his father‟s murderer and he doesn‟t feel the love he has for her till he finds her dead. He is shown to be preoccupied with his obsession with his father‟s death and his mother‟s remarriage.
The plays of Shakespeare also display „double standards‟ in the sense of men and women enjoying sexual freedom. According to Sarup Singh, the aspect of purity and loyalty that is extended in Omkara (Othello) is limited only to the women in the film. Only the women are questioned on their chastity to their husbands, both Dolly (Desdemona) and Indu
(Ophelia) remain under the constant surveillance while the men are never questioned on the
OJHA KRITIKA 32 same. This constant nudge reflects not only the status that the women hold in the society of the film, but they also suggest an underlying fear in the men with respect to the sexuality and desires of their women. In Haider, his constant effort to make his mother feel guilty about being happy after her husband‟s death is a proof enough of the underlying feeling of fear that
Haider has about his mother‟s feelings being unleashed.
Samita Basu calls Lady Macbeth as an image of goddess Kali who stands for devastation and a destroyer of evil. In Haider, Ghazala‟s (Lady Macbeth) persona is very close to that of goddess Kali. Ghazala too, like Kali, is involved in the death of her husband.
She leads her husband to his end and then suffers the guilt of separating her son from Haider from his father. She tries her best to reconcile with her son but she is unsuccessful in doing so.
She is always shown to be submissive and someone who avoids making decisions and building points of view. From Khurram‟s decision to marry her to her perception of her son,
Haider, being insane is all fed to her by her surroundings. Till the very end she doesn‟t choose the battle she wants to fight. Herein, she confirms to the long drawn view about Indian wives who are passive and one-dimensional (Chatterji 64). But she changes that towards the end where she decides to pay for her sins and save her son who was being tricked by everyone.
Ghazala here, also, confirms to the norm of the Indian wife and mother finally sacrificing for her child and proving her purity.
The definition of love as defined in these films also defies the normalized meaning.
„Love‟ in the Indian film industry has different definitions for men and women. For men, it is the freedom to choose and weigh options, which finally lead on to him finding a suitable and pious partner. For the women, it states that love should be with a man who chooses you and it should be all-consuming and pure. A woman is allowed to love only once and the choice is not hers. In the adaptations in question, this definition gets overwritten time and again. A woman does not only fall in love but the equations appear to be very different from the generally known ones. In Maqbool, Nimmi falls in love with Abbaji‟s favourite. The love
OJHA KRITIKA 33 here appears to be initiated by the woman herself. Maqbool and Nimmi share a scene wherein they are seen talking face to face for the first time. Here, Nimmi initiates a conversation about
Maqbool‟s fear of Abbaji and how they would never be together if it wasn‟t for her courage.
She also hints at a budding love story between Chhoti and Kaka‟s son, Guddu. Even in this case, the love story bases itself on diplomatic ties and power struggle more as compared to the aspect of love. Guddu‟s aim to take Maqbool‟s place is what encourages him to fall in love with Chhoti.
In Omkara, Dolly chose her partner, Omkara and runs away from her own wedding to marry her lover. Despite being a subtle and „docile‟ woman, the imbalance in status clearly makes itself visible in the first few minutes of the play. Even though it is Omkara who is the man in power here, Dolly‟s beauty and rich background doesn‟t take a backseat after her marriage. Omkara‟s way of talking to her itself asserts his fear of losing a beautiful woman like her. However, in the scenes involving Dolly‟s life before marriage, she is shown to be an independent student whom Omkara is shown to visit after being shot and also seen in college
(Omkara 16:20-19:10). But after she starts living with Omkara, she is often seen in the kitchen and within the four walls of the house affirming to the norm that marriage implies that a woman is expected to leave whatever she is pursuing career or education wise (Chatterji
51). However, they aren‟t married till the very end of the film, the norm still holds very true in the setup of an Uttar Pradesh town. Indu, on the other hand, is shown to be the outright stronger woman of the entire setup. Her way of handling her husband, Langda Tyagi, as well as her way of talking to Dolly and Omkara says a lot. This shows that even if the more educated woman is shown to adhere to the norms, the one who has been handling with the mentality for long is more will-powered and stronger in her views. Desdemona is not so much a powerful character in her darker attributes as she is when it comes to her virtue. She handles herself gracefully, but in the end succumbs to her husband‟s jealousy insecurity.
OJHA KRITIKA 34
In Haider, Ghazala and Nimmi chooses the path of love she wants to take. She chooses her brother-in-law over her husband and does everything in her power to retain it.
But, her love for Haider overpowers her affection for Khurram. The relationship that Haider and his mother share expresses a lot about her sexuality and desires. Even Arshia loves Haider irrespective of his obsession with Ghazala. She never expects his attention or for him to reciprocate the passion she has. She always supports and protects him.
In an industry where women are often portrayed as the ones who generally lack rational and logical thought, these three adaptations come about as a deviation from the general notion. Almost every woman character in these adaptations, except Dolly, is shown to have quick thinking and practical outlook. Dolly, on the other hand, has a composed way of thinking. She doesn‟t try to defend herself in front of Omkara as she finds no point in explaining her side of the story. Her innocence and silence works for and against Omkara. She neither defends her honour, nor does she betray Omkara. Here, she can be compared to the mythological character of Sita, who is known to have gotten swallowed by the earth when her honor was under question. All the women characters of the film try to provide the chaotic world around them with a reason and learn to live in it. Where the men in the film are busy creating a chaos out of jealousy and power, the women try to maintain the sanity levels of the film. By defending Dolly‟s honour, Indu brings out the aspect of sorted thinking into the picture.
Nimmi is shown as the one with ambitions. Her need for respect clouds her judgment and results in Abbaji‟s death. But, unlike living happily ever after, she loses her mind and guilt makes her lose her mental balance.
Irrespective of the role that they play in a film, they are depicted with a strict appendage to some male or the other (Chatterji 62). The female characters created by
Shakespeare appear to be strong on the grounds of identity as they support it with their intelligence and power of reception. All the main female characters in the three films notice
OJHA KRITIKA 35 what will lead them to their goal and orchestrate it carefully to their benefit without being subjected to any suspicion and appear to be independent in their own spirits. However, despite achieving their goals, they are struck by havoc as the element of guilt sets in. The women characters are strong enough to take the proceedings of the film entirely on their shoulders, but that doesn‟t happen due to the norm that has stuck through the Indian film industry.
Keeping in tune this tradition, the women use the men in the stories to their benefit and lead the plot to twist and turn.
Nimmi in Maqbool uses her sexuality to her benefit and lures Maqbool into planning the assassin. She continuously appeals to his apprehension towards her and calls him a coward in order to awaken his ego. She uses that to the optimum till she starts getting haunted by nightmares, ultimately resulting in their marriage to crumble.
Ghazala keeps using her status of a widow to gain the sympathy of her brother-in-law,
Khurram. However, her son is a constant critic of her etiquettes as a widow and how it came about in context of her love for Haider‟s father.
The female characters and their way of manipulation show what the level of authority that women possess in the society is. It goes unnoticed as it is carried out with a lot of calculation but the way in which Shakespeare wrote his women characters and the way they were adapted in the Indian context, show very clearly the status of women and their importance. Every twist that comes about in the plot is brought about by the thoughts of the women characters. The fact that the three witches were replaced by two policemen in
Maqbool, indicate the emphasis laid on the effect of women characters. The art of reading ones future is a job particular to the men which is why in the Indian context, it is a man who carries out the activity of narrating these prophesies.
OJHA KRITIKA 36
Works Cited
A Critical History of Film Adaptation. Chapman.edu. N pag. 2015. N.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
Andrew, Dudley. “Adaptation.” Concepts in Film Theory. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1984. 96.
Print.
Eadon, Lindsey. Dudley Andrew‟s Ideas on Adaptation. N pag. N. d.Web. 23 Aug. 2015.
Fisher, Joshua B. “Review of Filming Shakespeare in the Global Marketplace.” Shakespeare
Bulletin. 27. 2. 2015. Shakespeare Bulletin. Summer 2009. Web. 14 Aug. 2015.
Haider. Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj. Perf. Shahid Kapur, Tabu and Kay Kay Menon. 2014. DVD.
Web.
Hutchen, Linda. A Theory of Adaptation. N pag. N d. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
Jacobs, Christopher P. Film Theory and Approaches to Criticism. N.Pag. 2015. N.d. Web. 17
Aug 2016.
Kapadia, Karin. “Confrontation and Negotiation: The Women‟s Movement‟s Responses to
Violence Against Women.” The Violence of Development: The Politics of identity,
Gender and Social Inequalities in India. 207. 2002. Kali for Women. Print. 9 Aug.
2016.
Kawachi, Yoshiko. "Shakespeare: The Indian Icon." Questia. ed. Vikram Chopra. Web. 13
August. 2015.
Loomba, Ania. "Tangled Histories: Indian Feminism and Anglo-American Feminist
Criticism." Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature: 12.2. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Lotz, Amanda D. "Communicating Third-Wave Feminism and New Social Movements:
Challenges for the Next Century of Feminist Endeavor."ProQuest Research Library.
26.1. Spring 2003. Web. 27 July 2015.
OJHA KRITIKA 37
Maqbool. Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj. Perf. Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Pankaj Kapur. 2003. DVD. Web
McFarlane, Brian. Novel to Film: An Introduction to the Theory of Adaptation. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1996. Web. 20 Aug. 2015.
Omkara. Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj. Perf. Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. 2006.
DVD. Web.
Scholz, Anne. "Introduction." From Fidelity to History: Film Adaptations as Cultural Events
in the Twentieth Century. New York: Berghahn, 2013. Print.
Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. N.p.:
Wilco Publishing House, n.d. N. pag. Print.
Shakespeare, William. "Macbeth." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. N.p.:
Wilco Publishing House, n.d. N. pag. Print.
Shakespeare, William. "Othello." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. N.p.:
Wilco Publishing House, n.d. N. pag. Print.
Shedde, Meenakshi. Bollywood Cinema : Making Elephants Fly. 30. 3. Jstor. 2015. Cineaste
Publishers, Inc.. Summer 2006. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
Siegel, Deborah L. "The Legacy of the Personal: Generating Theory in Feminism's Third
Wave." Hypatia 12.3 (Summer 1997): 46-75. JSTOR. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
Slethaug, Gordon E. Adaptation Theory and Criticism: Postmodern Literature and
Cinema in the USA. New York: Bloomsbury, 2014. Print.
OJHA KRITIKA 38
Chapter – 3
Women and Social Identity Markers:
Shakespearean to Indian
A work of literature functions as part of the society it is created around. When a text gets adapted in a context and setting different from that of the original, a number of factors influence the way it gets shaped and polished. As films are seen as a cultural prototype, it is necessary for its audience to make sense out of it, which is the reason behind many texts undergoing modifications in the process of adaptation. When the setting and time period around the plot changes, the socio-political and cultural aspects also get modified accordingly.
Keeping these points in mind, it is important to verify as to what kinds of adaptations prevail in such cases. Adaptation has been a critiqued topic for a long time, as a lot of scholars believe that a work of adaptation is nothing but a copy, many believe that it contains inspiration. Based on these two polarities, films can be categorized under a set of three to understand adaptations and its varieties clearly, which are borrowing, intersection and fidelity to transformation (Andrew 98). Adaptations can be looked at with two extreme approaches, one can be to remain loyal to the original text and adhere to the details closely. The other can be to use the text as only a starting point. It is essential for a work of adaptation to fit into the cinematic history of the industry it belongs to; culturally, socially and thematically (Valentine
116).
Shakespeare‟s works have been one of the extensive research topics that have stood the test of time. It is interesting to study how the aspect Shakespeare has personified through his characters has stood the test of time, centuries to be precise. The behavioral patterns that he captures are the most basic ground of the complexities of human behavior. Some of the
OJHA KRITIKA 39 methods that Shakespeare uses to illustrate them are true to the time he wrote in, i.e., English
Renaissance and Elizabethan Era. However, some methods got modified in the adaptations according to the need and importance of authentication.
The primary texts under research, Maqbool (2003), Omkara (2006) and Haider (2014) have borrowed the plots from the Shakespearean tragedies of Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet, respectively. Other aspects of the plays like their settings and contexts have been modified with respect to the Indian set-up. In the sense that these films have used the play as an inspiration point only. These films fall under the category of fidelity to transformation
(Andrew 99) as all of them are not just adaptations, but they can also exist as independent works. They have an identity and importance of their own on the front of the Indian film industry and were acknowledged in the international market as well, making them successful examples of „cross-over‟ films (Trivedi 2007). Had they been borrowed from the play blindly, it would‟ve been as good as a blind copy of the play in Hindi. However, the adaptation helps the film-maker to modify it according to the sensibility of the audience keeping the cultural, social and thematic aspects in mind. This way the plays have become a part of the Indian history of films along with the fact that Shakespeare has been the bard in India as well. In the
Indian context, the plays have molded themselves without losing its identity as a
Shakespearean tragedy in turn proving the fact that Shakespeare‟s plays stand through the test of time. The human behaviors as depicted in the plays have been drawn directly which will be explored further.
Maqbool, Omkara and Haider come forth as very raw and Indianized adaptations of
Shakespearean tragedies. These films bring out post-modernist interpretation of the classics. It questions the reality that these plays had created over a period of time. The adapted films come about as a comparatively raw interpretation to the classics which incorporate the essence of being adapted in India. As compared to the original plays, wherein the stage belonged to the protagonists, the adaptations give space and scope to the other characters as
OJHA KRITIKA 40 well. This will be looked into through the aspects of clothing, language and rituals that the characters perform in the course of the films. Despite the fact that these plays inculcate in them, a very stereotypical structure of relationships, the characters have been based in the most prominent, yet the most rarely touched or ventured forms of profession (Ania Loomba
3). They have been carefully merged with the Indian mindset and societal glitches in keeping with the essence of the tragedies. The power struggle, political rifts, lust, complexities of relationships, the merging lines of black and white, are some elements which are typical to
Shakespeare‟s work and have been depicted in these films. Shakespeare‟s plays have contributed in creating complex characters in the Indian context inter-mingled with Indian melodrama and situations bringing out the complexities of relationships and hierarchy
(Valentine 118).
The way of reaction and interaction that the Shakespearean women brought forth in the plays was influenced by factors of class and power. In the films however, a character affected by multiple factors comes through. The women don‟t only have aim of achieving an optimum power position but also the reasons behind it hold a vital place. The power position becomes a solution as well. The fact that the women derive their position in the system keeping the men in their life as the deciding factor comes out as one of the central ideas in the films. However, the way in which the idea comes forth differs from one film to the other.
In Maqbool, it is the woman who definitely derives their satisfaction in life depending on the men whereas in Omkara, it is the man who thinks that that is how women perceive things around them. Haider comes across as an intersection between these two. This is so because there is a man who gets to power to impress the woman he loves and the woman decides to go with the man to keep her position dignified. These types of ideas are perceived by the characters due to the influence of societal norms and cultural ideologies which will be explored in this chapter.
OJHA KRITIKA 41
This chapter will discuss the identity markers of the major female characters and the influence that is seen on them due to the male characters in the films with adaptation theory at its base. The aspects of identity that will be looked into are ethnic, familial, linguistic and individual. Under the spectrum of individual identity the aspects of religion, caste and professional status will be looked into.
Even though, the Indian film generally glorifies their heroes in the most perfect way morally and physically, having an ideal ego (DeLoach 2012), the protagonists in the three films under research have flawed personalities and faltering egos. There are no specifically villainous characters in any of the films. The films revolve around the conflict they have with their own selves rather than anyone else. Except Omkara, wherein Langda Tyagi brings villainous traits to the plot, the other two films have very fine line between good and evil within the major female characters. Even though the female characters come about as villainous in Maqbool and Haider, a close look at them will suggest otherwise. The actions they take are with an emotional intent rather than a rational outlook. They do not seem to look ahead on their plans.
Another aspect that is borrowed to the film from the play is the aspect of Omkara‟s minimal involvement. His reserved and behavior of remaining cut-off results in his and
Dolly‟s tragic end. The film captures the war within through its characters and their psyche.
Every character‟s behavior is influenced by the way their thoughts affect them. For example, the fact that Langda Tyagi influences Omkara‟s views about Dolly borrows directly from the way in which he treats his own wife, Indu. Similarly, Omkara‟s complexities regarding his caste also act as oil to the fire that Langda Tyagi wants to destroy Omkara‟s love towards
Dolly. Dolly remains naïve and neutral through this entire turmoil going on inside Omkara‟s head. She is shown as someone who does not possess the capability of deciphering the reason behind someone‟s statements. She believes in only loving Omkara with all her heart. This aspect has been borrowed from the play as it is. However, Dolly is shown to change only after
OJHA KRITIKA 42 having run away with Omkara. She constantly praises him which indicates that at some level she is aware of the complexities Omkara might suffer from, in turn offering him all the security she can provide Omkara with. This indicates that Dolly is not as naïve as she is portrayed but wise in interpreting the feelings of the one she loves. However, the characterization has remained true to the original for Desdemona to Dolly.
Indu however, comes across as an empowered and confident woman. She is depicted as someone who can express her feelings clearly without being misinterpreted for her actions.
Just like the play, Indu‟s role is comparatively scarce but significant in the film. Despite being an open and confident character, she is also subjected to the continuous doubt of Langda
Tyagi which shows how a woman is interpreted when she comes across as a friendly individual. This complex that Tyagi is shown to have somehow translates in ruining the relationship between Dolly and Omkara. Omkara depicts loud and violent reactions.
The identity conflict is seen clearly in Omkara‟s character wherein he is stuck within the struggle of understanding the reason behind Dolly choosing him and not someone of a complete caste background whereas Dolly is seen to express herself without any inhibitions of caste and colour. Even in the real-time Uttar Pradesh, the identity of the relatively lower castes is still questionable and a half-caste individual has a struggle that is completely different from that of a lower caste as it is their entire existence that is in question (Verma
3891). Omkara‟s character and his similarity to Othello in the Indian context further elaborate by the way his nature of being insecure is incorporated. The fact that he is a half-brahmin and his lover is a fair and beautiful woman keeps haunting him despite having the magnitude of power he holds. His peculiar caste affects his professional, as well as his personal life. Indu‟s, being the free-spirited woman she is, adds constant mockery about the contrast between
Omkara and Dolly‟s complexion becomes a reason enough to create doubts in his mind with the intent of humour. However, it still affects the opinion of the ones around him. Despite the fact that Indu herself belongs to the same caste that Omkara belongs to, it is only Omkara who
OJHA KRITIKA 43 is shown to have the inhibitions of inferiority. While the film has used caste and color, the play uses race to determine the identities. It also brings out the fact that the women in the film are more secure in their frames as compared to the men which is an aspect that comes about only in the film and not so much in the play.
Many films have portrayed how the popularity and appeal of a man is decided by the way he is placed in his area of work. There have been several films in Hindi which focus of ambitious women running behind successful men in search of high status and ambitions. In
Omkara and Maqbool the aspect of this mentality that comes forth is that, to be with the man you love, the man has to be at the top of the hierarchical pyramid (Maqbool and Nimmi) and the attention of woman is always directed towards a man who is on his way to be successful
(Indu and Kesu). The plays include a plain struggle for power and royalty but in the films it is taken a notch higher by adding elements of caste and identity politics.
Maqbool incorporates the twists and turns in the psyche of its characters and incorporates the witches in the form of the police officers, stuck in power struggle of the underworld. Keeping the setup of underworld intact, the film also discusses a few instances of the film industry and its link with the underworld. Underworld, so to say, brings about a very grey aspect of trust. Where Maqbool absolutely adores and respects Abbaji, he also cannot see his lover being treated like a mistress. But, he cannot confront Abbaji about it due to the power compartments clearly assigned. Nimmi is not given the importance of the queen of the system that Abbaji runs, but she is restricted like one, which is an addition from the play, where there is no fight for the woman in Macbeth. In contemporary India, the position a woman holds in a man‟s life is very significant. Though this film revolves around Maqbool, there is a passive struggle going on within Nimmi as well just as it is in the play. These aspects have been added to the plot to add some more masala and angles to the plot. This film expands almost all tangents of complexity and twist from the play as they hold true to the human nature in general, irrespective of the setup. The trust that Abbaji bases in Maqbool is
OJHA KRITIKA 44 close to what has been portrayed in the play. His blind belief that Maqbool is the closest to taking his place in the empire and the name itself is picked up from the play very well.
Apart from the nature of the characters, the nature of guilt is also brought to light from the play as that is another factor that remains the same irrespective of the region and time.
After Abbaji‟s murder, the way in which the film progresses, matches the way in which the play moves forth. The setting in of guilt in Maqbool captures the revelation of the dark motives of Maqbool and Nimmi take over their sanity and results in Nimmi hallucinating
Abbaji‟s blood, more so after the birth of the baby who allegedly belongs to Abbaji. This is again drawn from the view of an Indian eye wherein fathering someone else‟s child becomes not only a tedious task but also adds psychological complications. The individual goes through an internal struggle between the right and the wrong way of handling this emotion. In the film it seems as if one doesn‟t let the other forget that it is Abbaji‟s child and not
Maqbool‟s. In Macbeth, this tangent doesn‟t exist. By adding this tangent to the play, the film tries to point the complication that is brought about by the fact that Maqbool is married to
Nimmi who is Abbaji‟s mistress. In the Indian context, a mere fight for power orchestrated by the woman doesn‟t appear to fit. By adding these angles, the film becomes more receivable to the audience of the said setup as such instances are not uncommon where a man marries a woman to save her from constant attack and endangered honour.
Haider is shown to have the biggest and most evident conflict between his alleged act of insanity and exacting revenge on his uncle which is escalated by his mother, Ghazala‟s decision. He is constantly shown jumping between the act of sanity and insanity which confuses the other characters and keeps the pace going. Another conflict that comes about clearly is between Ghazala‟s stand on Haider and Khurram. She is constantly pulled between the two men in her life. She trusts nobody more than she trusts and adores Haider, but because of the life she has led with Dr. Meer, she finds her safety with Khurram. This is borrowed
(Andrew 98) directly from the play wherein, Getrude, is shown to be tricked by Claudius with
OJHA KRITIKA 45 the murder of King Hamlet. However, the way in which she deals with it can draw parallels to
Indu in Omkara, who kills her husband for destroying her brother‟s happiness. The aspect of docility comes about in at least one woman character in the films as it is seen to be as the
„normalised‟ way of representation of women. For instance, in Maqbool, it is Chhoti who is a docile woman character, only depends on her father and Maqbool for rescue till she falls in love with Guddu. But in the play, Duncan has two sons out of which the elder one, Malcolm is the one who is as ambitious and attentive to detail as his father. In the film, Sameera aka
Chhoti is often seen in a protected frame who is only concerned with her home and love interest. This is where the aspect of fidelity to transformation (Andrew 98) comes about as the father-child relationship is drawn directly into the film from the play, but it has been reshaped completely with respect to the Indian context wherein the daughter is often placed as a strategic tool to maintain peace. In Omkara, it is Dolly herself who is constantly run over by the aggressive manipulation that influences Omkara‟s impression of her. She still remains in her shell till the end of her life and film and Haider incorporates docility in both major women characters, Ghazala and Arshia. They both have their empowering as well as dependent moments in the film. This is gathered directly from the play and it still fits well in the context as it is not only theoretically but even legally accepted for the women to essentially be considered as individuals who are constantly only threatened out of their comfort zones by predators and they can only ask for justice and not fight back (Philip 2015).
This holds vital even in the Indian setup wherein, the women are not expected to react and they can only consult the elders and experienced. There is docility in the female characters of the play as well, but there is not much that is explored. However, the play keeps them under equal attention as the male protagonist, the films appropriate these complexes in a more detailed and vivid manner.
Gender assigns certain attributes and expectations to an individual and determines their role in the society. It creates patterns shaping the major societal systems of economy and
OJHA KRITIKA 46 family. The structure of gender is performed the most in these two arenas (Lorber 3). In both the films, men constantly try to assert their popularity on the women by showing their power and grandeur off and the women try to be the supportive force that helps them to make decisions and go about things. In Maqbool for instance, Nimmi is with Abbaji only because he is the godfather figure of the underworld net they run. She loves Maqbool, but she cannot be with him as he cannot gather the courage to accept his love in front of his head of the clan.
The fact that she is just a mistress finally gets to her on noticing his closeness with other women. That is when she is drawn to the idea of eliminating Abbaji altogether and let the prophecy come true. The fact that Maqbool can have Nimmi in her life openly only when he is the leading man of the business clearly brings out the struggle for power which was an element of the Shakespearean tragedy as well. But in the film, Maqbool is not after the power.
Nimmi here uses the dependability of both men on her, to her advantage. On one hand, she gets a fairly queen-like treatment and on the other hand, she coaxes Maqbool to be agitated about her physical relationship with Abbaji. She pulls the right strings in Maqbool‟s head to kill Abbaji. However, in the play, Lord and Lady Macbeth are already married and the struggle is purely based on power. This brings out the vital aspect of manipulation that the women use to their advantage when it comes to the men in their life. By being the victim and
Maqbool‟s love for her, Nimmi becomes successful in coming out of the situation she is in.
The film incorporates a man‟s claim to power added with the woman‟s claim to honour.
In Omkara, the situation is different. It is shown in many minute instances how the status of a man attracts attention if not love. Like in the scene where Kesu is sitting with Indu and Langda Tyagi discussing about how disappointed Omkara was, Indu talks with Kesu in a way that makes Langda Tyagi respond saying that she has never spoken to him in this way.
The fact that he is the soon to be „bahubali‟ makes him grab more attention in the sense of being advised and taken care of. Apart from that, the promotion to being the „bahubali‟ of the party elevates Kesu‟s popularity with his love interest, Billo, wherein he asks her to marry
OJHA KRITIKA 47 him after the declaration that he will now be at a powerful position. However, the way in which Langda Tyagi handles the entire situation only imposes how important it is for a man to be at an elevated spot in his career to gather love and attention from his wife as compared to the play where the struggle only revolves around a man who belongs to a lower race coming to power. The only major struggle is for the man to assert his supremacy in terms of power. It draws directly from the rage and anger that Iago has for Cassio in the play which is not uncommon in spheres of politics and position related fields, hence making this part of the play vital in the adaptation.
Haider, however, has a different setup. Here, Khurram orchestrates the death of his own brother because he wants to get Ghazala, his „Bhabhijaan‟. In the scenes involving flashbacks of Haider, it is clearly made obvious how obsessed Khurram is with his sister-in- law‟s beauty. Even though he remains true to the love he asserts to have for Ghazala, he decides to treat this as a matter of pride and honour. He becomes a political figure and gains a position in the political system by handing his brother over to the authorities for treating a terrorist. He knows that through this, he will soothe the latent fear that Ghazala lives with and take advantage of her vulnerability to his benefit of finally marrying her by being the
„shoulder she never had‟. The only way to get a woman to marry him here is by leaving her in a state of helplessness and makes it clear to her that being with him is her only way to save her dignity and honor, which is very typical in the Indian context. However, in the play,
Getrude is well-aware of the plan. By bringing the aspect of vulnerability and helplessness into the plot, the film further deepens the Kashmiri identity of women who, at the time, lived with a constant fear of losing their husbands further leading to their honor being under jeopardy.
Indian films have always had family as one of the most prominent factors to influence change and twist in the plot and characters. It is often one of the most important institutions in an Indian film (“India - Family Life and Family Values”). Ideas that are propagated through
OJHA KRITIKA 48 the primary texts with respect to family can be broadly categorized as „Collectivism‟ in
Maqbool and Omkara, whereas „Individualism‟ in Haider. In Maqbool, the family stays together at all times. Even though they aren‟t tied by blood relations, they live in a structure close to a joint family. Here, the family is „joint‟ by profession (Srivastava 7). The film propagates a very open outlook towards the structure of family as opposed to Omkara, wherein the women characters are often seen doing household chores and in the bedroom
(Omkara 36:20-37:46). In Maqbool, the women are surely seen taking care of the household chores but they are also seen in festivities and around the house displaying a free picture to the ones around by being a part of the other day to day dealings within the house (Maqbool
18:02-18:50). However, there is a certain barrier seen here as well. Nimmi and Sameera are often seen walking away from frames wherein there is an outsider entering the house
(Maqbool 30:40-30:51). No such thing is seen in Omkara. Even though the women are seen only engaged in household chores, there are no boundaries shown with respect to being in common spaces. But is it clear that their freedom is valid only within the four walls of the house. For instance, when Dolly has to call out to Omkara, she refrains from calling his name out and just calls out by the stereotypical „oh‟ from the threshold of the house to taste some halwa (Omkara 41:45-42:15). These aspects are authentic to the Indian adaptation as in the play the royalty normally is seen together or apart wherein no specifications of the women‟s whereabouts are stated. Both the films however, propagate the notion of dealing with happiness and sorrows together. The familial structure that India propagates is bestowed in both these films in the sense of helping the members in problem solving issues amongst themselves within the house and celebrates happiness and deal with sorrows together (“India -
Family Life and Family Values”). Also, in Maqbool‟s sequence of Sameera‟s wedding, it is seen that everyone is contributing with equal dedication (Maqbool 59:00-1:00:20) which is a factor that is missing from the play, wherein the play deals fair and square with power conflicts, the films adds much more to the plots by bringing these aspects in.
OJHA KRITIKA 49
However, in Haider, the way the family that is depicted is very independent and individualistic. Haider‟s parents, Dr. Meer and Ghazala, send him away to study further in order to save him from the idea and soon-to-be-taken step of joining the other side (Haider
48:49-54:21). Haider moves away from the other two films in another way. In the other two films, the characters of the circle are hardly ever seen in their own houses or away. The central setting of the plot revolves around one house i.e., Omkara‟s house and Abbaji‟s house.
But in Haider, the characters are displaced from their own home which has been a borrowed from the plays as it is. The fact that the characters in Haider are displaced from their origin is symbolically put forth. Another aspect that is borrowed from the play is the mother-son relationship. In the play, Getrude is often seen taking advantage of Hamlet‟s obsession with her beauty which gets borrowed in the relationship between Haider and Ghazala. The point of intersection is that where in the play Getrude is aware of most of the things Claudius is up to,
Ghazala in the film is completely manipulated by Khurram. Where she gets manipulated by
Khurram, Ghazala herself manipulates her son. Ghazala openly blackmails Haider emotionally and gets her way. However, Haider very clearly confront her about it (Haider
47:57-48:26) (Andrew 99). The extent of how naïve a woman can get has been put forth through this aspect in Haider. Despite loving her husband and son, she gets manipulated into the trap laid by Khurram unlike in the play where Getrude is well aware. As compared to the play, the adapted Getrude, i.e., Ghazala, is weaker in her decisions.
Apart from that, wherein the structure of an Indian family is used as the base in the adaptations, it is power that is used in the plays. This is so because, the royalty of the time that
Shakespeare wrote for had only the concerns of heirs and honor attached to their identities.
But in the Indian adaptations, the identities get derived by numerous factors like caste, professional status, religion and region as well.
The films Maqbool and Omkara have heads of the family clearly stated. In Maqbool it is Abbaji that is Duncan from the play and in Omkara it is Omkara himself or Othello.
OJHA KRITIKA 50
However, in Haider, there is no evident head of the family on whom all the decisions depend.
The authority keeps shifting between Khurram and Haider after Dr. Meer goes missing.
The familial structure in Haider is constantly flawed due to which the setting of the film stands strong just as it is in the play. However, in the play it is Polonius who dominates his family whereas in the film it is the son, Liyaqat, dominates the house. Being the elder brother and son of the family, Liyaqat brings into the story the dominance that is held by
Polonius in the play. In the film the role of Polonius is played by Parveze Lone who actually comes across as a father who loves both his children a lot. Just as in Maqbool, Abbaji has a soft corner for is daughter, Sameera, Parvez has a soft corner for his daughter, Arshia. This change brought about in the plot of the play only brings to emphasis the importance of the daughter in a father‟s life which is very prominently seen in Bollywood time and again.
Introduction to caste, religion and hierarchy
Shakespeare‟s work was said to be brought to India to enforce colonial supremacy and sophistication. It was brought here to show how „elitism‟ works (Bhatia 108). This was followed blindly in the theatrical performances and it still is, but when filmic adaptations came into picture, the scenario changed gradually. Even though there are adaptations that displayed a picture that was relatively for the masses, it was still inclined towards being in the upper middle class if not in the royal category, like Haider. However, Omkara and Maqbool move away from this structure slightly. Despite being around rich sects of the society like underworld and politics, it also includes the other levels of the society with respect to caste and religion. The films act as a preview of the various factors that play a role in determining the character and personality of an individual. Even though the characters are essentially dark, complex and flawed in the plays, them getting adapted to the Indian context doesn‟t make them lose their identity. They continue to be as flawed and dark in the films too keeping in mind the various that affect them in the contemporary setting.
OJHA KRITIKA 51
The family here includes the entire circle that is involved in the business, who celebrates festivities and special occasions together. The film includes its moments of romantic encounters mingled with musical pieces and score. The film also promotes communal camaraderie which is evident with the scene wherein a „pandit‟ police officer is reading the future of a Muslim underworld mafia. Another instance is where Kaka‟s son,
Guddu, falls in love with Chhoti, who is Abbaji‟s daughter. Despite being an inter-religion alliance, Abbaji agrees to it for his daughter‟s happiness and for the means of his business.
There are no objections raised which is one of the major effects of the play getting Indianized.
The film doesn‟t shy away from sending out a social message in the undercurrent of the film.
This aspect is missing in the original plays, where there is no other religion except
Christianity and other elements of supernatural. The film replaces the supernatural in the play with hallucinations and reality. The supernatural witches are replaced by the superstitious
„pandits‟. This is so because to make the plot fit with realistic portrayal, the most common weapon of the presence of superstition is brought to light. The element of superstition makes the film more authentic to the contemporary setting as it explores the system that is believed in the most. It is very normal for the riches to consult religious superstition as opposed to the supernatural for the royals in the play.
However, in Haider, the religious banter is much on the surface considering that the plot being based at the peak of militant activity in Kashmir. Haider‟s statement like “Poora
Kashmir qaidkhaana hai mere dost” (The whole of Kashmir is caged, my friend.) and “Haan jaunga mein, jaunga mein sarhad paar”(Yes! I will go across the border and join the other side) clearly showcase the thoughts in Haider‟s mind regarding the war between India and
Pakistan for Kashmir. Also, all officers shown in the film are majorly Hindus who do not originally belong to Kashmir or its history. Bhutali states in her essay “Confrontation and
Negotiation” that how one pays attention to the problems that occur within the house when all the attention is grabbed by the violence that is taking place externally (232). This gets
OJHA KRITIKA 52 explained clearly as all the characters within the house have their own insecurities but they can‟t be addressed accurately due to they themselves being attracted by the militant activities and brain-washing of the kids as shown minutely in the flashback of Haider‟s time in school
(Haider 48:49-55:30). In Hamlet, these aspects are not visible and are influenced either by war or fight for the king‟s position. The factor of religious discrimination or favor is non- existent. By bringing the aspect of religion and regional fight, the Indian adaptation acquires another layer of meaning to add to the complexity of behavior.
Where the behaviorisms in the play aren‟t justified by any reasons and come across as more psychologically unbalanced, the films attempt at reasoning with the way in which the characters behave. There are multi-layered reasons given in the films as opposed to power struggle in the plays.
The way in which caste has been portrayed in the film is also taken from the play‟s politics of colour and incorporated in a relatable way. Caste has been a reason for subjugation in men and women since time unknown. The social construction of identity is largely influenced by the power relations prevailing in the background (Castells 7). In Omkara, the caste system is discussed with the political system as the base. „A reference to caste is never far away in any analysis of UP. Economics, politics, education and health issues, all seem to be enveloped in a caste enigma.‟ (Lieten and Srivastava 1999) In most cases, an alliance between two opposite castes results in an agitated response. But, in Omkara, it is handled very carefully by Dolly‟s father. After being asked to calm down by Bhaisaab (Naseeruddin Shah), he plays it calmly by only adding one statement that a girl who could con her own father can never be someone‟s wholeheartedly. This statement along with Langda Tyagi‟s continuous coaxing leads them to their doom. The politics of colour and caste generates an undercurrent in Omkara‟s mind. Caste is to Indian mindset what racism is to the Elizabethan times. It brings the same kind of inferiority in the individual subjugated by caste as it did in the individuals subjugated by colour and race in the time wherein the play was based.
OJHA KRITIKA 53
Ethnic Identity and its influence on Language and Dialogues
If Maqbool, Omkara or Haider were made with the exact setting and dialogues as that of the play, i.e., the Elizabethan era, it would have been as good as dubbing an English play in
Hindi. It would‟ve neither appealed to the Indian sensibility nor would it have been a part of the Indian cinematic history. But the director, Vishal Bhardwaj, only borrowed the plot and its complexities with modifications in the setting to a more receivable location and profession;
Mumbai and underworld in Maqbool from Scotland at war in Macbeth and Uttar Pradesh, to
Fig 6. : Indu (Emilia): Ethnic Identity politics from Venice in Omkara and from Denmark in Hamlet to Srinagar and the conflict between military and militancy in Haider, the adapted works get affected by these factors at a major level. Just as the royal life of the Elizabethan era included twists and turns in relationships of love and work, these films pick up the backgrounds of the contemporary world that include similar tangles and show the shift, handling every detail in an intricate manner using the method of borrowing (Andrew 99). This way some aspects are as they are in the play, while many characteristics get altered.
The way in which the dialogues are delivered in these films goes hand in hand with the area in which the plots are based. The settings of the plays are all influenced by the
Elizabethan grandeur of the time. Similarly, Maqbool, Omakara and Haider, despite being based in the contemporary setup, are essentially influenced by the rustic aura of the respective
OJHA KRITIKA 54 regions. The linguistic traditions bring about a change in the plot and characterization when a literary work is adapted to a film (Valentine 118). Based on the regions in which the films are based, the linguistic tradition gets altered and so do the themes. In Maqbool, the basic vocabulary and way of calling Mumbai „Bambai‟ adheres to the time around which the film was constructed and the place where the characters belong to. However, because Maqbool includes both Hindus and Muslims coexisting under one roof in the film, the main language is still maintained at a neutral Hindustani and is not authentic to the kind of lingual traditions in other underworld Hindi. However, other references to the „Bollywood‟ by Maqbool in the film and the comfort of discussion about directors being brought to Nimmi gives the impression that the characters are well-acquainted with the inside story of the industry that is born out of Mumbai (Maqbool 20:46-21:00).
In Omkara as well, the characters converse in the typical way of a UP town-man trying to learn English and showing-off. The setting shifts to Uttar Pradesh, which is known for its brick walls cemented together, with a huge front-yard and many complicated balconies.
An authentic Uttar Pradeshi town setup with tiny mud roads and concrete temples bring out the confirmation of the region in the film. The characters of Omkara talk in a typically UP accent with mispronounced words and a persistent rude tone in which they talk to everyone.
In Maqbool, the characters talk in a dialect of Hindi which is prominent only in Mumbai. The huge house with typical interiors of a 90‟s Muslim household with a lot of money and not sense of style, giving out an essence of Arabia is the one prominent in Maqbool. This is a major change that has been brought about from the play to the films adapted in the Indian context, which makes it more authentic to the sensibility of India and its viewers.
OJHA KRITIKA 55
Fig. : House in Haider
The tone and kind of language used in Haider gets influenced by a lot of poetry and idioms as the protagonist himself here is a literature student. So, he mostly uses poetic lines and decorated words to express himself. Haider clearly depicts its graceful ambience of a
Srinagar village with snow clad roofs and surroundings. The typical clothes made in wool add to the authenticity. The lighting and setting normally sticks to a blue tint indicating a nocturnal effect, symbolically indicating darkness and the end of the situations that the characters are involved in. The language used in Haider also has more of Urdu than Hindi which is evidently particular to the population based in Srinagar. The setting of Srinagar also adds to the tension of the film wherein the conditions are based mainly on the internal conflicts between the Indian army and the terrorists. From the counting of villagers to the secret passages in a house, the authenticity of the 1995 Kashmir (Maqbool 1:29-1:40) is maintained. Along with that, the folk dance and songs that keep appearing in the course of the film also add to the authenticity of the play.
All the three settings that have been used in the adaptation of the tragedies have one similarity. It is that all of them evolve from an empire based setup. They all have very concrete structure of power positions. Politics, underworld and militancy are all evolved out of the royal setup that is portrayed in the plays. In the play, the kinds of conflicts that crop up are derived from the same background of royal kings, the three plays stand independently
OJHA KRITIKA 56 when they get adapted to films. Due to change of settings, the conflicts that are derived are similar but they are influenced by much more than just power.
Apart from that, the tone of speaking also brings about a change into the films as compared to the sophisticated royal tones of the characters in the play. In settings of the politics of UP and underworld of Mumbai, it is hard to sync the events with the tone of
Fig.7 :Clothing in Maqbool politeness as is seen in the films. In Haider, the tone is still kept subtle and polite due to a large influence of Kashmir and its dialect derived from Urdu.
The way in which the women characters carried themselves was largely derived by their personality but in keeping with the classic Elizabethan era. Traditionally the characters are seen wearing long gowns with hair done in a bun. On the contrary, the Indian adaptations give the women characters an ethnic identity specific to their region with respect to the way they clothe themselves to the way in which they communicate. In Maqbool, the women are seen wearing synthetic lanchas with long blouses made of netted material and dupatta which is typical to a Muslim family of the 90‟s. The clothes have a flow indicating feminine shyness which is associated to women in Indian cinema. In Omkara, the two major women characters are seen dressing in relatively different ways. Dolly is often seen dressed in body hugging suits more relatable to a young college going girl that she is whereas Indu is seen dressed in a saree draped in a way that is authentic to the women in UP and Bihar with matching blouses and 3/4th sleeves. The way in which Indu carries herself matches the persona of a typical housewife. Her body language is of a confident home-maker who holds an authority in the
OJHA KRITIKA 57 house whereas Dolly‟s persona is that of name, naïve and dressed in a way to lure her man. In
Haider, the pashmina shawls act as a connector and authenticator of the region. Another aspect of clothing that is common is the phiran kurtas in case of Ghazala and suits paired with denim jackets in case of Arshia which act as factors to draw a line in the age gap between the two. The way of communicating is also derived from the urdu spoken in Kashmir with certain words being pronounced differently by Arshia, such as gaar (ghar is hindi for House) and
Obuji (Abbuji is Urdu for father). By bringing these aspects into the picture, the characters develop more means of reasoning with their way of expressing themselves and differentiates one from the other in many other aspects other than personality unlike it is in the play.
The aspects that the indianization of the plot bring into picture are the addition of the cops instead of three witches, who add a hint of humor to the proceedings of the film. They
Fig.8:Clothing in Haider bring into the film an aspect of narration and the only ones who have the sense of how things are and will be. In the play, they come about commentators who fill the gap between scenes; someone who is accessible only to the one in power and this tradition is carried forward in the film as well. They move away from the entire cast as everyone else is busy in their own complex situations while theses cops act as spectators who bring in all the manipulation and twist into the plot. They depict the typically perceived nature of those corrupted policemen who change their side of support based on the power structure and not on loyalty. There is no loyalty involved in the supernatural part of the play. The major reason that the witches were included for was to give a sort of commentary to the play and take no sides. In the adaptations, by adding a human factor to it, the pundits do the same barring neutrality. They give a perspective to the narration of the film which is generally not typical to a film. They
OJHA KRITIKA 58 also take sides and look for their own benefit. Maqbool calls for the measured response of characters within the perceived setup of the underworld, where one cannot trust anyone but still has to convey the message and confide in someone. All these characters already possess the complexities that Shakespeare assigned to their original counterparts in the play, but they also get influenced by the setup they are shown to be a part of in these films. This influence results in a shift in the way the characters react to situations which may or may not be in-sync with the text.
Omkara also makes the shift from its original by shifting the theme to political power in a village setup. In Omkara, the characters‟ professions remain more or less the same with respect to politics but they are all influenced by the setting and mentality that comes along with the setup being located in UP. The way in which the characters react to everything from chauvinism to jealousy is captured in the film keeping the UP political structure in mind. For instance, the men constantly worrying about their women and their reactions to it are directly derived from the setup. It is however, simply drawn from the play‟s complexity of color and race. This results in simple intersection (Andrew 99) between the play and the adapted film.
While the play is enacted, it includes the complexities of a „black‟ skinned man and that has been drawn into the long brewed concept of color and caste in the film.
The aspects of intertextuality get highlighted with the changes that come about in the events and occurring of the play as opposed to the films. This happens because a few incidences are more prominent to the story with respect to the adaptation as compared to the play. It also happens that the film leaves behind certain parts of the play that only language can appropriate and instead use a lot of pictures and spatial variations to represent the parts added due to factors like cinematic history and necessity of the current plot (Bluestone, vi-vii) which can clearly be seen in adaptations like these wherein the background of the original text carries completely different influencing factors as compared to adapted version.
OJHA KRITIKA 59
The film moves away from the play in the cinematic space given to each act and scene as well. In Maqbool, the introductory scene occupies a screen-time of approximately 5 minutes as compared to the play, where it is only a page. In the first scene of Act-I of the play, the witches only appear to plan their next meeting after the battle. But, the scene in the film occupies a very significant space in its runtime. This scene wherein the two policemen, who replace the witches from the play, are making the predictions not only lays the plot down in a skeletal form, but also establishes a lot more as compared to the play. The name of the two rivals is also established, i.e., Mughal and Abbaji. It makes its standpoint in the most Indian way possible which is through an astrological map of Mumbai. As compared to the witchery and prophecy in the Elizabethan space, the film adapts the most popular way of its background‟s whimsical tactics, fortune-telling. Witchcraft is not as popular with the Indian mentality as the art of fortune-telling by the pandits. Had the movie too involved a witch, then the aspect of raw reality in the context of the adaptation would have been lost and would have had this movie get categorized as a magical movie. These changes are brought about because as per the situation shown in the adaptations, there are some scenes that hold more importance in the film as opposed to the play.
Where Duncan has a son named Malcolm in the play, the film shows Abbaji to have a daughter. Indian films have time and again dealt with the relationship between father and daughter. Many films like have elaborated on the different kinds of relationships shared by a father and his daughter. Keeping the mainstream ideas in perspective, the film becomes another example of depicting a nurturing relationship between the two. This shifts the daughter‟s character to a more strategic position as compared to the role of Malcolm in the play. A twist that has been brought about by the adaptation is the aspect of Abbaji‟s character being betrayed by his brother in law. His brother in law happens to get Abbaji‟s brother killed by one of their men and use it to his advantage. It is evident that the event has occurred before the plot of the film is constructed. Here is where it is hinted how important such strategies are
OJHA KRITIKA 60 with respect to the film. In the play, the plot begins at Duncan, his sons and his men like
Macbeth.
Haider comes forth as the one that is the most unique out of the three adaptations under study. It comes the closest to the settings of the actual play in the sense of its „royal- ness‟. From the house to the way of dressing, Haider incorporates royalty very closely and perfectly with the Kashmiri elites as the subject. Even the setup of the song Bismil appears to be in a very classical setup with the majestic stone structures decorated for a celebration, where a performance typical to the courtroom dramas is about to take place. The entire setting of that song resembles the one in the play to a great extent. Haider has a prominent use of
Urdu and pure Hindi in the delivery of dialogues as well as the lyrics of the song. The song like a courtroom drama, narrates a story that has a hidden message in its proceedings. Bismil
Fig. : Haider (Hamlet) – Soliloquy and Monologue narrates the story of an innocent couple who is very much in love with one another. However, a twist enters there life through a red-faced devil who destroys their lives forever.
The soliloquy in the play is also more or less borrowed from the play. However, most of it is replaced by a simple use of the word „chutzpah‟ which indicates an act of utter betrayal and unfairness. He narrates an incident in order to clarify the meaning to the random crowd that he is seen talking to, and he says that Kashmiris have become a part of this tug of war in which they are the ones considered to be stupid. He doesn‟t talk about death alone, he draws more from the rules and laws attached to the AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act) and how they have been playing with the region and its identity. He expresses in this monologue in front of the public that Kashmir needs freedom from both the sides and they
OJHA KRITIKA 61 will make it possible (Haider 1:26:21-1:29:00). The monologue has been well blended in the adaptation which has a background of the Kashmiri riots and terrorism activity. The idea has been borrowed but it has also been transformed to quite an extent which makes it more receivable according to the mindset of the film.
However, the film doesn‟t go exactly along the course of the play. Haider talks about militancy and its political effects. The blinding of consciousness due to the greed for power comes across clearly from the play to the film. But, the fact that it has been synced with the outcomes and effects of militancy in Kashmir makes the script of the film comparatively unique from the other two. The film borrows (Andrew 99) from Hamlet on the psychological level as well as the social issues. The climax of the film is also different with respect to the revenge taking tactics in the Shakespearean play. Another important part that is borrowed from the play is the Oedipus complex. Earnest Jones made a research on this aspect of the play in his book Hamlet and Oedipus, wherein he talks about Hamlet‟s obsession with his mother. Hindi films have always propagated a perfect relationship between the hero and his mother (DeLoach, 2012), but in Haider, this element is taken a stretch further in order to incorporate the much researched Oedipus Complex in Hamlet. The behavior that Haider carries towards his mother, the element of possessiveness can be drawn directly from the view of the complex. There are instances wherein Haider, as a young boy, expresses his obsession with his mother‟s beauty when she is sitting in front of the mirror. The relationship between
Haider and his mother is very similar to what a child has with his mother. It has the element of innocence getting influenced with the emotions of a young man. Also, the way in which he expresses his displeasure about his mother being with his uncle says a lot more than just the feeling of security for his mother. There also inferences drawn that Hamlet identifies his uncle to his father with respect to the closeness he shares with her, which is why he has a feeling of revenge developed towards him. He sees his uncle taking his father‟s place which is unacceptable to him in his own presence.
OJHA KRITIKA 62
The ghost in the film is replaced by a Roohdaar who appears much later in the film as compared to the play. The ghost in the play asserts clearly that he is the ghost of the dead king, but in the film, he indirectly implies, that he is the soul of the doctor (Haider 01:04:36).
In the play the ghost enters once but doesn‟t utter a word in his first appearance. When the ghost does talk, he talks to Hamlet, which is the midnight. In the film, the ghost appears in broad daylight, emphasizing on the fact it is not a ghost but a messenger. He runs into Arshia
(Ophelia), and tells her in the very first meeting that he has a message for Haider. Roohdaar comes about as a perfect fit to the background of the adaptation. The intersection (Andrew 99) occurs in the film wherein Haider sees his father‟s soul in his dreams but the role of the ghost is played by a live messenger. When the concept of militancy comes to discussion, it is often believed that taking advantage of such incidences; the groups include youngsters into their networks. It appears to be a very apparent attempt at that in the film. In the film, the ghost conveys Haider‟s father‟s message to exact revenge and his mother to be left for the almighty to decide. In the play, the ghost is seen as the wandering soul of King Hamlet but in the film he is supposed to be an inmate from the camp where the doctor and Rohdaar were kept together. This is another arrangement made in an attempt to make the plot more authentic and in keeping with the contemporary times. By bringing this intersection in, the film is again adjusted as it is perfect to add an inmate who can be someone that the Doctor confided in but is as unpredictable as a ghost. However, a living person is more believable as compared to the ghost. The presence of Roohdaar adds to the element of manipulation and genuineness of the whole setup that Haider is caught within.
Indian films are often called spectacles and not forms of art wherein the shades of grey are minimalistic or avoided (Shyam Benegal 117) but these films venture into the „grey‟ shades at length wherein there is no noble or villainous character. Every character is driven by their needs and ambitions. The films do not have any virtuous characters who sacrifice their happiness. They are all seen to have acted impulsively to take the direction they think is
OJHA KRITIKA 63 leading to their well-being. But they all get caught in the trap of their actions and meet their end. These aspects have been brought to surface in the films keeping the plays‟ complexities in mind. The situations and characters carry the authentic twists from the plays but the reasons behind those twists are incorporated by the above discussed factors in an attempt to reason with them. The films act as an Indian way of looking at the much debated reasons and factors behind the characters behaving the way do in situations that threaten their honor, power and identity.
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Chapter – 4
Conclusion
Shakespeare‟s work has stood against the test of time and taken the shape of every mould it has been put into with respect to the way of adaptations and characterizations of the iconic characters created by this canon. While being adapted in the Indian context numerous aspects have been borrowed directly from the play considering the thought process of India not being very different from the core beliefs of the characters back then. This is carefully maintained by basing the films in a semi urban setup. The statement of the thesis was to study as to how and why do the characterization of women characters come about with an adaptation from play to films.
It is evident through these adaptations that while certain aspects of a character are adapted the way they are, certain aspects need to be altered according to the sensibility of the setup chosen for the adaptations. The basic traits of the characters‟ personalities remain intact whereas the way they have been placed changes in some cases. These changes have been inflicted by factors such as the ethnic, familial, religious and personal identity. Under personal identity, factors like caste, gender and professional hierarchy also play a part in defining the way in which the women are portrayed.
The three films have been adapted not only in the Indian setup in general, but have been molded into specific regions with their uniqueness. Bringing Macbeth in Scotland to
Maqbool in Mumbai, Othello in Venice to Omkara in a town in Uttar Pradesh and Hamlet in
Denmark to Haider in Srinagar have brought into picture many layers of identity. The plays represented identities that were influenced by class and power hierarchy only but in the Indian adaptations, the way in which the characters behave has been justified by multiple layers of
OJHA KRITIKA 67 identity markers. The systems around which the plots revolve have also been maintained with the original. The systems in the plays are royalty as compared to politics, militancy and underworld in the adaptations. The similarity lies in the fact that all the three setups maintain a strict hierarchy of power and they all derive from the main idea of a society with a ruler and his people. The tone of speaking has also been modified from a royal tone of the English used by Shakespeare to a more contemporary tone of the areas these characters belong to in the adaptations.
The way in which the women carry themselves is often with the purpose of appealing to the other gender in case of Omkara whereas it is kept neutral in Haider and Maqbool. The clothes have a flow indicating feminine shyness which is associated to women in Indian cinema. In Omkara, the two major women characters are seen dressing in relatively different ways. Dolly is often seen dressed in body hugging suits more relatable to a young college going girl that she is whereas Indu is seen dressed in a way that is authentic to the women in
UP and Bihar. The way in which Indu carries herself matches the persona of a typical housewife. Her body language is of a confident home-maker who holds an authority in the house whereas Dolly‟s persona is that of name, naïve and dressed in a way to lure her man. In
Haider, the pashmina shawls act as a connector and authenticator of the region and suits paired with denim jackets in case of Arshia act as factors to draw a line in the age gap between the two. The way of communicating is also derived from the Urdu spoken in
Kashmir By bringing these aspects into the picture, the characters develop more means of reasoning with their way of expressing themselves and differentiates one from the other in many other aspects other than personality unlike it is in the play.
The religion also plays a vital role in determining the way the proceedings of the plots go about. Certain rituals and traditions of the particular religion come across in Maqbool and
Haider. These aspects also add to the folds of identity of every character in the films. The
Islamic culture comes across clearly in the kind of houses and eating habits built in the films.
OJHA KRITIKA 68
Also, the use of the one month period of Ramadan also plays a part in determining the moving forward of the plot. The sanctity of the spiritual event is maintained in the film by refraining from any violent thought or activity. The folk songs and way of celebration also brings about the authenticity of the setting being in Kashmir in case of Haider. These aspects do not occupy any place in the plays. The plays only talk about wars and thrones which derive the complexities. However, this aspect is present in the films as well. The only pandit that the film remotely brings into the frame is Roohdaar (The ghost) who is up against the system that drives them away and fighting against it. He describes himself as an immoral and omnipresent.
The aspect of caste comes across in Omkara only. While religion is dealt with in close quarters in Haider and Maqbool, Omkara discusses the insecurities that come along with the caste system that is another intricate detail of the setting in UP. This system also moves away from the royalty that is discussed in the play. The kind of inferiority complex that the caste system brings into the film is very strong and prominent which is present in the play in the form of the marriage of a black man to a white woman. This aspect is carried out directly in the film also.
Gender roles come across clearly in all the three films in some proportions.
Considering that India too has its mentality of binding women, this mentality is restricted only to certain parts and kinds of professions, which these films have chosen to depict. In
Maqbool, the setting is Mumbai but not the mainstream part of it. The setting is suburban wherein mostly politics and underworld prevails. A similar situation is seen in Omkara as well but in a more aggressive manner wherein women are absolutely home bound and normally seen performing household chores once they are attached to a man. In Maqbool, the
King‟s sons in the play have been replaced with a daughter and Lady Macbeth has been represented as Nimmi who is the king‟s mistress. The twist of who the heir would be has been used vitally in the film as it can only be a son who can occupy Jahangir‟s throne after him. In
OJHA KRITIKA 69
Haider, the picture is derived from a Kashmir living under fear and insecurity of women, which is why Arshia‟s father and brother show possessiveness towards her. However, in the play, it is not fed by any insecurity like the one in the film but just class consciousness.
Ghazala, on the other hand, is manipulated by the men in her life because her first priority is
Haider and his well-being. Owing to that, Khurram takes advantage of her vulnerability and announces their marriage, without consulting her at all.
The women in the films are independent and open about choosing their partners. The women in Othello and Hamlet use their sexualities to lure their men out of their wits. In
Macbeth as well Lady Macbeth uses her sexuality to lure Macbeth and convince him to kill
King Duncan. This feature from the plays have been brought abut to the adaptations almost directly wherein the women are seen using their sexual appeal to convince the otherwise apprehensive and closed men to do what they want. The women are seen juggling between choices of right and wrong and their stands between black and white. Where the women take their men to irrational choices that lead to their doom, they also go through moments of guilt and repentance for having done those things. Except in Omkara, where Indu stands for
Dolly‟s honor.
The Professional Status comes about as another implication of identity. The women in the films derive their status depending on the men in their lives. However, this aspect comes to light the most in Maqbool, wherein, Nimmi is worried about her honor and situation after
Jahangir Khana aka Abbaji is no more. She uses this fact to her benefit in coaxing Maqbool to murder Abbaji. In Omkara, this aspect exists only in the heads of the men where they keep suspecting their wives of having affairs outside of marriage. They believe that they are with the men only because of the status and nothing else. In Haider, this is not very prominent factor as Arshia is an independent journalist and Ghazala is absorbed in her problems. These multi-folds of identity derivation cannot be seen in the plays as the struggle is bound to power and power alone.
OJHA KRITIKA 70
By adding familial angles into the original plots of the plays, the films come across as stereotypical family dramas but if looked at carefully, they imbibe in themselves many twists that come across as breakthroughs. For instance, the change in Duncan‟s sons to Abbaji‟s daughter in the play, Nimmi being abbaji‟s mistress as opposed to a married Lady and Lord
Macbeth, Indu being not only Tyagi‟s wife but also Omkara‟s sister and Arshia being a career-oriented woman. These factors add to the identity of the women that was built by the
Shakespearean play leading it to a bolder and more contemporary outlook of these characters.
Even though the characters are complex and faulty in the same way as the plays, their thought processes are much deep-rooted and derived from their situations as compared to the plays.
Hence, it can be seen that even though there are many factors from the play that still hold good in a contemporary film adaptation, the identities of the characters get shaped by many factors other than the ones specified in the play. Films give a chance to authenticity which allows the characters to have a multi-layered personality as it is discovered from this research.
The scope of this research is that the thesis concentrates only on the characterization of women owing to the short course period and its time constraints. The psychological factors are also not looked at in depth which can be further researched.
OJHA KRITIKA 71
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