Hi Readers !
I am Hinaba Sarvaiya, a student of the department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University. This blog is the part of my Classroom activity that given by our prof. Dilip Barad sir.
I am deal with the Shakespeare's Macbeth and Vishal Bharadwaj's Maqbool film Adaptation.
Introduction:-
The drama of William Shakespeare have been one of the potential sources for adaptation and appropriation. He dramatized basic issues like love, marriage, familial relationship, race, class, humor, betrayal, evil, revenge, murder and death. The notable Director Vishal Bhardwaj received much critical acclaim for his trilogy, Maqbool inspired by Macbeth, Omkara by Othello, and Haider adapted from Shakespeare's Hamlet. However, Bharadwaj has taken certain liberties to mold the story according to his cinematic demands.
Opening Scenes:-
The opening of the play is always important as it sets the mood and atmosphere of the play; it alerts the audience or the readers about the future action and therefore captures their attention from the very beginning of the play. It is an important theatrical device, which help in exposing the plot, theme, setting, and environment and also in highlighting the main issues and concerns of the play.
Shakespeare uses certain techniques to open his plays in a more effective manner. Macbeth for example, opens with Thunder and Lightening and with the entry of the three witches. Through the conversation of the witches the audience gets to know about the battle that has already taken place and it is further revealed through their discussion that they intend to meet Macbeth in the near future.
The opening of both Macbeth and Maqbool is marked with vivid darkness, gloom, heavy rain, thunder and lightning. This "Special atmosphere of a Shakespearean tragedy" is brilliantly portrayed by Bharadwaj in Maqbool from the very opening.
Time period :-
When Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in the year 1606, the idea of witches worked well to heighten the suspense and mystery in the play. This idea of introducing supernatural elements into the play was welcomed by the audience in Elizabethan times but when Bhardwaj decided to make Maqbool in the year 2003, audience would have accepted the concept of witches making prophecies, and director added a real perspective to the film.
Macbeth the court of Scotland is replaced with the mumbai underworld and the two corrupt policemen (Pandit and purohit) play the role of the three weird sisters.
In a preface to Maqbool's Screenplay Bhardwaj explains:
" Like every filmmaker I also wanted to explore the juiciest genre of cinema the world of gangsters. I was looking for a story that could give me the scope to have the underworld bas a backdrop but with a strong han story. During this period, whatever I read, any story or article I read it with only one agenda in mind to find a story for my gangster film .. the first breakthrough in the screenplay was the discovery of witches in our story".
The motive for the crime:-
In the play Macbeth, the "ambition" of Macbeth to become the king was the sole motive behind killing Duncan, who was like a father figure to him. But unlike the play, Maqbool murders Abbaji because of his sexual jealousy. His primary motive is to gain Nimmi's love and therefore taking Abbaji's position become secondary.
Comparative scene and Characters:-
Bhardwaj draws an interesting parallel in character of inspector pandit through the Maqbool film witness a police encounter, where inspector purohit shoots a local gangster Sadia from point blank range. In Macbeth film, witches confront Macbeth and Banquo when they are returning from the battlefield and make prophecies first for Macbeth and later on for Banquo as well. They greet Macbeth first as Thane of Glamis, then as Thane of Cawdor and finally as the king.
Nimmi/ Lady Macbeth Character:-
Macbeth who is initially doubtful and confused, she is bold, courageous and confidence. However, at the end lady Macbeth looses all her courage, will and confidence and become a poor wreck, imagining bloodstains on the walls and smell of blood on her hands. Her most poetical word are :
"All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand...will these hands never be clean?"
The character of Nimmi also shines through the different phases of growth and decline. In the beginning of the film, she keeps instigating Maqbool, who is unwilling to listen to her evil plans and runs away from her advances but a point comes when he falls prey to her evil designs and surrenders. She starts loosing her peace of mind and is not able to sleep. She imagines bloodstains all over the walls and cries like a mad woman.
One very important character that Bhardwaj introduces in the film is that of Nimmi's child. Unlike the play where there is no such mention of lady Macbeth having any children, Nimmi and Maqbool dies that time. Nimmi's child restored by Guddu and Sameera's kind act of humanity. This is changing part of Maqbool film and mcbeth play.
The Dramatic devices:-
Imagery:-
• The vividness, magnitude and violence of the imagery in Macbeth, adds to the tragic atmosphere of the play.
• The imagery that Bhardwaj creates in Maqbool, also helps in portraying the atmosphere of dread, mystery, terror, fear and disorder.
Irony:-
• Irony is intricately woven into the plot in Macbeth his words startle the readers or the audience by recalling the words of the witches in sc. I of the play:
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
• Maqbool is offering prayer just after murdering Abbaji and acquiring his position. When he finished the prayer, Nimmi asks him:
" You know all the prayers by heart? Never seen you in prayer before..you look like a baby."
Conclusion:-
I am wind up my blog in film adaptation of Macbeth and Maqbool. Vishal Bhardwaj's maqbool remains loyal to Shakespeare in its essence. The idea of crime, the concept of fear and evil, the portrayal of the disturbed natural order are the same as in the original source text maintaining the Shakespearean spirit.
Thank you!!
Words- 1010
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