Shakespeare in Bollywood

With The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Macbeth, Othello and
Hamlet all having received screen makeovers, Shakespeare is arguably the most popular screenplay
writer in Hindi cinema.

It is easy to see Shakespeare as simply one of the legacies of British colonialism in India and the idea
that European authors are always incredibly more valuable than Asian or Arab authors. It also has a
lot to do with profound resonances between Shakespeares craft and Indian cultural forms that mean
a film that involves outlandish exaggeration, intense passion, and a mixture of styles. It makes
Shakespeares plays their styles, their idioms, their audiences so distinctive. Shakespeares
plays are well-flavoured, often hyperbolic mixtures attuned to the heat of passion. And its this
quality that has allowed Shakespeare to flourish in a vast country whose many peoples, religions, and
languages embody what it means to be a mixture of styles.

Shakespeare lends a veneer of legitimacy to an otherwise B-grade form of mass entertainment. Even
back in his time, theatres were looked down upon. In fact, The Globe Theatre was located on the
other side of the Thames.

Shakespeare in popular culture

Shakespeare has scripted many of the ideas that we think of as "naturally" our own and even as
"naturally" true: ideas about human character, about individuality and selfhood, about government,
about men and women, youth and age, about the qualities that make a strong leader. Such ideas are
not necessarily first encountered today in the realm of literature - or even of drama and theater.
Characters like Romeo, Hamlet, or Lady Macbeth have become cultural types, instantly recognizable
when their names are invoked. As will become clear, the modern versions of these figures often
differ significantly from their Shakespearean "originals": a "Romeo" is a persistent romancer and
philanderer rather than a lover faithful unto death, a "Hamlet" is an indecisive overthinker, and a
"Lady Macbeth," in the public press, is an ambitious female politician who will stop at nothing to gain
her own ends. But the very changes marked by these appropriations tell a revealing story about
modern culture and modern life.
We are still obsessed with violence
This might seem obvious, but it goes further than you think. Pretty much any great writer from the
late 17th century onwards will have read the works of Shakespeare; they form a common language
from John Keats to George Bernard Shaw to Malorie Blackman. It doesnt matter whether the writers
in question even liked Shakespeare his echoes show up all the same. Its a popular piece of trivia to
list all of the words and idioms first recorded in Shakespeares works, such as bated breath, heart
of gold, break the ice and wild-goose chase, but these lists dont quite do justice to the depths
of his influence.

There are two poles of debate about Shakespeares longevity, said Bayer. One is intrinsic to the
plays universal appeal. But also, one could plausibly argue Shakespeare has been manufactured into
what he is today through popular culture.
Academia has helped fuel Shakespeares mystique by thoroughly incorporating his works into the
standard curriculum for high school and college students, Bayer noted. High school students typically
read one play each year. At least one class in Shakespeare is required for college English majors,
which is one of the most popular academic programs on the UTSA campus, said Bayer. Outside of the
classroom, there are movies, ballets, live theater and Shakespearean festivals. Even popular music
and television commercials have been built around notable Shakespearean characters like Romeo
and Juliet, Bayer added.

"A certain amount of Shakespeares notoriety is predicated on hype,

Shakespeare has been a profitable brand for hundreds of years.

In 1710, publisher Jacob Tonson started a trend when he adopted Shakespeares likeness as his
corporate logo, using the Bards portrait on his bookshop sign, in advertisements and on the editions
of Shakespeares works that he published. In the past four centuries, Shakespeares strength as a
brand has not faltered. In fact, its ubiquitous. His likeness and his works have been used to sell soap,
chocolate, cigarettes, computers, beer, soda and almost anything else you can think of.