In a special new film, to be screened at Birmingham Rep on Thursday 20 October, DESIblitz explore how Shakespeare influenced Bollywood filmmaking.
Presented in collaboration with the ‘Everything to Everybody’ Project, the documentary seeks to reconnect Bollywood with the diversity of the Shakespeare Memorial Library – the world’s first great people’s Shakespeare Library.
In this documentary, Indian film experts and enthusiasts share their views on how Shakespeare influenced Bollywood scripts and how, conversely, Bollywood’s depiction of Indian culture provided a rich lens for re-interpreting Shakespeare.
Indi Deol, DESIblitz commented: “This new documentary plays a significant role in documenting and educating people from all backgrounds about the role that Shakespeare played in the shaping the Bollywood film industry. We are excited to be screening our film at The Rep on the 20th of October and to be working closely with our project partners, Everything to Everybody to strengthen the Shakespeare collection!”
The Birmingham Shakespeare Library contains works in over 90 languages, among these are nearly 100 South Asian translations, adaptations, and modernisations of Shakespeare. From Indian theatres performing Shakespeare during the colonial era to modern blockbuster hits, Shakespeare’s plays have constantly enticed Indian theatre- and film-makers to use his work to tell their own stories.
As part of the ‘Everything to Everybody’ Project, and as an accompaniment to the documentary, there is still chance to visit a free exhibition, curated by DESIblitz in response to the Shakespeare Collection, exploring how Shakespeare has, directly and indirectly, influenced Bollywood cinema, in the Shakespeare Memorial Room in the Library of Birmingham until 28 October 2022.
Professor Ewan Fernie, Project Director ‘Everything to Everybody’ Project said: “There is Tamil Shakespeare in Birmingham’s great Shakespeare collection dating back to the 1870s. There is also a Punjabi Othello, and material in many other South Asian languages. We’re delighted that partners such as DESIblitz are connecting with and revitalising the collection, which after all belongs to all the people of the city and should therefore reflect all of its people!”
Find out more about this project and others here.
Tickets for the special screening are £8 and can be purchased via visit Birmingham-rep.co.uk, call 0121 235 4455 or visit the box office during opening hours.
