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iView Author:
Amanda Sodhi
(Washington DC, USA)

Email :
amandasodhi [at] gmail [dot] com

Maqbool—Taking Macbeth to Bollywood

I was going through some old college assignments and came across a film review of Maqbool I wrote for a Theatre History course I took. Below follows the write-up for those interested in reading it:

Vishal Bharadwaj is a name which has almost become synonymous with excellence—whether it be his music score for critically acclaimed films such as Maachis, Satya and No Smoking or his direction of films such as Makdee, Chatri Chor and Omkara, Bharadwaj continuously proves his versatility and dedication to deliver the very best. He has created a niche for himself as the king of Bollywood film adaptations—after all, three out of his four films are adaptations, and successful ones for that …

Some time ago a famous Director who has earned his reputation as an intellectual director also, said, during a private talk with someone, while asked to give his take on two actresses, that he can not have a conversation with a certain famous actress as she is too dumb for that.

Its immaterial who he was and about whom he had said but important thing is this that a wise director thought in those terms.

Nevertheless his sayings gave push to an interesting topic.

Being a director he needed an intellectual actress on sets, who could talk on any topic under the sun with a good wisdom but who could not bring life and true justice to the character given to her or he needed an actress who might not be thoroughly intellectual in real life but who could make her character alive on screen?

What a director demands and what …

Ram Maheshwari made four films, namely Kaajal, Neelkamal, Karmayogi and Chambal Ki kasam, having Raaj Kumar, either in lead roles or in a substantial role and Kaajal was his first directorial venture and for any new and that too first time director, star cast consisting of big names like Meena Kumari, Raaj Kumar, Padmini, Durga Khote and Mehmood should have been a matter of proud. Dharmendra too had become a rising star by then, riding over the success of films like Anpadh, Bandini, Neela Akash, Ayi Milan Ki bela and Haqiqat. Thoughh he had not played there main lead but a side hero but in all the films he had got open praises from audience and critics alike.

Kaajal’s story written by famous novelist Gulshan Nanda and it was quite a circular story and plot consisted of many rounded twists.

Song - Tora man darpan kahlaye…