ABSTRACT

The Shakespeare adaptations have been overlooked because they are independent (indie) Indian movies, and they remain largely unnoticed. As indie film-makers are interested in promoting their markedly different sensibilities in the films themselves, self-referentiality has become a prominent characteristic of an Indian indie, no matter what the content. Just as Shakespeare uses his plays to comment upon the theatre industry and the playwright's craft, Sharat Katariya and Nagesh Kukunoor use Shakespeare's plays to draw attention to the Indian indie industry and the director's craft in working within the available resources. The directors' concern with their own production milieu where they have to make the best of limited resources and compete against Bollywood and parallel cinema allows them to interpret Shakespeare's plays materially. The Indian indie Shakespeare adaptations are poised to revitalise both world cinema and Shakespeare studies.