Best of Vishal Bhardwaj - Maqbool, Omkara, Haider

Which one of Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespeare adaptations is his best work?

You can share your views on any segment of these 3 films.

Vishal Bhardwaj is an Indian film director, writer, composer, singer and producer. He has directed ten feature films, produced five and composed music for more than forty. His directorial work includes Makdee, The Blue Umbrella, Kaminey, 7 Khoon Maaf, Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola, Rangoon, Pataakha as well as the internationally acclaimed Shakespeare Trilogy - Maqbool, Omkara and Haider (adapted from Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet, respectively). Prominent films written and produced by him are Ishqiya, Dedh Ishqiya and Talvar (based on the Noida double murder case).

He has received 3 international awards: Makdee (2002) received the Best Film award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, Omkara (2006) won the Best Artistic Contribution in Cinema award at the Cairo International Film Festival and Haider (2014) won the People's Choice award at the Rome Film Festival. He has also received 7 National Awards: Best Music Direction for Godmother (1999), Best Children's Film for The Blue Umbrella (2005), Special Jury Award for Omkara (2006), Best Music Direction for Ishqiya (2010), Best Dialogues and Best Music Direction for Haider (2014) and Best Screenplay for Talvar (2015).

Maqbool: Regarding the opening of the movie, the names of the characters, Abbaji, Maqbool, Riyaz Boti, Mughal, etc. Each performer inhabits their role so brilliantly. outstanding team effort in bringing this one of a kind masterpiece from Indian Cinema to life.

Who else do you want when you have Pankaj Kapoor portraying Abbaji, Tabu, Naseer Saab, Om Puri, and Irrfan Khan? The acting in that movie was outstanding, and the dialogue was superbly written and performed.

The manner in which DCP Devsare is introduced in the movie. In my opinion, Om Puri performed better than Naseer Saab. Perhaps because he had more conversations.

The background score was brilliant throughout the film. The Mafia setup, where you see continuous fights, slang, abuse is used, friendly fights, planning, execution, extortion, was perfectly blended in this adaptation.

In the end, the movie doesn't give you a clear answer; you have to judge for yourself if Maqbool was right to kill Abbaji. Nimmi deserved a younger partner, right? What part of this was Abbaji's daughter's fault?

Abbaji, although being an underworld Don, practices some ethics in his business, as seen by the fact that he declines to assist in transporting any goods intended to cause mayhem in his nation or city.

If I had to rank the film's actors in order of highest to lowest points, Pankaj Kapoor, Tabu, and Irrfan would come in first, second, and third, respectively.

and kaminey the most entertaining and with a satisfying ending

Music of Maqbool:

1.

https://youtu.be/zcbRbQJEB94

2. 

https://youtu.be/lNpcq59lLPQ

Originally posted by: nonam

and kaminey the most entertaining and with a satisfying ending

Yes, I was asking about Shakespeare adaptations in Hindi films.

Originally posted by: Guddu.Pandit

Which one of Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespeare adaptations is his best work?

You can share your views on any segment of these 3 films.

Somewhat splitting hairs because I thought they were all amazing but overall l liked Omkara the most, then Haider, then Maqbool.

Years ago I learned in a class that Shakespeare’s forte was taking provincial folk tales and making them epic by translating them into palaces and kingdoms and giving the characters eloquent dialogues. But I think there’s a reason some of these stories started out as folk tales. 

The plot of Othello always struck me as a little contrived - why was a celebrated Moor so disliked? Venice was a port city, people there were probably used to foreign dignitaries, they had exotic and fiscally elite status. Iago as a villain also seemed a little half-baked to me, he really doesn’t ever articulate a good reason for his hatred of Othello to the point he wishes to destroy him. Maybe it’s just me.

However “Omkara” made perfect sense, Omi being a lower caste thug lord, the obvious advantages Kesu has over Langda, Langda’s jealousy and resentment made sense to me here. The setting, the rough vernacular, all were flawless. 

But of the three Haider elevated the source material best. Hamlet was ultimately a pouty teenager, the dynamics between him his parents and his uncle were only interesting because he knows his uncle murdered his father. But he himself seems very insubstantial. By putting the whole thing into the Kashmir setting, bringing in Haider’s family’s conflicting political alignments and Haider’s disillusionment and polarization enriched the whole story. The deaths also just felt more raw and devastating. It was truly a tragic film.

I’ve seen MacBeth done in an urban gang war setting a few times so that part of Maqbool was not so remarkable. But this one had a powerhouse cast and probably the best acting of the three. I liked Tabu and irfan Khan way better here than in The Namesake.  

Dialogues of Maqbool -

"Aur Miyan, kya haal hai Bollywood ke. Aap Haal hamare puchhiye, Razia phass gayi gundon mein"

“Saari Qaynaat darti hai humse, ek takey ki aurat nahi sambhalti.”

“Yeh Maqbool ka Ghar hai, maa ki Kok sa Mahfouz”

“Gilauri Khaya Karo Gulfaam, zubaan kaabu me rehti hai”

"Shakti ka santulan bahut zaroori hai sansar mein, Shakti ka santulan bahut zaroori hai sansar mein"

"Ye tamacha usne tere gaal pe nahi, Abbaji ke gaal pe maara hai"

"Kaun hai bhaiye, jisne pathar mein paudha uga diya"

"Arey bibaa, aap mannatein bahut mangti ho, poori toh 1 bhi nahi hoti"

Maqbooool! Miyaan Maqbool!

Originally posted by: Guddu.Pandit

Maqbool: Regarding the opening of the movie, the names of the characters, Abbaji, Maqbool, Riyaz Boti, Mughal, etc. Each performer inhabits their role so brilliantly. outstanding team effort in bringing this one of a kind masterpiece from Indian Cinema to life.

Who else do you want when you have Pankaj Kapoor portraying Abbaji, Tabu, Naseer Saab, Om Puri, and Irrfan Khan? The acting in that movie was outstanding, and the dialogue was superbly written and performed.

The manner in which DCP Devsare is introduced in the movie. In my opinion, Om Puri performed better than Naseer Saab. Perhaps because he had more conversations.

The background score was brilliant throughout the film. The Mafia setup, where you see continuous fights, slang, abuse is used, friendly fights, planning, execution, extortion, was perfectly blended in this adaptation.

In the end, the movie doesn't give you a clear answer; you have to judge for yourself if Maqbool was right to kill Abbaji. Nimmi deserved a younger partner, right? What part of this was Abbaji's daughter's fault?

Abbaji, although being an underworld Don, practices some ethics in his business, as seen by the fact that he declines to assist in transporting any goods intended to cause mayhem in his nation or city.

If I had to rank the film's actors in order of highest to lowest points, Pankaj Kapoor, Tabu, and Irrfan would come in first, second, and third, respectively.

So couple of things stood out for me in this adaptation, which I think follows the source material most loosely of the three. In the play Duncan is portrayed as this saintly old man and there's no doubt that what Macbeth and Lady Macbeth planned and executed is heinous and undeserved. Duncan is an innocent victim in every sense. Abba-ji's death on the other hand has a whiff of 'live by the sword, die by the sword.' Besides the fact he's a gangster and murderer, he had his own boss/mentor killed, right? 

The other big change is that in 'Maqbool', the motive for killing Abba-ji is not just the 'throne' of the gangland but Nimmi herself. The movie makes it seem like Nimmi is part of Maqbool's destiny, in particular I'm thinking of the scene where the Sufi hymn "Rubaru" is being picturized on him and Nimmi, almost as if their union is ordained and meant to be. So the way I see it,  it's not so much that Nimmi deserved a younger partner who didn't repulse her like Abba-ji did, but rather Nimmi was specifically destined for Maqbool. 

Also Nimmi giving birth to a baby in the end and the implication that Sameera and Guddu will take care of it (without knowing if Abbaji or Maqbool is the father?) is almost against the 'MacBeth' hallmark of ruthlessly killing progeny who could challenge future succession. So the ending is far less bleak than Macbeth. Of the three, this is the one I could see myself rewatching, there's a lot of nuance and subtext when I think back.

I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t watched Maqbool eventhough Macbeth is my favourite work from Shakespeare. But I’m planning to watch it soon, I’m sure it will be a treat. Tabu and Irfan can do no wrong.

Between Omkara and Haider, I love Haider more because of how beautifully they’ve taken a very relevant Indian issue and integrated it with Hamlet and made it into its own piece of art. It’s not straight up Hamlet it has layers and richness and culture into it which is why it’s so special. Everything about it is perfect from the story to cinematography to the music, direction and performances. It’s Shahid’s career’s best performance. Tabu and K K Menon are also amazing.

 Omkara I need to revisit as well, I watched it many many years ago and I remember being completely awestruck by Saif’s performance he did a complete 180 from his usual screen image and it surprised everyone.

I think Vishal has done the best adaptation of Shakespeare’s work not just in Bollywood but across all cinematic platforms. He made the stories his own while still keeping its integrity intact. And that’s what a brilliant filmmaker and storyteller is. I wish he does more Shakespeare adaptations.