Shakespeare Reimagined: Maqbool

The plays of Shakespeare have been translated into more than 100 languages, and his timeless stories have inspired great works in many art forms. Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and the Coolidge Corner Theatre are teaming up to take an in-depth look at how some filmmakers have reimagined Shakespeare’s work to create compelling cinema that is as relevant today as it was 400 years ago.

The Mumbai underworld stands in for the rugged terrain of Scotland in this critically-acclaimed adaptation of Macbeth, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Irrfan Khan, Pankaj Kapur, Tabu, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri. This classic tale of greed and ambition premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. 

In Mumbai’s criminal underworld, the lord of all lords is Jahangir Khan (Pankaj Kapoor). Those loyal to him include Maqbool (Irfan Khan), his chief. But Maqbool is in love with Nimmi (Tabu), Jahangir’s mistress, who convinces him to be ambitious and take over the empire. After maneuvering potential rivals out of the way, Maqbool betrays Jahangir, murdering him in his own bed. However, it isn’t long before both Maqbool and Nimmi are haunted by the ghosts of their treacherous deeds.

Please note: the Coolidge and CSC are not able to provide direct links to the film, but patrons can find out where to rent and/or stream it here: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/maqbool.