Srabanti & Ritwick in Raajhorshee De’s next Shakespeare adaptation

In 2006, Bratya Basu adapted William Shakespeare's timeless classic ‘Hamlet: The Prince Of Denmark’ into a modern interpretation, titled ‘Hemlat: The Prince Of Garanhata’. This interpretation was later brought to life on stage by Ballygunge Swapnasuchona.

Now, director Raajhorshee De, who recently breathed new life into another of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, Macbeth, with his film ‘Mayaa’, is preparing to adapt ‘Hemlat’ for the big screen. Seasoned actor Ritwick Chakraborty is set to take on the challenging role of Hemlat, while the uber-talented Srabanti Chatterjee is being considered for the role of Ophelia. Furthermore, Kaushik Ganguly may play the role of the controversial character Claudius.

Set against the backdrop of North Kolkata's neighborhoods, Raajhorshee intends to evoke the chilly yet romantic ambiance of Kolkata's winter months. Consequently, the film's shooting is slated to commence in December. As of now, most preparations are complete, with only the agreement signing between the play's publishers and the film's creators pending. This was confirmed by the director himself.

Speaking about the film's ensemble cast, Raajhorshee revealed that preliminary talks have been held with Ritwick, Srabanti, and Kaushik. The film boasts a vast array of stars, and the director has a desired cast list in mind as well. He mentioned his interest in collaborating with actors Vikram Chattopadhyay and Rituparna Sengupta, as he hasn't had the opportunity to work with them previously.

It's worth noting that Shakespeare's ‘Hamlet’ has seen film adaptations in the past as well. Vishal Bhardwaj's iconic film ‘Haider’ is one that will be remembered for years. Moreover, in 2016, Anjan Dutt directed ‘Hemanta’, starring Parambrata Chatterjee in the lead, is also on the list. The movie also featured remarkable performances from Jisshu Sengupta, Payel Sarkar, Gargi Roychowdhury, Saswata Chatterjee, and Shantilal Mukherjee in significant roles.

Meanwhile, Srabanti is currently prepping up for her next film ‘Devi Chowdhurani’ while Ritwick is awaiting the release of his next film ‘Tarokar Mrityu’.