Verona becomes Delhi in Shakespeare’s desi adaptation

Shakespeare

goes desi: One might argue that there are few, if any, gentlemen in Delhi these days. Notwithstanding, theatre director Kalyani chose Delhi as the setting for her desi stage adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona recently. Staged this past week, Do Deewane Shehar Mein starred actors Zoa Morani and Imran Zahid, among others, and was presented by Mahesh Bhatt.

An apt adaptation? The play told the story of two friends and their intertwined love stories, set against the backdrop of modern-day Delhi. The trip from Verona to Milan in the Bard’s play became a business meeting in Goa; the Duke became a business tycoon; the two protagonists transformed from merchants to app developers. Roshni, an audience member, said, “It was quite clever how they managed to make Shakespearean characters relatable for us. It was funny and a good experience overall.” Talking about the adaptation, the play’s writer, Danish Iqbal, told us, “We tried to capture what would happen if Shakespeare’s protagonists lived in 21st century Delhi, how their lives would have turned out in a modern scenario, and made adaptations accordingly.”

Delhi audience vs Mumbai audience: The play also marked the

Delhi theatre

debut of Zoa, also a film actress (Always Kabhi Kabhi and Bhaag Johnny). “I have heard so much about Delhi’s theatre audience being different from Mumbai’s, so I really wanted to perform here. I’m just glad the audience has reacted positively to our efforts,” she said.