Vishal Bhardwaj: Stories we expect him to adapt for Bollywood

Vishal Bhardwaj is a gem of a filmmaker who has been awarded six National Film Awards. The noted filmmaker has mastered the art of telling Shakespeare’s stories on the silver screen. The manner in which he manages to tweak the script to adapt it to the modern times, is exemplary. While Vishal has already adapted quite a few stories and plays, there are many more stories written by the bard that we would love to see adapted to Bollywood’s sensibilities and who would be better than Vishal Bhardwaj to rise to the occasion. Here’s a wish list of stories we want the filmmaker to attempt…

The Merchant of Venice

The filmmaker, who created the masterpiece called Haider, should attempt to bring to life, one of Shakespeare’s best plays – The Merchant of Venice. While it will be difficult to portray the Jew-Christian divide in a contemporary setting, Vishal can perhaps play the India-Pakistan angle to create conflict. Demanding a pound of flesh for money sans a trickle of blood being shed story, is the stuff that Bollywood dreams are made of. Peppered with elements of suspense, drama and fear, the film can work very well at the box-office. However, casting for the film will be a challenge. It will be interesting to see Priyanka Chopra or Sonam Kapoor disguises as a man in the film.

Antony and Cleopatra

The director of films like 7 Khoon Maaf and Maqbool should attempt adapting the intense love story of Antony and Cleopatra. Antony falls in love with Cleopatra, marries her, but then leaves her to marry another woman, only to die in her arms at the end. If this doesn’t make for the plot of a great Bollywood potboiler, we don’t know what does! Elements like love, battle, revenge and remorse can be explored at length in the film. While the direction is in safe hands, the story calls for strong actors too. We would love to cast Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh or Priyanka Chopra-Randeep Hooda as the central characters of the film.

As You Like It

Vishal Bhardwaj has tried all! From setting Haider in the gloomy winters of Kashmir to playing Kaminey in the grimy alleys of Mumbai, Vishal pays special attention to every element of his film. This makes us wonder if Shakespeare’s Orlando from the play, As You Like It, can find himself in the hinterlands of Bihar or Uttar Pradesh, spewing cuss words and making merry. Ranveer Singh would be perfect to play the part. Rosalind’s character, too, should be played by a strong actress who can pull off the disguise of a man with conviction. Anushka Sharma or Sonakshi Sinha can be Vishal’s muse for this film.

Winter’s Tale

After garnering appreciation for tackling Shakespeare’s complicated stories in films like Haider and Omkara, Vishal Bhardwaj can now adapt the bard’s, Winter’s Tale. A senior actress like Tabu or Divya Dutta, who have already proved their worth, should play the multi-dimensional character of Hermione while someone as seasoned as Manoj Bajpai or Irrfan Khan should play her husband, Leontes. The story is told in two phases and offers ample of scope for songs, drama and suspense.