Mqbool Essay

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Maqbool: A Cinematic Adaptation of Macbeth By: Danielle Roney Student #: 500420210 CENG 706: Shakespeare and Performance Instructor: Dr. Morgan Holmes June 16th, 2014 In ‘Maqbool’, an adaptation of Macbeth by Vishal Bhardwaj, Maqbool (Macbeth) meets the Godfather of present-day Bombay. The Godfather, Abbaji (Duncan I of Scotland), is head of the raining crime family in the underground world of India’s commercial capital, the sole setting of the film. Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation takes on the same general themes of guilt, violence, and ruthless ambition as the original text but embraces a more romanticized theme in the relationship between the two main characters, Maqbool and Nimmi (Lady Macbeth). Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a mistress to Duncan but she secretly loves Macbeth; where the feeling is mutual. Maqbool and Nimmi embark on a plot to murder Abbaji, where Maqbool is faced with the dilemma of choosing love over loyalty. This scene is adapted from act two, scene one and two, of ‘Macbeth’, where Macbeth plunges a dagger into Duncan. In Bhardwaj’s version of this famous scene, the setting is nightfall in Abbaji’s room. Nimmi is lying next to him with a thin veil draped over the bed. Maqbool enters with a pistol, hesitates, and pulls the trigger, instantly killing Abbaji. It is important to note key cinematic elements such as the lack of dialogue, the use of lighting, music, and costume and set design. These elements, paired with the themes of violence, love, and tragedy, create a unique and transcending adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. The first, more obvious element in this scene is the lack of dialogue throughout the entire murder sequence. This is compensated with the physical acting from both Nimmi and Maqbool, who share very distinct looks of fear and excitement as Maqbool enters the bedroom and attaches a silencer to his pistol. In Anne
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