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The Director's cut
Alyque Padamsee
How was "Macbeth" conceptualised?
I had two productions of "Macbeth" in mind. One was doing it on an experimental basis with very simple costumes and no setting and in a small experimental theatre like Prithvi or Tata Experimental Theatre in Mumbai. The second option was to do it as big as my vision of the play. But this was a daunting task. It was only when my daughter Raλll said `You have done a lot for me. Now, I want to do something for you. I will be the producer, I will raise the funds and look after all the production hassles,' that I decided to do a spectacular version of my vision.
You have interpreted "Macbeth" using the Indian practice of tantra. How did that come about?
Many years ago, I read a book by Prof. Lysabeth and he compared witchcraft in Europe to the rituals of tantra. He said there was a lot of similarity like the drinking of blood, the conjuring up of apparitions and the foretelling of the future. This worked on my mind for many years... Though we did not use genuine tantric rituals, we used tantra as a springboard for our imagination. I was greatly aided by Subhojit Dasgupta, who gave us a wonderful understanding of the rituals and the power of tantra. I felt tantric practices would impact the Indian audience more powerfully rather than just setting the play in Scotland.
Lady Macbeth, and not Macbeth himself, is the protagonist in your production.
To me, Lady Macbeth has always been the prime mover in the play. The book I read is titled "Tantra The Feminine Force." It is clear... Macbeth himself is manipulated by these forces...
Did you alter the language to suit Indian depiction?
Though the approach is tantric, the words of Shakespeare are untouched. It is like setting Julius Caesar in Indian politics. It is only the interpretation but not the text that is different.
On August 10, 7.15 p.m.,
The Music Academy
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