Vishal Bhardwaj plans Shakespeare quartet

He has adapted three of William Shakespeare’s works — Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet — to make Maqbool (2003), Omkara (2006) and Haider respectively. But film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj is open to taking up more works of the Bard. "Why not? The trilogy is over, but there can always be a quartet," says Bhardwaj.

Till date, he has successfully adapted three of celebrated author William Shakespeare’s works — Macbeth, Othello and Hamlet — to make Maqbool (2003), Omkara (2006) and Haider respectively. But film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj is open to taking up more works of the Bard. "Why not? The trilogy is over, but there can always be a quartet," says Bhardwaj.

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Ask him if he is thinking of any particular literary work to adapt, and he says, "I am not thinking about anything right now. I have so many subjects. And I want to remain confused for months before I pick anything."

Interestingly, the film-maker admits that he wasn’t planning to make his latest film — an adaptation of Hamlet. "I would have wanted to wait before completing the trilogy, and made two or three films in between. But when I got to know that Tigmanshu Dhulia and Onir (both directors) are also trying to adapt something similar, I ran and got ahead of them. If someone else had made it first, the film would have lost its novelty," he says.

But does he draw a line when it comes to creative liberty while adapting a literary work? "If I feel it is justified, I will go ahead with it. It’s up to my morality, understanding and aesthetics. I don’t think about what other people will feel about it,” says Bhardwaj.