Postmodern transpositions of Shakespeare in Malayalam cinema – a transformative discourse of regional tragedy
Faculty Advisor
Date
2021
Keywords
Malayalam cinema, Shakespeare
Abstract (summary)
The evolution of Malayalam cinema into a new format of experimental filmmaking is central to the analysis of Shakespearean adaptations in the contemporary era of what can be referred to as a postmodern “New Wave” Malayalam cinema. This is an age where Shakespeare departs from his conventional past, both literary and cinematic, to a new realm of highly disoriented imaginations and fragmented identities. The tragedies that defined Shakespeare are now integrated with the changing landscapes, narratives, and perceptions of the Malayali identity. Therefore, this analysis looks beyond the acclaimed Jayaraj adaptations in Malayalam to understand how this new trend of transposing canonical works of Shakespeare replaces a different localized setting, which is essentially devoid of the previously established characteristics such as the invocation of a mythological tone, visualization of the traditional past of Kerala, and the artistic overindulgence on acting and narration. The outright rejection of this attitude defines the post-Jayaraj Shakespeare adaptations of Malayalam cinema, and films like Annayum Rasoolum (2013), Iyobinte Pusthakam (2014), Eeda (2018), and Joji (2021) are examples of this new approach.
Publication Information
Raj, S. J. & Suresh, A. K. (2021, July-August). Postmodern transpositions of Shakespeare in Malayalam cinema – a transformative discourse of regional tragedy. Muse India, 98. https://museindia.com/Home/ViewContentData?arttype=feature&issid=98&menuid=9666
DOI
Notes
Item Type
Article
Language
English
Rights
All Rights Reserved