Therefore, the cinematography of Ram-Leela playfully recalls Luhrmann's Juliet while its narrative abandons this interpretation and instead prepares the audience for a rather bold Juliet. When Luhrmann's Juliet meets Romeo, she is dressed as an "angel," complete with wings, but when Bhansali's Leela first bumps into Ram (a blend of Ramayana's Ram and Romeo), she points a gun at him. However, when I first saw the film, the feeling that this shot evoked was not awe but nostalgia, since Leela's balcony above a swimming pool is reminiscent of Juliet's in Romeo + Juliet. Since Leela started me on this journey, this essay is about her it examines how, on the one hand, working with Shakespeare encourages Bollywood directors and actresses to celebrate Indian women's sexual agency on screen and how, on the other hand, templates from Indian mythology can contribute towards strengthening Shakespeare's women.Īs we see a wide shot of Leela sitting on her balcony at night, it is difficult not to be mesmerized by the splendor of the Saneda (Capulet) mansion. (3) I realized that Bollywood was producing empowering readings of Shakespeare's heroines in part through its reliance on a unique blend of sources. The larger project looks at how The Hungry (an Indian Titus Andronicus) chiefly becomes Tamora's story, or the way in which Omkara (an Indian Othello) has Emilia avenge Desdemona's death, or how Tabu was reluctant to accept the role of Ghazala (Gertrude) in Bhardwaj's Haider (an Indian Hamlet) but then created one of the most nuanced Gertrudes in cinematic history. The almost complete reversal of their responses to Juliet after watching Leela led me to my current research on Shakespeare's women in Bollywood. You can follow the audition updates through her social media handles and.
she is also one of Top Casting Directors in Mumbai.Her portfolio is full of such marvelous work that she is been doing since very long.
She is known for the super hits like Bajirao Mastani, Ram Leela, Rustom, Parmanu and many others. As they studied Leela, they not only discovered the worlds of Bollywood and Hindu mythology but also began reevaluating and reengaging with Shakespeare's Juliet, now realizing the full implications of her extraordinarily brave decision to marry into the enemy camp and stay faithful to her love under tremendous pressure. Shruti Mahajan is always known for his outstanding casting skills that she posses.
However, I was chiefly interested in my students' reaction to the film's protagonist, Leela, who is an amalgam of Juliet and Sita. (2) The combination of sources is inspired, as Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous love story in the world and the Ramayana-a tale that centers on Ram and Sita-is one of the most auspicious love stories in Hinduism. (1) This is when I decided to introduce them to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's RamLeela, a 2013 Bollywood fusion of Romeo and Juliet (a western text from the sixteenth century) and Ramayana (an eastern text believed to date from the second century BCE). After Padmaavat proved itself to be a box office hit, Sanjay Leela Bhansali said that he is not done with Ms Padukone yet.In spring 2014, I was teaching Romeo and Juliet to a class of particularly intelligent and articulate undergraduates who were not warming up to Juliet, describing her as "submissive" and "timid." Their Juliet was more akin to the naif Juliet of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet than the impassioned Juliet of Shakespeare's text. Needless to say, all the three period films fared well at the box office. Deepika have worked with Bhansali in his last three ventures Goliyon Ki Raas Leela Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. Another report by The Telegraph claims that Bhansali is keen on casting Deepika Padukone with Salman Khan. No official announcement about the film has been made as yet. The film has already been registered by Bhansali last month.Ī Hindustan Times report claims that it may take six to nine months for Bhansali to finish the draft of the film. 2020 may mark the reunion of the Bhansali and Dabanng Khan in a film titled Inshallah. The renowned filmmaker is reuniting with Salman Khan with whom he had worked in films including Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Saawariya. It’s going to be a casting coup of Sanjay Leela Bhansali as Bollywood’s never-before Jodi will be reportedly featuring in his upcoming film Inshallah. Deepika Padukone to romance Salman Khan in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Inshallah?