SHAKESPEARE REIMAGINED: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET AND SANTOSH SIVAN’S ASOKA IN BOLLYWOOD CINEMA

Abstract

This study explores the enduring influence of William Shakespeare on Bollywood cinema through a comparative analysis of Romeo and Juliet and Santosh Sivan’s Asoka (2001). The current research investigates how Shakespeare’s tragic romance is reimagined within the conventions of Indian filmmaking, particularly focusing on narrative structure, character development, and thematic transformation. The primary objective is to examine the adaptation of Shakespearean elements in Asoka, and how Bollywood modifies these to suit its cultural and cinematic norms, including the shift from tragedy to romantic epic. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study utilizes close reading and interpretive analysis, supported by Realist Film Theory, especially Eisenstein’s concept of montage, to evaluate the cinematic reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s work. Findings reveal that Asoka mirrors key motifs from Romeo and Juliet, such as love at first sight, familial conflict, exile, and destiny, while reshaping them through Bollywood’s lens of spectacle, music, and emotional resolution. The conclusion emphasizes that Asoka exemplifies the localization of Shakespearean drama in Indian cinema, demonstrating how global literary traditions can be adapted to reflect regional aesthetics and audience expectations, thereby contributing to the discourse on Shakespeare in global media.