Abstract
The Eklavya: The Royal Guard, directed by the celebrated film-maker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, has been described as a version of Hamlet. The filming locations establish the setting as Rajasthan, specifically Bikaner, Jaipur and Udaipur, all filmed in sumptuous detail worthy of a quality travelogue. The film is also explicitly situated in the historical ambit of Indian myth since the central reference is to the Mahabharata. Some recognisable elements are noticeable: Eklavya manifests the generic hybridity which is a hallmark of Hindi movies, shifting between murder mystery, romance, political thriller, and musical. There is, however, a far more international dimension to Eklavya, including the ubiquitous referencing to Shakespeare. The Eklavya's intertextuality invokes some of certain associations but in a way that involves both contemporary reference and a longer historical perspective, weaving together sources which hold mythical and cultural status, including different works by Shakespeare.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Shakesepare and Indian cinemas |
| Subtitle of host publication | "Local Habitations" |
| Editors | Poonam Trivedi, Paromita Chakravarti |
| Place of Publication | New York and London |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Chapter | 2 |
| Pages | 45-61 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781315670409, 9781317367017 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781138946927 |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |