Macbeth Goes Mumbai: A Masterful Rendition of Tragedy

The first of Vishal Bhardwaj’s three Shakespeare adaptations was his 2004 film, Maqbool – set in the underworld of Mumbai. Despite the film being set in a recklessly fast-paced, modern city like Mumbai, its compelling storytelling and tight-knit structure supported Bhardwaj’s reconstruction of Macbeth in an astonishing way.

We are introduced to Miyan Maqbool, played by Irrfan Khan, who is shown as the most loyal and trusted member of a don, Abba-ji. Although multiple scenes in the beginning reveal Maqbool as Abbaji’s close confidante and his unshakable faith in him, it wasn’t until the policemen played by Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah, who provide comic and satirical undertones of the film, make up a prophecy that lead Maqbool to believe that he could one day replace Abba-ji and become the underworld Mafia.

Tabu’s performance as Nimmi rendered Lady Macbeth a humanized and relatable character. The film gives Nimmi a complex backstory, as well as pressing motives for instigating Maqbool in killing Abba-ji. Bhardwaj’s way of transforming Maqbool and Nimmi’s relationship into a love story, making alterations to Lady Macbeth’s character, making her manipulative still but far away from being monstrous, worked out in compelling the Indian audience.

Torn between loyalty to his boss and love for Nimmi, Maqbool sacrifices one for the other. After murdering Abba-ji and taking over as the new ‘don’, his hunger for legitimacy only grows further. Blinded by his love for Nimmi, he has the urge to wipe out anyone who gets in his way. In contrast to the former part of the film which charts the rise of Maqbool in the mafia world, the latter part marks his downfall.

Maqbool’s character is instrumental in interpreting the complexity of the human mind. Throughout the film, he’s seen oscillating between guilt and want for power. We can see him gradually being corrupted by the influence of power and his ambition becoming poison for him.

The film attempts to capture the dark and brooding atmosphere of Mumbai, however, its unnatural camera movements, stark lighting, and its decision to omit music in places it was required are evidences of well-conceptualized but poorly executed visual and auditory elements.

Nonetheless, Bhardwaj’s Maqbool received much critical acclaim and also became a breakthrough film in Irrfan Khan’s career. The film became a good example of how a director can negotiate colonial text and infuse it with the high texture of Indian culture.