The journey of Shakesprare on the Indian stage has been one of improvisation by adopting the playwright as an Indian icon, says former Delhi University professor Vikram Chopra, the author of a treatise, "Shakespeare: The Indian Icon".
Chopra, the founder secretary of the Shakespeare Society of India in the capital, says playwright Bhartendu Harish Chandra translated "Merchant of Venice" on an Indian canvas in Maharashtra in the early 19th century.
"In Bengal, Girish Ghose translated "Macbeth" to Bengali. It starred Tinkari, an actress from the red light area of Kolkata as Lady Macbeth and was first staged at the Minerva Theatre in 1893," Chopra recalled.
The National School of Drama has re-invented Shakespeare in the Indian context. Two of the most memorable productions were a 1965 rendition of "King Lear" starring Om Shiv Puri and a 1989 production directed by Amal Allana in a Rajasthani milieu.