New Delhi, March 29 -- Earlier this month, I had a chance to watch a stage adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet in Bengali, a production by the theatre group Swapnasandhani in Kolkata. Led by reputed stage and screen actor Koushik Sen, who plays Claudius in this version he has directed, the group has been around for over 30 years, known for its original plays as well as many adaptations of classic texts-be it Shakespeare's Macbeth (2012) or Malyaban (2006), based on a novel by the iconic Bengali poet, Jibanananda Das.

Although Swapnasandhani premiered Hamlet in May 2022, just as the restrictions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic were beginning to be eased, the play was revived recently, with a series of performances planned for the ...