Modern Screen Play

A decade ago, Onir wanted Hrithik Roshan to play Hamlet in his adaptation of the tragic Shakespearean classic, that was later shelved.

A decade ago, Onir wanted Hrithik Roshan to play Hamlet in his ambitious adaptation of the tragic Shakespearean classic, that was later shelved. Last year, the director wanted to revive the project, but backed out when Vishal Bhardwaj and Tigmanshu Dhulia announced their adaptations of the same — although Dhulia shelved his later.

After toying with the idea for over a decade, director Onir has finally locked in the project. Titled Veda, the film has a contemporary setting, which shuttles between London and a big Indian city. “The protagonist is a college-going teenager, and the love story will be the central focus,” is all Onir reveals about the film.

With producers and a cast in place, the My Brother Nikhil fame filmmaker plans to start pre-production next month. Describing it as “a script that kept coming back to me”, the director says his adaptation is very different from that of Bhardwaj’s Haider, whose story is set in the socio-political context of contemporary Kashmir. “I was hesitant when other filmmakers announced their versions of the text, but I realised that we are not really making representations of the drama, but adapting the story to our sensibilities,” says the filmmaker.

Although not announced yet, word is that Kai Po Che actor Amit Sadh will play the titular role while Reliance Entertainment has come on board to produce the film.

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