A scene from Sunil Shanbag’s Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon
Sunil Shanbag on adapting William Shakespeare’s All’s Well that Ends Well in Gujarati and Hindi
When the World Shakespeare Festival was held as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad in London, it seemed appropriate that Mumbai-based director Sunil Shanbag would choose to present a problem play. All’s Well that Ends Well revolves around a hero who dislikes his bride because she is low-born, and she must win him over through sexual subterfuge. The story sits uncomfortably with ancient ideals — of dignity and chivalry — as well as modern ideas — of feminism and family — but, troublesome themes have become Shanbag’s metier. Cotton 56, Polyester 84 is a political story of the mill workers of Mumbai, while S*x M*rality & Cens*rship deals with another contentious issue. All’s Well that Ends Well, Shanbag insists, is a love story but he has also made it more — his play, Maro Piyu Gayo Rangoon in Gujarati, is also a look at the Gujarati community’s mercantile history. After 80 shows in the UK — it was staged at the historic Globe twice — and Gujarat, Maro Piyu Gayo Rangoon has been adapted into Hindi as Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon. It will be staged in Delhi as part of the Aadyam Theatre Festival. Shanbag talks about the old and new productions, as well as Blank Page, a play he recently staged at FTII.
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The festival director of the Globe to Globe Festival asked if we were willing to do a Shakespeare play in Gujarati. The UK has a large Gujarati population and this would be a great opportunity to bring in a lot of people who, otherwise, would not go to Globe. The way the play was adapted and designed was for Gujarati theatre audiences. A lot of Gujarati theatre is pure entertainment — loud and comic performances, or dramatic family dramas — and we were looking for a way to present Shakespeare! We set the story in the 1900s when the main character moves from a small town in Saurashtra to Bombay, which was a growing port city, and where his uncle is a very powerful merchant prince. The girl follows him here and he runs away from her to Rangoon, which was a major outpost for trade in rice, timber and semi-precious stones. We followed the Bhangwadi style of theatre which was very popular in the 1900s, with songs, music, movement and painted curtains. What the audiences saw was Shakespeare, but also their own history.
…and the new play
I always wanted a non-Gujarati audience to watch the play but, because of the language, I could not stage it widely. Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon is in Hindi and we asked ourselves, ‘How do you retain the Gujarati flavour in a different language’. Writer Mihir Bhuta has used a language that is lyrical and archaic, but not located in any specific Hindi language culture such as the dialects of UP or Bihar. India has large trading communities and a rich history of trade, and the play opens up a little bit of the fascinating history of India’s mercantile past.
Musical Colour
Uday Mazumdar, who has done a lot of work in Gujarati theatre, composed the music. The songs are melodic and integral to the story, and the lyrics are important. We turned the soliloquies as well as some dialogues into songs. A part of the music happens in Burma and he had to find a tone that would suit the local musical colour of Burma.
School of Art
What FTII represents to me is an idea. What we need in India are artistic spaces, where artists can try different things, make mistakes and bounce back. I was never trained formally in theatre and often regret not having a few years as a student where I could be immersed in what I was doing and come out enriched, without worrying about success or failure. FTII represents such a space and we must nurture it. When the students asked me to come and speak, I said I would come with my group of young actors who are part of our Tamaasha Theatre company and stage a play. We presented Blank Page, which explores contemporary Indian poetry in four languages through live music and performances. We turned an acting studio into a hall and about 200 people attended.
The play will be staged at Kamani Auditorium on August 15 (7.30 pm) and 16 (4 pm & 7.30 pm). Tickets: Rs 300-Rs 1,000 at bookmyshow.com
Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life.
Professional Background
Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint.
Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series).
Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season:
1. Climate & Environment
"Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week.
"How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
"Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner.
2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage
"Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle.
"Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport.
"The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle.
3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc"
"Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema.
"Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups.
"How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor.
Signature Style
Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune.
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