When Hamlet Meets Medea

Uzbek director Ovlyakuli Khodjakuli unites two tragic characters in his play on gender violence, To Kill or Not To Kill.

It is is necessary to use things that we see everyday and don’t pay attention to. Mud, stones and fire, for instance, people expect these around and never notice them: Ovlyakuli Khodjakuli

It’s tough not to notice Ovlyakuli Khodjakuli in a crowd. The Uzbek director moves though the National School of Drama (NSD) like a hip monk, his grey-flecked beard wild in the breeze, his hair held back in a ponytail. Three earrings — one resembles a large safety pin — complement an embroidered jacket. “Many people have asked me to play Rasputin, but only as a joke,” he says. He speaks no English and his daughter Khodjakulieva Gunesh translates as he speaks.

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It is hard to reconcile Khodjakuli’s easy attitude with his formidable reputation. The director ticks the superlatives in his theatre — his subjects are tough and the action is heavily physical but neither compare with the radical sets. In The Persians, staged last year, he had actors swing like acrobats in hoops of fire while the bottom of the stage opened to reveal a pit that would fill with water. Last week, he staged Byron’s Cain, a story of Adam’s son who murders his brother. Khodjakuli is now directing Delhi-based actor Jhilmil Hazarika in To Kill or Not to Kill, a play in Hindustani, English and Assamese, in which William Shakespeare’s misogynist character Hamlet meets Euripedes’ Medea, a woman angry with men.

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Excerpts:

Long after we forget the story, the actors and the dialogues, the images of your plays linger on. Why are sets so important to you?

It is true that the text does not stay in the memory but what is important for me are images. What kind of images will the audience carry with them out of the production? Text is a basis for the set design and way of speech. In To Kill or Not to Kill, the actor uses elements such as stones and straw and passes through fire to arrive at a moment of truth.

Medea and Hamlet never meet, so how have you brought them together?

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It is an original script and very difficult. The narrative is about a woman who has been pushed to the edge, she is desperate and has also started to lose her mind. Some great tragedy has happened to her and she starts to speak about life in the language of Medea and Hamlet. Hamlet hated women because he felt betrayed by his mother. Medea was betrayed by her husband Jason. In our play, the woman protagonist is neither Medea nor Hamlet but she uses their language to express her tragedy. She has a straw puppet with her for company. Jhilmil Hazarika is working a lot and the play is working out.

There was a lot of straw on stage even in Byron’s Cain, the front rows could smell the hay.

For me, it is is necessary to use things that we see everyday and don’t pay attention to. Mud, stones and fire, for instance, people expect these around and never notice them. I imagine the stage is like our planet. In Byron’s Cain, we used two pipes suspended from above. They were like the hands of god. From one hand, water falls on the stage while stones drop from the other. With one hand, god gives life and, with the other he punishes. We have a short time to make a play and I have to pump out my head. It is how I see this world.
The play will be staged as part of Bharat Rang Mahotsav at NSD Open Lawn on February 10.

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Dipanita Nath

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. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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