Lizzie, It is a great topic
. When I first saw it, I could imagine how delighted a new member would be to discover this wonderful thread with full of insightful thoughts, if they checked it decades later.
There will be certain discussions that stand out from the usual ones, and this is one of them. Wonderful thread, 
Shakespeare's plays and poetry were first introduced to all of us in school and continued until we submitted our research papers in the later part of our education.
He was a trailblazer in elegantly presenting human frailties! His every play demonstrates his mastery of human psychology, and it's like a testament to his extraordinary genius.
Let's evaluate the Hindi film adaptations of some of his most well-known plays and the degree of success those movies achieved.
Shakespeare was a master at capturing human frailty in a nuanced and unpretentious way. Shakespeare’s tragedies, in particular, are must-reads if you want to see a hero’s/ human being's darker side. He depicted an ocean of emotions, with various settings in many awful situations. Though it's not an easy task, a few directors have attempted and succeeded in Indian cinema with adaptations of such classic dramas.
Here are a few of his plays that were adapted by renowned filmmakers.
Angoor: Based on "Comedy of Errors" by William Shakespeare. One of my favourite comedies of all time. I believe the film was only marginally altered. However, the plot was developed in such a way to use subtle humour to impress the Indian audience.
The original and the adaptation were both excellent! I am saying this because, the actors did their best while portraying these characters.
I studied the drama first and watched the movie after a few years.
Another movie based on the same theme was Do Dooni Chaar, a lesser-known and older film based on "Comedy of Errors." This is not as well recognised as Gulzaar's later creation, Angoor, and it was a so-so movie.
Maqbool: This one was based on WS's Macbeth.
The Mumbai underworld is the setting based on the intriguing plot of Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth."
Another amazing movie that brilliantly portrayed human faults and wants. While watching the movie, we felt like, the playwright himself came to modern-day Bombay to rewrite it because it was so well adapted and appreciated.
The actors' talent needs to be honed even further in order to portray those roles and to define WS's thought process correctly. Irfan Khan, Tabu, and Pankaj Kapoor portrayed the characters so well, They excelled in their own way by highlighting human frailties with their nuanced facial expressions.
Omkara: This Othello adaptation from Shakespeare depicts a politically motivated enforcer who suspects his wife of adultery due to his misplaced faith in his lieutenant.
In a rural UP/MP background, this Othello persona was depicted very well in the movie. The movie and the play demonstrate the universality of dread and insecurity deeply rooted in the human mind, and how they may be applied to various eras and places. Saif Ali, in my opinion, stole the show with his incredible performance.
The main difference between books and adapted movies is that, while books enable readers to imagine and interpret the story in their own way, but, movies provide viewers with visuals to focus on.
Different elements contribute to the enjoyable experience of both mediums. While a movie offers sounds and visuals that a book cannot match, a book can provide readers with more understanding and knowledge. Everybody has a different taste for the kind of leisure they find most enjoyable, even though both media offer pros and cons of their own.
Edited by Viswasruti - 2 months ago
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Colin Firth as Darcy might seem miscast to a lot of people but for me he was perfect - other adaptations make him stern & wooden which he wasn’t. Colin brought out the pride, reserve & restraint in his body language without going overboard. Hugh Laurie - don’t know how he managed to bring to life the foppish, idle & oftentimes dull Wooster with such humour - you laugh just looking at his expressions. Rhett Buttler & Clark Gable - match made in heaven 
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