Shakespeare comes to India – SAUDAGAR is the Indian version of Merchant of Venice staged to wide acclaim

Across the world, William Shakespeare is a name that commands a huge following among literature lovers. India is no different. So, when one of Shakespeare’s most loved plays made an Indian outing, in an Indian avatar, the audience loved every bit of it. Titled ‘Saudagar’, the Indian adaptation of ‘Merchant of Venice’ was staged at Gurgaon’s Epicentre this evening, to wide acclaim. A presentation of The Films & Theatre Society, the play was adapted and directed by Atul Satya Koushik.

The merchant who signed a bond for his dear friend; the moneylender who demanded his pound of flesh; and the remarkable and intelligent heiress who turned the tables to save her lover’s friend! The gracious Antonia, the beautiful and intelligent Portia, the devoted Bassanio and the ‘wronged’ Shylock were presented in Indian avatras but retained the quintessential Shakespearean taste.

Based in the Mewar District of Rajasthan and set in the end of 19thcentury, the adaptation is peculiar for recreating the true Shakespearian moods on stage but with jokes and dialogues that will have a Rajasthani flourish.

A merchant lends a sum of Rs 30,000 to his friend in order to assist him in his effort to woo the wealthy and beautiful princess of “Pratapgarh”, a princely state in British India. However, with the merchant’s own money tied up in a risky venture, he has to borrow from a moneylender whom he has previously insulted for his act of charging high rates of interest and for his religious beliefs. The moneylender does lend the money, but against a bond whereby a failure to repay the loan on the agreed date will entitle him to a pound of the Merchant’s flesh.

How successfully the merchant’s friend woos the heiress and what happens when the merchant fails to repay the sum on the agreed date is the play’s theme.