Abir and Raima Sen’s Othello adaptation Hrid Majharey goes to 11th World Shakespeare Congress

Considered to be one of the top five adaptations of Othello from all over the world, Bengali film Hrid Majharey is a work like no other. Starring artistes Abir Chatterjee, Raima Sen and Indrasish Roy in central roles, the film is still etched in our memory as fresh as it was during its release in 2014. Directed by Ranjan Ghosh, it was a tribute to the Bard on his 450th birth anniversary in 2014, and was inspired from three of his plays Othello, Macbeth and Julius Caesar.

The movie has been recognised by the International Shakespeare Association and the National University of Singapore, and has been selected for the prestigious 11th World Shakespeare Congress. However, the achievements of this acclaimed cult film don’t stop there. Hrid Majharey was taken up for the European Shakespeare Conference 2021, a joint initiative by the European Shakespeare Research Association and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, earlier this year in June.

Hrid Majharey was also included in the syllabus of Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations board’s A Level Drama and Theatre course as a part of the Additional Resources of International Adaptations of Othello, under the topic head of Heroes and Villains - Othello.

The tragic love story revolves around two ill-fated lovers, Abhijit and Debjani whose lives get entangled in the web of struggle between fate and logic. The charming and handsome maths professor, Abhijit falls for the feisty and beautiful doctor, Debjani and embark on a seemingly beautiful future together. However, destiny soon takes an ugly turn as their happiness seems to crumble away into dust, by the obsessive love of Abir for his partner.

The movie is currently streaming on a number of platforms from Voot to MX Player and Hoichoi.