Shakespeare and the Politics of Subtitling

Abstract

Kannaki is a 2002 Indian Malayalam-language tragedy film directed by Jayaraj and written by Sanjeev Kilikulam. It is considered to be an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra. This event brings together three scholars of Indian Shakespeare, Dr N P Ashley and Dr Thea Buckley, who have both worked on the subtitles of the film, and Dr Anandi Rao who works on Shakespeare and translation. What factors do translators take into account when working on an adaptation such as this? How much of it is Shakespearean and how much Malayali? How does their academic study of Indian Shakespeares shape their translation practice? These are some of the questions that will be addressed. Clips from the film will be screened.

Speakers

Dramaturge and translator, N P Ashley teaches English at St. Stephen's College, Delhi. Areas of his interest are Kerala Studies, Shakespeare and Indian cultural studies. He has worked as dramaturge/mentor for Shakespearean theatre adaptations in Delhi and in Kerala, and is the conceptualizer of "Keralan Shakespeares" project, which studies performance, film, teaching, translation, popular and classical adaptations of Shakespeare in Kerala in over one and a half centuries.

Thea Buckley is based in the McClay Library at Queen’s University Belfast, where she completed a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship in South Indian Shakespeares. She grew up in the USA and Kerala and is currently co-editing a special Shakespeare journal issue on Indian cinema.

Anandi Rao is Lecturer in South Asian Studies at SOAS, University of London. Her work has been published in venues like Shakespeare Bulletin and South Asian Review.

This event is sponsored by the British Shakespeare Association 

Image: Julian Nortoft (Unsplash)