Modern twist to timeless love classic

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One of the most popular love stories of the English literary tradition, Romeo and Juliet continues to inspire theatre directors to revisit the drama, time and again. Recently city-based organisation Chhaon Theatre presented its contemporary adaptation at Zorba by Hemant Raipuria.
Raipuria points out, “We adapted the classic Romeo and Juliet in the modern context to make it more relatable. We infused comedy, martial arts, sword and gun fights, bike stunts and a couple of sequences about women safety in the play.”
It is every aspiring actor’s dream to play Romeo. “Romeo is handsome, intelligent and a die-hard romantic hero. Though impulsive and immature, his idealism and passion makes him an extremely likable character,” says actor Akash Bhardwaj, who bagged the role of the male protagonist in the play.
Juliet is Shakespeare’s one of the most memorable heroines. “A beautiful 13-year-old aristocratic girl, Juliet is a naïve child who has thought little about love, but she grows up quickly after falling in love with Romeo. I loved portraying Juliet,” says Vaishnavi Dubey.
Romance, love, passion and hardship in the story is what every youngster relates to. Associate director and producer of the play, Ujai Mehra says, “Although written in the 16th century, a play like Romeo and Juliet has relevance in today’s strife-ridden world. Among the self-centered people, there are others who swear by the power of love that transcends this world and the world beyond.”