There's a new theater company in town, and months before their first show (Romeo and Juliet done Bollywood style), they're already making waves with a huge launch party in September and a fast growing social media campaign. We caught up with Arpita Mukherjee and Shubhra Prakash, founders of Hypokrit Theatre Company, to find out what it's all about.
Bollywood films tell many of the same stories that Western films do and contain similar themes. This becomes even more apparent when one considers Romeo and Juliet. The world’s greatest love story is pretty much just like a Bollywood movie, if you really think about it. What we hope to achieve by telling the story of Romeo and Juliet through a Bollywood lens to start a cultural dialogue about what is universal.
Romeo and Juliet has everything: comedy, drama, romance, tragedy (along with a healthy dose of song and dance, in our version at least). There’s a word for that in India - masala movie, which means it has all the ingredients of a something truly enjoyable.
We grew up watching Bollywood movies but we also grew up reading Shakespeare. While we are trying to make Bollywood films feel accessible, we also want to focus on what about Romeo and Juliet makes it so timeless. It’s one of Shakespeare’s most popular works and we want to bring audiences to this play that might never go to see a play that’s in verse or not in modern language. Through the Bollywood lens, we want to remind contemporary audiences that classical works transcend time and if re-imagined boldly enough, can be just as powerful and meaningful to them as something familiar.
The word hypocrisy comes from the root of hypokrit, because it meant pretend, implying artifice. Hypokrit Theatre Company strives to break down that artifice, using acting (pretend) as a way to access the emotional core of a work. By radically re-imagining a classic, we are transforming the word (with a classical root) Hypokrit, that implies pretend, into a way to reach the truth.
We are really lucky to be doing our event at Empire Rooftop, a beautiful venue, and we want people to come and see what we are all about, have a look at our trailer and poster (which we will be unveiling there), and meet the cast and crew. Expect to meets lots of other people too (Hundreds are already RSVP'd). There's no cover charge, but be over 21 and dressed nicely.
The launch party is not just a party, it’s an invitation for everyone, anyone that cares to join us to go on this journey with us. Projects are built through support and we are here to ask for everyone’s support by presenting our idea, Romeo and Juliet, with a Bollywood aesthetic.
9pm - Empire Rooftop Bar & Lounge.
44 West 63rd St, NY NY 10023
No Cover Charge • Raffle with Prizes • Suprise Performance
https://hypokritnyc.org
