<p>Filmmaker and music composer Vishal Bhardwaj has been chosen to direct an opera based on an Indian folk tale in Paris.<br /><br /></p>.<p>'A Flowering Tree', composed by award-winning musician John Adams, is based on a story by A K Ramanujan and will open in Paris in May 2014.<br /><br />"I am really excited about this new challenge. There are plans for the opera to tour around the world after its Paris season," Bhardwaj said here yesterday.<br /><br />Plans to convert his last Bollywood release, 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola', into a stage musical are also in the pipeline for next year.<br /><br />In London to receive the Excellence in Cinema Award from the South Asia Cinema Foundation (SACF), the filmmaker confirmed his next cinematic project as an adaptation of 'Hamlet' - shooting for which will kick off in November for its release to coincide with the 450th birth anniversary celebrations of Shakespeare in 2014.<br /><br />His third and final instalment based on the world-famous English playwright's tragedies, after 'Maqbool' (Macbeth) and 'Omkara' (Othello), will be set against the backdrop of strife-torn Kashmir and Shahid Kapur has been confirmed for the lead role of Hamlet.<br /><br />"Hamlet is Kashmir – 'to be or not to be'. I have made things difficult for myself but I thought for my trilogy let me at least attempt something bigger than me," he said.<br />"After doing 'Maqbool' and 'Omkara', I took a break from Shakespeare because I didn't want to become branded as someone who can only adapt Shakespeare. I wanted to look within me and see what kind of films I want to make. It has now been more than six years since the last one and the time has come for me to complete my trilogy," he explains.<br /><br />"I still believe I can live my life making films on Shakespeare’s work, which are so unique, timeless and boundary-less. I can adapt any of his works into any time period – past, present or even futuristic," he added.<br /><br />A special screening of 'Omkara' at the British Film Institute was followed by the SACF awards ceremony.<br /><br />"Past recipients of the SACF award have included filmmakers like Shyam Benegal and Gulzar and for me to be counted in that same breath is a huge honour. Artistes put all their emotions out there and it is always nice to be appreciated," said Bhardwaj in reference to his latest award.</p>
<p>Filmmaker and music composer Vishal Bhardwaj has been chosen to direct an opera based on an Indian folk tale in Paris.<br /><br /></p>.<p>'A Flowering Tree', composed by award-winning musician John Adams, is based on a story by A K Ramanujan and will open in Paris in May 2014.<br /><br />"I am really excited about this new challenge. There are plans for the opera to tour around the world after its Paris season," Bhardwaj said here yesterday.<br /><br />Plans to convert his last Bollywood release, 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola', into a stage musical are also in the pipeline for next year.<br /><br />In London to receive the Excellence in Cinema Award from the South Asia Cinema Foundation (SACF), the filmmaker confirmed his next cinematic project as an adaptation of 'Hamlet' - shooting for which will kick off in November for its release to coincide with the 450th birth anniversary celebrations of Shakespeare in 2014.<br /><br />His third and final instalment based on the world-famous English playwright's tragedies, after 'Maqbool' (Macbeth) and 'Omkara' (Othello), will be set against the backdrop of strife-torn Kashmir and Shahid Kapur has been confirmed for the lead role of Hamlet.<br /><br />"Hamlet is Kashmir – 'to be or not to be'. I have made things difficult for myself but I thought for my trilogy let me at least attempt something bigger than me," he said.<br />"After doing 'Maqbool' and 'Omkara', I took a break from Shakespeare because I didn't want to become branded as someone who can only adapt Shakespeare. I wanted to look within me and see what kind of films I want to make. It has now been more than six years since the last one and the time has come for me to complete my trilogy," he explains.<br /><br />"I still believe I can live my life making films on Shakespeare’s work, which are so unique, timeless and boundary-less. I can adapt any of his works into any time period – past, present or even futuristic," he added.<br /><br />A special screening of 'Omkara' at the British Film Institute was followed by the SACF awards ceremony.<br /><br />"Past recipients of the SACF award have included filmmakers like Shyam Benegal and Gulzar and for me to be counted in that same breath is a huge honour. Artistes put all their emotions out there and it is always nice to be appreciated," said Bhardwaj in reference to his latest award.</p>