After more than a decade of development, Riz Ahmed’s modern adaptation of Hamlet—infused with South Asian culture—has debuted at a pivotal time in the UK, where social tensions are rising. The Oscar-winning actor believes that Shakespeare’s centuries-old themes resonate deeply with today’s divided nation, especially within the British South Asian community.
A Fresh Take on Shakespeare Reflecting Today’s Division
Riz Ahmed describes Hamlet as a story with enduring relevance, particularly in a Britain currently witnessing the surge of Nigel Farage’s Reform, alongside marches led by Tommy Robinson and streets lined with Union Jack flags. These events contribute to a climate of division that amplifies the importance of Ahmed’s fusion of Shakespeare with South Asian identity. The tale of a son driven to madness by his father’s death reveals parallels with struggles faced by many in the South Asian diaspora.
Ahmed recalls his personal connection to the play:
“As a teenager, I felt very out of place for many different reasons, and I was lucky enough to have a teacher who gave me [Hamlet], and I found myself in it.”
He added,
“This thing that I thought was the epitome of everything that I was on the outside of actually turned out to be something that I belonged in as much as anyone else.”
He points out that themes such as spirituality, family duty, honour, and restrictions on whom one can marry remain as relevant now to the South Asian community as they were in Shakespeare’s time, making the story universally relatable. Calling Shakespeare the “reboot king,” Ahmed emphasizes that
“Hamlet comes from ancient myths that span space and time, and that’s why the first words you hear in our adaptation are words from the Bhagavad Gita [ancient Hindu scripture],”
linking the play’s core to these deep cultural roots.
Ahmed encourages audiences to embrace this interpretation:
“If people want to take this [film] as a statement about who belongs in these stories and who these kinds of stories belong to, that’s to be welcomed.”
Blending Languages and Cultures to Reflect British Asian Realities
The film integrates South Asian elements throughout, from cultural motifs to language. Notably, the iconic speech by Hamlet’s father’s ghost is performed entirely in Hindi. Director Aneil Karia said the decision was
“a really satisfying and surprising decision to make,”
as it added an
“unexpected, slightly transcendental kind of energy”
amid the largely archaic English of the film.
Karia explains how this linguistic choice parallels the lived experience of many British Asians:
“It felt very, very grounded in the reality of the British Asian experience, where you’re flowing between these different languages and generations use them differently. An older relative might speak to you in one language [and] you might reply in English.”
This bilingual interplay captures the dynamic cultural navigation familiar to many in the community.
Hamlet’s Cultural Resurgence and the Stories We Need Now
Hamlet itself is enjoying renewed attention, with various adaptations including the upcoming film Hamnet featuring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, Taylor Swift’s single “The Fate of Ophelia,” and new stage productions. Ahmed notes the universal need for more Hamlet-inspired art in today’s world:
“We all need to have more Hamlet in our lives right now, because it’s really speaking to the moment we’re living through.”
He adds,
“I would love to see people Barbenheimer the hell out of this, and go and see all of them. Listen to all of it. Thom Yorke’s even got a contemporary dance adaptation on right now as well.”
Ahmed explains the powerful emotional core of Hamlet:
“We need this story because Hamlet, at its core, is about someone who is grieving the illusion of a fair world [and] that he’s powerless in the face of it. He’s being gaslit about it, and ultimately realises he’s complicit in it. I think that’s how millions of people feel right now.”
He reflects on the timing of the film’s release:
“As much as I’ve been trying to make this for 13 years and really wish it came out a decade ago, I think this is actually the moment for us to take a look at this story and look at the dangers of what happens when people feel powerless.”
Ahmed believes the story offers a communal way to work through grief:
“To look at the grief and to channel that together and feel less alone in it, and have Shakespeare remind us that, look, we might be living through a tough time, we might be feeling hopeless and helpless, but [we’re not] the first people to feel like that.”
Exploring Ophelia’s Tragic Struggles and Modern Pressures
Ophelia’s storyline in this adaptation underscores the theme of disenfranchisement, as she tragically drowns herself after feeling disregarded by her family. Morfydd Clark, who plays Ophelia, shares her personal insights:
“I was quite interested in the fact that I’m in my 30s, playing Ophelia, and that I think that women in their 30s – if they’ve spent a lot of their 20s making sure to keep the men around them happy – can then realise that you’re no longer as valuable to them as you once were.”
Clark describes her character as being constrained by societal “expectation and control,” likening this to the
“tragedy of the Pick me girl”
with nothing to gain in the end.
Clark and Joe Alwyn, who plays her brother, invested significant time developing their characters’ sibling relationship. She praises Alwyn’s intellect and insight:
“Joe is just very clever and very well read.”
Regarding the portrayal of morally complex characters like Alwyn’s, Clark notes his kindness allows him to empathize:
“His brilliance at playing these ‘morally not great’ characters comes because he is ‘so kind that I think he can really see these people who are not choosing kindness.”
Sheeba Chaddha, portraying Hamlet’s mother Gertrude, commends Alwyn’s emotional range in the film’s intense final scenes:
“He was insane, just the depth of his pathos, and conflictedness was so amazing.”
Reclaiming Universal Stories Across Cultures
Art Malik, who plays Uncle Claudius, reflects on the importance of cultural storytelling:
“The world is made up of stories, and every culture has the right to take a story from somewhere else and put it into theirs so that they can understand it.”
He added,
“And so that we can understand we’re all the same. Humanity is humanity whichever way you look at it.”
Hamlet is scheduled to premiere in UK cinemas on February 6, 2026, promising to bring a fresh, culturally rich perspective to Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy at a moment when its themes feel urgently needed.
