A WOMAN OR NOT TO BE: Adishakti Reimagines Hamlet Through a Feminist Lens
February 12, 2026 14:27:48 IST MTG editorial
Puducherry-based Adishakti Theatre presents its latest production, A WOMAN OR NOT TO BE, a bold reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s HAMLET that places Princess Hamlet at the centre of grief, doubt and the search for justice. Known for its distinctive physical theatre language, Adishakti blends breath, rhythm, movement and voice with text to create a powerful contemporary theatre experience.
Directed by Vinay Kumar, the play questions what happens when one of literature’s most celebrated male characters becomes a woman. If Hamlet were female, would she be allowed the same emotional instability, rage or destructive impulses? Would society grant her that privilege? These questions form the foundation of this thought-provoking production.
Unlike Shakespeare’s original, this retelling shifts the emotional core - the mother dies instead of the father. The mother figure discourages revenge, urging her daughter to move on, thereby creating a complex debate around gender, agency and duty. In this version, destruction is not inevitable; no one dies. Instead, the narrative unfolds across fragmented spaces like a psychiatric ward and a prison, challenging how society labels and interprets female behaviour.
While the production includes more spoken dialogue than typical Adishakti works, physical storytelling remains integral. The gender shift intensifies vulnerability and highlights how limited space women often have within rigid systems.
A WOMAN OR NOT TO BE is not an activist manifesto but a philosophical inquiry. Vinay Kumar describes it as part of his own “gender correction” - a questioning of patriarchal conditioning embedded within celebrated classics. By revisiting HAMLET through a feminist lens, Adishakti Theatre invites today’s audiences to rethink heroism, privilege and the cost of emotional freedom.
For theatre lovers across India, this production is a compelling reminder that classic texts can still spark urgent contemporary conversations.
*Mumbai Theatre Guide takes no responsibility for change in schedule.
