Rewriting King Lear in a Diasporic Context, Rewriting the Nation: Second Generation and Life Goes On

espanolEste articulo analiza dos adaptaciones cinematograficas del Rey Lear que tienen lugar en Londres en una comunidad diasporica: SecondGeneration(Jon Sen 2003) y LifeGoesOn(SangeetaDatta 2009). El articulo examina las diferentes formas en las que El Rey Lear se tiene que modificar para adaptarse a la diaspora india. Gracias a un marco teorico de la diaspora, el articulo se centra en los paralelismos entre las dos peliculas a traves de la presencia de la madre, dos “reyes” caracterizados por la nostalgia, la aparicion de musulmanes y la transformacion de un final tragico en uno feliz. El papel de la madre es especialmente relevante, ya que hace alusion a la India y a la asociacion entre la figura materna y la India en el cine de Bollywood. La hipotesis principal es queSecondGenerationy LifeGoesOnutilizan El Rey Lear, que trata sobre la division del reino,como un prisma a traves del cual aproximarse a la particion en la India. Ambas localizan la accion en Reino Unido, mas concretamente en Londres, ya que tiene una de las comunidades diasporicasindias mas extensas. Las peliculas, al aludir al legado colonial de la particion y de Shakespeare y al ser realizadas por directores diasporicos, se convierten en trabajos postcoloniales e incluso transnacionales. Lo curioso es que no solo se reescribe y reinventa Shakespeare a traves del Rey Lear, sino tambien la particion en la India y, en ultima instancia, la nacion, a pesar de que las peliculas ofrecen perspectivas y alternativas diferentes – e incluso c EnglishThis article explores two film adaptations of King Lear located in London in a diasporic community: Second Generation (Jon Sen 2003) and Life Goes On (SangeetaDatta 2009). This paper examines the ways in which King Lear has to be modified to suit Non-Resident Indians. Following a diasporic framework, this articlesheds light on the striking parallelisms and connections between both movies via the presence of a mother figure, two nostalgic Lears, the appearance of Muslim charactersand the transformation of an extremely tragic denouement by a happy ending. The role of the mother is especially significant since it hints at the Indian nation and the long-held association between the mother figure and India in mainstream Hindi cinema. The main hypothesis of this paper is that Second Generation and Life Goes On use Shakespeare’s King Lear, which deals with the division of the kingdom, as a prism through which to approach partition. Both films relocate the action to the UK, more specifically London, since it has one of the largest Indian diasporic communities. Alluding to the colonial legacy of partition and Shakespeare and being made by diasporic filmmakers, they become postcolonial – or rather transnational works. Curiously enough, not only is King Lear rewritten and reinvented, but also Shakespeare, partition, and, ultimately, the nation,although the films offer different – and contradictory – perspectives and alternatives.