Riz Ahmed explains his “fresh” and “radical” reinterpretation of ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy in modern day Hamlet retelling

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Riz Ahmed and director Aneil Karia, who previously worked together on the Oscar-winning short film The Long Goodbye in 2020, are collaborating again. This time, they’re adapting a classic and highly-regarded work of English literature.

A new film adaptation of Hamlet opens in UK cinemas today. It’s a shorter version of the classic play, but screenwriter Michael Lesslie has largely preserved Shakespeare’s original language.

This fresh adaptation of a classic story is set in contemporary London and explores it through the experiences of British Asians. It aims to make Shakespeare more approachable and enjoyable for everyone, especially those who haven’t connected with his work before.

As a film fanatic, I was really impressed with how Karia approached the action sequences, making everything feel new and thrilling. One scene, in particular, blew me away: the famous ‘To be or not to be‘ speech. Instead of the usual stage setup, Ahmed’s Hamlet delivers it while absolutely flying down a highway in a car. It was such a bold and unexpected choice, and it totally worked!

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He shared in an interview at last year’s London Film Festival that limitations can surprisingly spark creativity.

We’re delivering this quickly because we don’t have time for lengthy explanations. The setting and the message itself demand a fast-paced, impactful presentation.

Ahmed mentioned receiving positive feedback from early festival audiences who described his version of the speech as innovative. He also felt that his interpretation of the words was just as important as the impressive stage presentation in creating that impression.

He explained that people often interpret the speech as being about suicide or losing hope. However, he firmly believes that’s not the message at all. Instead, he sees it as a question: do we passively accept injustice to avoid conflict, or do we stand up for what’s right, even if it means sacrificing everything?

We’re currently facing a big question, but it’s important to remember that simply feeling sad or hopeless is a normal human experience.

Look, I totally respect how others feel about it. But when I read that speech, it’s incredibly powerful and forward-thinking, so we really wanted our production to match that energy – to feel dynamic, exciting, and full of movement. That’s why we approached it the way we did.

Honestly, one of the coolest things for me, and for director Karia too, has been seeing how widely the film has resonated with people. It’s not just that people liked it, but who liked it – all sorts of viewers! We’ve been especially thrilled to hear from people who said it actually made them rethink Shakespeare. That’s really rewarding as a film enthusiast.

You know, I’ve always struggled with Shakespeare. It just never clicked for me – I always felt lost and like I didn’t get it. But honestly, after watching this film, it was like a total breakthrough! I finally felt that emotional connection to the story and the characters, and everything just…made sense. It totally changed how I see the play.

What excites us most is the hope that more people will connect with this incredibly beautiful piece of writing and feel a personal connection to it. We believe it’s a truly special work, and we want as many people as possible to experience it.

Interestingly, and maybe a key to the film’s success, director Karia admits he used to be among those who didn’t enjoy Shakespeare.

He admitted he left school feeling unsure if higher education was right for him, questioning whether he was smart enough to succeed.

When Riz told me he was sending me a copy of Hamlet, my first thought was that it wasn’t really my kind of book. But as I started reading, I was surprised by how much it resonated with me – it felt surprisingly personal and relevant in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

I became really enthusiastic about reimagining this classic, important text for today’s world, giving it a modern, fast-paced, and cinematic feel that would resonate with contemporary audiences.

He explained that the key to blending Shakespeare’s language with the modern environment was to avoid overcomplicating things.

He explained that connecting with your emotions is key. If you’re genuine, the environment or details will simply fall into place. The goal was to create a film that felt deeply emotional, not one that just made you think, and he believed that once that connection was established, everything else would come naturally.

Hamlet is now showing in UK cinemas.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed all kinds of films.

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2026-02-06 18:05