Omkara

I caught the first screening of Omkara, and I must say that I am astounded. Vishal Bharadwaj had previously carved a niche for himself in the industry, with the likes of Makdee and Maqbool, but Omkara puts him in a league of his own. It is an exquisite work of art, with each person putting in their best. Everyone knows Omkara to be an adaptation of Othello, and I frankly expected Omkara to be just that. At best, I thought it would be Vishal's homage to Shakespeare. I was terribly wrong.

Omkara is a poem in itself. Every aspect of the movie has the dedication and tenacity of the director stamped on it (considering he has handled direction, dialogues, screenplay, music, and even sung a song). The beauty of Omkara lies not in its portrayal of Othello, but the fact that it uses Othello as a platform to weave an intricate tale of love, obsession, treachery and tragedy. Yes, Omkara is an adaptation of Othello, but that is not the strength of the movie. The real strength of the movie lies in the performances of all the characters, and the gripping narrative. From the word go, Omkara has you by the crotch (pardon the usage), and lets go only after the last credits have rolled off.

Vishal's Omkara (Othello) is the chieftain of a band of outlaws in a semi-lawless rural area in Uttar Pradesh. His brother and right hand man is Langda Tyagi (Iago), named so for his limp. Another prominent figure in this gang is Keshu Firangi(Michael Cassio), the only member to have a college education. Omkara is in love with the bewitchingly beautiful Dolly (Desdemona), and she with him. At her behest, he and his gang interrupt her wedding and bring her to his village. In the village, Langda's wife Indu(Emilia) takes Dolly under her wing, becoming companion and friend. When Omkara appoints Keshu as the youth leader of the gang, Langda (who anticipated the post) feels jealous and overlooked, and seeks revenge by convincing Omkara that Dolly is having an affair with Keshu behind his back. For most part the story is the same as that of Othello, with just the background of each character adapted to suit the Indian temperament. Also, the language used a mix of Hindi and Bhojpuri, which adds to the aesthetics of the movie.

Ajay Devgan as Omkara ascends to new heights of emoting, using his eyes to convey so much more than he could ever say. The obsessive lover, the ruthless gang leader, a man eaten up by his inferiority complex and the doubts borne thereof, Ajay lives every moment of his character.

Viveik Oberoi is seen after a bit of a hiatus, and does considerably well. As the childlike Keshu, with his boyish grin and charm, you can't help liking him, and feeling sorry for him.

Kareena Kapoor has always been an actress to reckon with in my books, since her 'Refugee' 'Chameli', and 'Dev' days, and proves her mettle as the devoted and loving Dolly. Quality work from a largely underrated actress, proving that she's a lot more than the glam girl she often portrays.

The surprise of the pack was Bipasha, who does a considerably extended 'special' appearance and ample justice to her role as Billo, Keshu's love interest.

Neseeruddin Shah as the overlord Bhaisaab, is a treat to watch. To say anything more would take away from the essence of his performance.

Konkana Sen-Sharma as the simple, yet shrewd Indu is brilliance personified. With her natural accent and looks, she suits the role to a T. You instantly see in Indu a strong and loving woman. Be it as Dolly's friend, Lagda's wife, or as a bhabhi to the younger members of the gang, Konkana has the role down pat. Particularly endearing is her 'kheiin', akin to an 'arre'.

Each of these actors has portrayed their characters faultlessly, and no other actor could have done them better. Yet they all pale in comparison to Saif Ali Khan, as the cunning, devious, and calculating Langda Tyagi. This man is simply too good an actor. Sly and manipulative, his persona exudes pure evil,without even the stereotype evil laugh. His eyes strike a fear that resonates deep in your soul, and even hours after the movie is over,Langda is the character you keep thinking of, and is easily the pick of the lot. If Saif deserved a National Award for HUM TUM, then an award for this is a no-brainer.

Hats off to all the cast and crew members of Omkara, and to Vishal Bharadwaj, for creating this masterpiece of contemporary Hindi cinema.

• Suraj

PS- Watch out for the expletives used freely in the movie. They are a source of humour in themselves. :)

This must be one of the least-expected brilliant movies this year.. The movie-making skills of Vishal Bhardwaj are certainly not poor, but with this film, he surely notches up his ranking in our minds by so much more. The one thing I could notice while seeing the movie was the spellbound effect it had on the hall ... when the audience was ready to leave, there was not a sound.... till all came out and then a few blurted that they did not get the message of the movie.... well, guess what??... the story doesn't exude any message.. all it tries to do is give the "Indian" or better still "rural UP" touch to the Bard's masterpiece... Get awed by Saif' maturity in acting, or Ajay's powerful rendition... this movie deserves as much praise as any other classic this whole decade ! Cheers Vishal...carry on...

Can Raw be Gorgeous ? Well here we have for that one rare spectacular treat. Vishal Bhardwaj visualizes and presents a mesmeric manifestation out of rustic, rural, and wild backdrop. Omkara is an adaptation from Othello, one of the four great tragedies written by Shakespeare that includes Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth. Vishal has made all possible efforts to recreate the magic of the powerful script and he has succeeded to a great extent. However he has changed background from one that at royals in Europe to pastoral countryside in western Uttar Pradesh. The movie has an extravagant treatment and every aspect from costumes to sets and dialect to music has been designed to near exactness. The beginning takes you straight into the heartland of India where politics and power equations are bread and butter of the inhabitants. The color of muscle-power, sex, and jealously makes perfect ingredients for a Bollywood potboiler. It surely have been a laudable effort by the filmmaker after depicting his genius with Maqbool in 2003 (another adaptation from Shakespeare's Macbeth).

Omkara stays true to its spirit, (the original word is a spiritual vibration from Sanskrit) it's an impersonal and formless representation of the absolute truth. Ajay Devgan playing the lead gives the right tone and shade to the character. His intense expressive eyes and deep throat say it all. It is indeed a quantum leap over his last negative portrayal in Ram Gopal Verma's "Company". He stays in focus from the first action sequence and the title song gives him a fitting introduction on the canvas. The whole drama revolves around his emotions and his weaknesses. His love interest in the film is played by Kareena Kapoor and to say the least she has been a complete revelation to watch. She looks stunning and emotes with ease in some very delicate parts of the show. Vivek Oberoi tries his hand again on some quality stuff after a string of flops recently but unfortunately he is one of the rare weak parts of this plot. He looked very vulnerable and the character never gave him an opportunity to come to the forefront. Konkona Sen Sharma is always full of surprises and her versatility is her strength. The variety of roles she does will be envy for any actor. She plays with simple elegance for a common house villager and without a doubt impresses one and all. Another high was from Bipasha Basu, playing a sultry siren and absolutely ignites the screen with couple of dance numbers. Apart from illustrating her well toned figure there was not much of performance meat in her presence. However the most sumptuous role was bagged by none other than brilliant Saif Ali Khan. He is the fulcrum for the whole movie and he is one who raises the bar of quality for many others around him. One could essentially feel the frustration and resentment in Saif's depiction. The way he hatches the plot and then makes his wicked moves one by one develops the much needed interest for the viewer. He is very slow to start with by staying in shadows of Devgan but then came the string of frames where he outclassed the former.

Omkara should well be appreciated for its technical brilliance. With bulk of shooting at Wai and Lonavala in Maharashtra, it would have been a real big challenge to structure an authentic North Indian village. The cinematography was sheer pleasure and many shots were so aesthetic that it felt like watching mesmeric work of art in motion. The frames were large and the theme of boisterous merrymaking was captured with meticulous vividness. The script is just right and director do not waste any reels on explaining irrelevant details. Though large hearted shower of local offensive words can get jarring for some audience. Music did not have much to do in this tight screenplay and the director could have done better without couple of songs. Although "Jag Ja Ri Gudia" composition sung by Suresh Wadkar is a pure melody and the veteran made his presence felt in crop of new singers. The song has special relevance with the storyline and thus goes along well.

All accolades to the director for feasting us on an outstanding cinema. He is a showcase of the new genre of Indian film makers and he has all his fundamentals in the right place. The movie leaves us with heavy thoughts and a lot to ponder in the end. It could have been very easy for anyone to go awry with such a radiant cast line but Vishal not only develops the individual characters skillfully but also creates the magic of making Raw look Gorgeous

One of the questions that the director and the scriptwriter have to deal with when making a film adaptation of a classic is that of balance. One would like to remain true to the original story, yet each medium has its own modes of expression and a literal translation of a story would usually result in a long, incoherent, and ultimately powerless film. "The trick is," as director Trevor Nunn says in an interview about The Merchant of Venice, "to make a completely new piece of work while preserving the original piece of work." And Omkara, Vishal Bharadwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello is that rare beast. It is stunningly true in details and spirit to the original play (despite the substantial changes necessitated by transferring medieval Europe to modern day Bihar) and also be one of the finest Hindi movies made in recent times.

The reason for Shakespeare's huge popularity and general regard as one of the greatest playwrights ever is the timelessness of his themes- love, relationships, race, class, gender, jealousy, hatred, betrayal and death. He created unforgettable characters who remained people we can relate to. The basic premise of all his plays is usually simple. Shakespeare was a master who wrote for everyone, a fact that is sometimes forgotten by those intimidated by his high-brow reputation. And Omkara stays true to that spirit by making no attempt to intellectualize itself. The characters are crude and their language is coarse, in a way that compliments the feel of the film perfectly. Some of the elements of the film are deliberately over-the-top or violent and the scene in which Omkara smothers Dolly is extremely long and vivid; it is to Bharadwaj's credit that he turns this lack of subtlety into an asset. Indeed Omkara couldn't have been made any other way.

The acting throughout the film is splendid. Saif Ali Khan, in particular, is extraordinary as the wily, manipulative Langda Tyagi. Khan is one of the most versatile actors in Bollywood and it hard to believe this is the same guy who so brilliantly played 'Sameer' in 'Dil Chahta Hai'.

And oh, the ambiance! Bharadwaj creates the perfect setting for the film with a combination of great music, wonderful cinematography and a relentlessly dark atmosphere. This is a director who knows what he is doing and is a master at it.

I could go on and on about 'Omkara'…but probably it is best that the reader go and judge for himself. A word of caution though, Omkara is not for the weak-hearted.

I didn't have much expectations of Omkara; had never heard of Vishal Bharadwaj; expected another violent Bollywood pot-boiler. Turned out, it's one of the most accomplished Bollywood films of all times. Vishal Bharadwaj is an artiste of highest caliber, and succeeded beyond expectations in all the areas - direction, screenplay and music - he has put his stamp on. The screenplay, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello in the rustic setting of Uttar Pradesh's crime-ridden politics, is spell-binding, and could match the best of Kurosawa. The dialogues in Bhojpuri dialect are no doubt foul and vulgar in the extreme to match the setting, but to those who can understand the dialect, the humour is fascinating, and the dialogues possibly the best ever in the history of Hindi films. Unfortunately, the subtitles can't do justice to all the nuances of the dialogues. The most awe-inspiring aspect of the movie is the fantastic performances from all the cast, but above all by Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi (Iago). From what I had seen of Saif Ali Khan in Dil Chahta Hai, Salaam Namaste, Ham Tum, Parineeta and others before this movie, I would never ever have imagined him in this role, let alone expect an epoch-making performance. He was more famous for his lineage - the incredibly gifted Sharmila Tagore who withered away her talent in Bollywood, her more famous Nobel-laureate grandfather Rabindra Nath Tagore, and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi the notable Indian cricket captain of yester years - than for his acting prowess. Well, am I surprised? To put it in perspective, I could recall 2 past performances in Hindi cinema, which were bolts out of the blue - Amjad Khan in Sholey and Kanhaiya Lal in Gunga Jamuna. The one from Saif Ali Khan in Omkara is a volcanic eruption. Mind you, Ajay Devgan has given the best performance of his career in the title role, so it's not as if there was no competition. The credit must go to the director as well - it was an inspired casting. I can't wait to see other movies of Vishal Bharadwaj, and of Saif Ali Khan, even though I know I'll probably be disappointed.