Omkara

Omkara, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, set in western Uttar Pradesh, quenches
 a long felt thirst of the ‘hindi belt’ which has highly been neglected by the new age hindi filmmakers.
Although the movie is high on drama, utmost care has been taken to keep the film close to reality.
Barring slight deviation from the original, in the climax and in the characterization of Othello and
 Iago, the original play has been successfully conformed into the milieu of political warfare in Uttar Pradesh.
It draws inspiration from the typical upper caste Brahmin politics existing over the region.
   
Ajay Devgan as Omkara (Othello) alias Omi Shukla, the central character of the movie, has done
a good job. But, as the film progresses he looses variations and his expressions remain almost monotonous.
Also, the director has given extra footage to the character of Langda Tyagi (Iago) over Omkara. But, still
Ajay Devgan manages to impart gravity and sensitivity required in the character. Most importantly, unlike
 his other flicks, he is supported well by the other casts. Vivek Oberoi has also done justice to his role
 as the natural charmer, Keshav Upadhyay (Cassio) alias Kesu Phirangi. He fits well into the shoes of Kesu,
the philanderer who serves as the perfect prey for Langda Tyagi, played by Saif Ali Khan. The insouciant parts
of the movie are the scenes between Kesu and Billo Chamanbahar (Bianca), played by Bipasha Basu.
She is the weakest link in the whole episode. It requires a lot of patience to sit through the scenes of
 Billo whether it is the scenes with Kesu or the songs. The director should have looked for other options.
It would have been better if he could cut one of the songs picturised on her. She plays foul to the brilliant
 compositions and has tried too hard to transform them to typical item numbers. But, the earthy lyrics by
Gulzar in songs like Namak combined with the genius of Vishal Bharadwaj, prove to be a saving grace.

The drama unfolds swiftly and remains powerful in all aspects till the interval. But, in the second half,
 it slightly looses pace. There seems to be several cuts in the second half owing to a lot of confusion at
 the director’s end. This becomes evident as the director fails to portray the conspiracy of Langda Tyagi in
an effective manner. Even the trauma of Omkara is not captured properly. Though, the first half of the film
is filled with wonderful dialogues, the second half severely lacks that. The kind of drama that was expected
at the climax ceases to be there as the director chooses a quick and uncomplicated ending. But, in spite of
all these, the sound characterization and performances combined with wholesome effort by the crew, takes
the film to a graceful finish.

With Omkara, Konkona Sen Sharma seems to have confirmed her space in hindi films. In a short role as Indu (Emilia),
the outspoken wife of Langda Tyagi, she proves her worth in the film. Thanks to her superb dialogue delivery,
the character of Indu is so real that you will need to remind yourself that she is the same bengali actress who
 played Mithali in 15 Park Avenue. The good old Naseeruddin Shah as Bhaisaab (Duke of Venice) as the influential
 cog in the Brahmin politics of the region has once again proved his mantle as the undisputed numero uno in the character
 roles. The dark horse in the whole star cast is Kareena Kapoor. Going by the trends, the quality of performance
given by Kareena Kapoor was quite unexpected of her. She has worked hard to give life to the character of Dolly Mishra (Desdemona),
 the beloved of Omakara. Mostly, she has been successful in imparting innocence and puerility to the character.
 Although she looks pale in front of Konkana Sen Sharma, for probably the first time in her career
she gets noticed for her acting.

But, the real winner that emerges out of the whole order is certainly Saif Ali Khan. He has been phenomenal
in the tailor-made role of Langda Tyagi, the foul-mouthed, scruple-less gangster as the central catalyst
in the story. This film not only serves as an image makeover for him, but also as a milestone in his thirteen
year old film career. The highest level of detailing that could be possible is done with his character. Like his
 menacing stained teeth and the long painted little-finger nail defines the character profoundly. It is delight
to watch his perfectly synchronized actions lashed with rustic one liners. The scenes with his friend and fellow
grouch, Raju are quite amusing. Saif Ali Khan is one of the primary factors that drive the repeat value of the movie. 

Whether or not Omkara is a worthy adaptation of the Bard’s work is a question that should interest the literary critics.
 Other than that, Omkara is a satisfying movie for an avid moviegoer. A lot of passion and hardwork
has gone into the making of the movie and it shows.

Rating: 3.5/5.