DVD Review: Omkara

Directed by Vishal Bharadwaj
Starring Ajay Devgam, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Vivek Oberoi
2006

Film adaptations of Shakepeare's plays are frequently unsatisfying. Film grammar necessitates a delicate compromise with the source material and typically adaptations end up as either faithful, yet stilted and anachronistic presentations or radical re-imaginings that too often miss the thematic mark of the Bard's original work. There is a fine line between modernization and abandonment and although Omkara, Vishal Bharadwaj's Bollywood interpretation of Othello, foregos using the actual text of the play, it more ably captures the mood of the play than many of its more faithful predecessors have managed to do.

Othello the Moor has become the half-caste Omkara, a "general" in a gang of enforcers for a local politician. After years of working his way up through the ranks of the gang, Omkara seems to lead a charmed life; loved by all his men, he is being groomed to replace his boss in the local government and has just eloped with his secret lover, the rich and beautiful Dolly. Unfortunately for Omkara, the tactical promotion of his young lieutenant Kesu infuriates his more experienced friend Langda, and sets off a chain of tragic events that will prove to be Omkara's undoing.

Bharadwaj remains faithful to the key plot elements of Othello and the only deviations are made in the interest of narrative flow and cultural consistency. Although Omkara's crude and violent world has more in common with a Peckinpah Western than a Venetian court, he is shrewd and thoughtful; despite his violent proclivities, it is easy to see how Dolly could have fallen in love with him. Shakespeare's Othello can be too easily read as naive and easily manipulated but Ajay Devgam imbues Omkara with a fierce intelligence that makes his fall all the more poignant. Kareena Kapoor likewise provides a welcome modern take on Desdemona; still heartbreakingly innocent and faithful, Dolly is less blindly virtuous than Shakespeare's original and her private scenes with Omkara provide some of the film's richest moments.

Never having seen a full Bollywood film, I had been led to believe that the inevitable song and dance numbers would be an unwelcome distraction but although certain numbers seemed somewhat forced and prolonged, most of the musical passages fit into the flow of the story and at times even increased the dramatic tension of certain scenes. While some featured elaborate choreography involving multiple cast members, most of the songs were pertinent to the story and were presented in a format reminiscent of a traditional music video as the characters continued acting out the story while the music played behind them. My only complaint is that it seems that many of the songs were incompletely translated in the subtitles and, unless you speak Hindi, you're left guessing as to some of the lyrical content.

Below is the video for "Naina," an excellent example of one of Omkara's songs. I couldn't find a clip with subtitles, but the action is fairly self explanatory: Dolly's father is convinced that she was kidnapped by Omkara on her wedding day but Dolly explains how she fell in love with Omi and willingly eloped with him.



Properly presented, Othello can be one of Shakespeare's most devastating productions and Omkara ably captures the tragedy of O's descent into madness and murder. While it may not be for everyone, anyone with an interest in Othello will find this to be a surprisingly faithful and powerful interpretation and if you've never seen a Bollywood film, the familiar plot makes Omkara an accessible starting point.