Bollywood and Elizabethan drama go together like . . . well, like
an Asian regional cinema and an early modern European theatrical
tradition, separated by centuries but sharing similar themes,
storylines, and reliance on spectacle. Omkara (2006), for instance, is downright Shakespearean; since it is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, that’s hardly surprising.
Like writer/director Vishal Bharadwaj’s previous film, Maqbool, Omkara takes Shakespeare’s story and transposes it to the Indian underworld. Omkara (Ajay Devgan) is the henchman of corrupt politician Bhaisaab (Naseeruddin Shah, looking very much like an evil Ghandi). Omkara loves the beautiful Dolly (Kareena Kapoor), daughter of Bhaisaab’s lawyer Rhagunath (Kamal Tiwari), but as he is of mixed caste, he’s forced to “abduct” the entirely willing Dolly rather than court her traditionally. Her father objects, strongly, but Bhaisaab forces him to make peace. Raghunath reluctantly backs down, but warns Omkara, “She that can dupe her own father will never be anyone’s to claim.”
Thanks in large part to Omkara’s skilled thuggery, Bhaisaab has a real chance at winning the provincial election, and so Omkara is promoted to a more “legitimate” position in the party. (I think. My grasp of the nuances of Indian party politics is shaky at best.) He needs to appoint a successor of his own, and so he selects the dashing young Kesu (Vivek Oberoi), reasoning that Kesu’s popularity among the local college students will help deliver the election, and that long-time right hand man (and brother-in-law) Langda (Saif Ali Khan) is family and will understand. Langda does not understand, and takes his revenge by subtly exploiting Omkara’s insecurities and planting the idea that Kesu and Dolly are having an affair.
If you know your Shakespeare, you know how it all turns out. (And if you don’t, I’ll tell you - tragically.) Unlike Maqbool, Omkara follows Shakespeare’s plot almost exactly. It is an exceptional adaptation of the play, and a pretty good movie in its own right.
Ajay Devgan is perhaps Bollywood’s best brooder. His Omkara is dark, insecure, dangerous, and armed with a black sense of humor. Kapoor as Dolly is pretty and demure and passive, which is precisely what the role calls for. As good as the rest of the cast are, though, they are all overshadowed by Saif Ali Khan’s performance.
Like many actors, Khan has a typical film persona; in most films he’s charming, funny, goofy, and at least a little immature. Langda is gritty, grimy, consumed with bitterness, and wrapped up in his own web of lies, and yet still oddly sympathetic. Between this film and Being Cyrus, Khan has earned his “serious actor” credentials; it’s a remarkable performance, and easily the best reason to see Omkara. (The second best reason to see Omkara is the “Beedi song”. “Light your stoves with the heat of my bosom” indeed.)
Like writer/director Vishal Bharadwaj’s previous film, Maqbool, Omkara takes Shakespeare’s story and transposes it to the Indian underworld. Omkara (Ajay Devgan) is the henchman of corrupt politician Bhaisaab (Naseeruddin Shah, looking very much like an evil Ghandi). Omkara loves the beautiful Dolly (Kareena Kapoor), daughter of Bhaisaab’s lawyer Rhagunath (Kamal Tiwari), but as he is of mixed caste, he’s forced to “abduct” the entirely willing Dolly rather than court her traditionally. Her father objects, strongly, but Bhaisaab forces him to make peace. Raghunath reluctantly backs down, but warns Omkara, “She that can dupe her own father will never be anyone’s to claim.”
Thanks in large part to Omkara’s skilled thuggery, Bhaisaab has a real chance at winning the provincial election, and so Omkara is promoted to a more “legitimate” position in the party. (I think. My grasp of the nuances of Indian party politics is shaky at best.) He needs to appoint a successor of his own, and so he selects the dashing young Kesu (Vivek Oberoi), reasoning that Kesu’s popularity among the local college students will help deliver the election, and that long-time right hand man (and brother-in-law) Langda (Saif Ali Khan) is family and will understand. Langda does not understand, and takes his revenge by subtly exploiting Omkara’s insecurities and planting the idea that Kesu and Dolly are having an affair.
If you know your Shakespeare, you know how it all turns out. (And if you don’t, I’ll tell you - tragically.) Unlike Maqbool, Omkara follows Shakespeare’s plot almost exactly. It is an exceptional adaptation of the play, and a pretty good movie in its own right.
Ajay Devgan is perhaps Bollywood’s best brooder. His Omkara is dark, insecure, dangerous, and armed with a black sense of humor. Kapoor as Dolly is pretty and demure and passive, which is precisely what the role calls for. As good as the rest of the cast are, though, they are all overshadowed by Saif Ali Khan’s performance.
Like many actors, Khan has a typical film persona; in most films he’s charming, funny, goofy, and at least a little immature. Langda is gritty, grimy, consumed with bitterness, and wrapped up in his own web of lies, and yet still oddly sympathetic. Between this film and Being Cyrus, Khan has earned his “serious actor” credentials; it’s a remarkable performance, and easily the best reason to see Omkara. (The second best reason to see Omkara is the “Beedi song”. “Light your stoves with the heat of my bosom” indeed.)
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