Much awaited and less talked-about, Omkara happens to be one of those movies whose arrival arouses much interest and curiosity, but thankfully, the promotions of which are not made into an extravagantly glitzy affair with lip-glossed dolls faking plastic smiles. Its rather the strong characters that are made to work their charm. What is it about Omkara that makes it one of the most raw and intense movies of recent times? A low budget movie, de-glam characters, real life situations and emotions, Omkara talks about human relationships, not only between the protagonist and his lady love, but also relationships with friends, with parents, family and others in the community. Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara has been termed as the Bollywood adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, but for those who are acquainted with the emotional turmoil and tragedy in Othello’s life, the movie is a completely fresh and worthy tribute to the original masterpiece and its creator. For those who feel Omkara is just another carbon-copy of Shakespear’s Othello, this will be a nice surprise. Omkara only borrows the main concept in Othello, the intense love between the protagonists (Omkara, Indian version of Othello, played by Ajay Devgan, and Dolly, Indian version of Desdemona, played by Karina Kapoor) and the jealousy factor in the relationship which is fuelled by Langra Tyagi( Indian version of Iago played by Saif Ali Khan). The movie, set in the interiors of UP and shot extensively in the village locales, provides much relief from the regular Bollywood fare of colorful sets and designer characters. Omkara boasts of a cast that speaks about its own merit, Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Bipasha Basu, Viveik Oberoi….. all of whom come out with some of the best performances Bollywood has been starving for in recent times. Not only does the director keep the flow of the story as normal as possible, even the day-to-day dialogues used are typical North-Indian UP mix, complete with the accent and the daily dose of abusive lingo. A raw and earthy feel is inherent throughout the canvass of the entire movie. Omkara( Ajay Devgan), the main-man of the head of the local gang is a ruthless and unforgiving man, one who believes that to err is to die. He is in love with the quiet and shy town girl Dolly(Kareena Kapoor) and takes the help of his friend Kesu (Viveik Oberoi) who happens to be Dolly’s college mate, to help him in love. As soon as Dolly professes her love for Omkara, arrangements are made to kidnap and scare the groom chosen for Dolly by her family. Love rules reasoning and Dolly, a girl from an upper caste, finds her love in Omkara, who is from the lower community and a goonda(don) to be feared. The two are perfectly in sync with their lives and complement each other like no one else. Langra Tyagi(Saif), is a member of the gang and a right-hand man of Omkara, and his wife, played by Konkana Sen, is now friend and elder sister to Dolly( Kareena Kapoor), who has been disowned by her family and now lives in the house of Omkara. As the story progresses, Langra teaches the tricks and nuances of the gang to Kesu and together, they are the biggest and most feared gang around. The story takes a turn when it is time for Omkara to choose his favourite man in the gang, who will be his subordinate. The obvious choice is Langra, but as it turns out, the chosen one is Kesu, a choice governed by the fact that he has the entire vote bank of the college students. This is the blow that shatters Langra. He teams up with the rejected and humiliated groom-to-be of Dolly, and together, they make a plan to take their revenge against Omkara, a man who has wronged them both. Langra gets the perfect opportunity when his wife shows him the kamarbandh (waist band) that was originally given to Dolly by Omkara, a token of the family that has been passed down from generation-to-generation and is given to the daughter-in-law of the family as a mark of respect and position. The idea from “Othello” which has the “handkerchief” as the instrument of revenge. In the meanwhile, Kesu (Omkara’s chosen man and Dolly’s college mate), is in love with the village dancer Billo Chaman Bahar (Bipasha Basu). A single mistake by Kesu makes Omkara regret his decision and puts Kesu in a spot, who is desperate to earn back the trust and guidance of Omkara. In comes Langra, equipped with the perfect plan. He advises Kesu to take the help of Dolly who can then ask her soon-to-be husband to forgive Kesu. Situations are planned and Langra watches with pleasure and a burning anger, the jealousy that creeps into Omkara, as the friendship grows between Dolly and Kesu. He starts being cold towards her, who in turn, asks for the help of Kesu to woo back her love. Situations only worsen and the intense love of Omkara turns into intense jealousy. It is the day of Omkara and Dolly’s marriage and Langra informs the former of the illegitimate affair between Dolly and Kesu. A deadline is given to Langra to come up with valid proof of the affair by the end of the night, failing which he will lose his life. The plan works and Langra is able to convince Omkara that the kamarbandh he gave to Dolly, has been passed on as a gift of love to Kesu. Jealousy blinds the male and in a fit of rage, he smoulders his beloved to death on the night of their marriage. It is then that Langra’s wife reveals that it is she who stole the kamarbandh and had shown it to Langra. She kills Langra and then jumps into the well, while Omkara is left alone with his loss and grief. The movie manages to have a strong impact on its audience and forces you to reflect on the intricacies and complexities of human relationships. A great background score and music to write home about. Though it is “Omkara” and “Beedi” that are the current chart-busters, don’t forget to check out the track “Gudiya Raani”, a beautiful rendition by Suresh Wadekar. Superb acting by the entire cast, the Jat accent is well-mastered. Though Konkona Sen’s accent seems a bit over-done and looks as if a lot of effort is being made, her perfect acting leaves no scope for complaining. Undoubtedly one of Saif’s best performances till date, an actor with a fine caliber, Saif should definitely contribute more time to such movies that give him the opportunity to exhibit his immense talent, rather than the ones that demand more of dancing in the rain and flexing of the muscles. A must watch for all those who have grown out of the bubble-gum brigade and want something to feed their minds as well as provide top-quality entertainment. The intellectual fodder, spiced up Bollywood ishtyle… A perfect ten on ten.
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