Omkara is probably only the third hindi movie I've seen at a movie theater this year. That says more about me than the quality of hindi cinema in general. What it says is that I am lazy and not willing to take the risk of getting stuck in a theater for three hours with something I'd typically just channel surf away from. I still remember the day when I got talked into seeing Mohabbatein (shudders). That said, I really wanted to see this movie mostly because second to Merchant of Venice, Othello happens to be my favourite shakespearean play.
Othello is the story of envy and human insecurities. It shows us how someone's personal perceptions about what they do and don't deserve can shape their outlook on life. We tend to belabor others with our insecurities and fears all the time. Othello just carries this to an extreme. In this case, his main fear is that his beautiful lover, the fair Desdemona does not really love him. He can't bring himself to believe that someone as pretty as her would ever be interested in someone like him. This despite Dedemona's best efforts to convince her otherwise. Othello's insecurities and Iago's manipulation of the situation drive the situation to an impasse. An impasse where envy wins and humanity lays dying.
The movie is supposed to be set somewhere in Uttar Pradesh but the director actually chose to shoot it in Maharashtra. If I hadn't read that fact in a review already I probably wouldn't have found out. For someone like me, UP is too remote and looks too much like the landscape in the movie for it to matter. Suffice to say that the setting is based on rural and semi-rural areas of what is sometimes referred to as the cow belt. Dirty politicians abound and Omkara (Othello, the Moor of Venice) is an enforcer for one such politician. Naseeruddin essays the role of the said politician and he does a good job with what little the role has to offer.
The movie starts out with a conversation between Langda Tyagi (Iago) and Raju (Roderigo) just like the play is supposed to. The main plot points of the play are maintained throughout the movie and the director manages to stay faithful to the story while still keeping the narrative in sync with the setting he has chosen. Langda is one of Omkara's lieutenants and Raju is a rich man's son who relies on Omkara for his business. If you have read the play you will know that even though the play is called Othello, Iago's role is probably the most important in the story. Saif does justice to the role. More than that, he brings a lot more to the role than the shakespearean character already had. You realise that Saif's Iago isn't just a man who has chosen to take advantage of a situation just because he has been slighted. More than that, he is a genuinely evil man who will lie, cheat and kill to get his way in any situation. The transformation of Iago from an opportunist into a genuine villain adds a lot to this particular adaptation.
Raju (Roderigo) is played by someone who looks like a small time character actor to me. I don't think the guy does a very good job with the role. The script portrays him as a gullible buffoon which is far removed from the suave venetian that the play tells us he is. Maybe thats just the director's interpretation, but in this particular case, I'd have to disagree. Also, the choice of Kareena Kapoor to play Dolly (Desdemona), the object of Othello's affections is particularly ill-advised. In a word, she sucks. Thankfully, the other actors more than make up for her lack of talent and she doesn't get a whole lot of screentime anyway. Ajay Devgun's Omkara (Othello) is a brooding, war-hardened chieftain who doesn't talk much, but does manage to get a lot across anyway. Ajay Devgun seems to have turned up the intensity dial a bit too high on this one but I'm not one for complaining. Vivek Oberoi's Kesu (Cassio) is adequate at best.
Konkana Sen Sharma stands in for the role of Emilia in the play. Again, an adequate portrayal although sometimes a bit over the top. Unlike Emilia however, she does not die in the climax. The rustic UP dialect (with loads of local cuss words thrown in) and the desolate landscape make for a brilliant backdrop to the story. If you're into shakespere and have read Othello you should probably go see the movie. Its fun to be able to relate to the play as the movie progresses and see how the director adapted it. I particularly like the bit in the end when Langda Tyagi (Iago) puts a rifle on Raju's (Roderigo) shoulder and shoots at Kesu (Cassio). The director uses this one scene to portray a short scuffle in the play involving all three with such finesse that it left me breathless. Of course, something like that only works if you read the play. So I suggest you do that to refresh your memory before you go see the film.
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arunjeetsingh) wrote,
impressed
