Omkara (2006)

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Saif Ali Khans performance was his career best...Konkana Sen Sharma was the essence of the film, Kareena Kapoor was average and Bipasha was great...Deepak Dobriyal was exceptional and Vivek Oberoi was also good...Naseeruddin Shah was nice in a small role...Lastly Ajay Devgn, who gave a knock out performance as he had given in the past and no one could essay it better...Vishal Bharadwajs Direction was excellent and same goes with his music...Film has lots of abuse and many people won't be able to understand because of the accent...Not to be missed and highly recommended...

Powerful tribute to a tragic story. This is an adaptation of "Othello" and indeed it is Indianised and is made interesting too. Before, I even begin reviewing this, let me talk about the performance of Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi. He is given the best performance of his life here. It is a flawless performance, from the cunning giggle to the broken trudge. He has the tenacity and the anguish in his eyes and his demeanor. From costumes to accent to the body language, he fits the role perfectly and also adds a new dimension to it. The greed for power exhibited by him is a rarity to see in a film that is powered by many genuine actors, be it Konkona Sen, Ajay Devgan or Naseeruddin Shah. They are considered to be superior with the body of work they have done prior to this film. Yet, it is for Saif Ali Khan alone you can watch the film. The film starts with him and ends with him. The opening dialog "Chootiye aur Bewakoof mein, dhaage ka farak hota hai" means so much as the film goes on. Wonderful Saif for what you have done. The next most important person is the director Vishal Bharadwaj. I placed Saif above him, because I suppose Saif has added a new dimension to this. Vishal enabled Saif to do so, and Saif took it way further. So thanks to Saif and to Vishal too. This is a rare instance where I place an actor before the director. I loved the film, but I did not like the ending which was not like the original "Othello" what if evil wins over good and Langda Tyagi becomes ruler. Ah, I wish that was the kind of ending it had. This has strong dialog from Bharadwaj and his writers, who have wonderfully incorporated the dialect that is mostly not used in the mainstream Hindi Films. It works and brings a kind of authenticity too. The music is one that has to be praised. With wonderful tunes from Vishal Bharadwaj and superb lyrics from Gulzar, this is an album where all songs are good. My favorites are "O Saathi Re" and "Naina" and "Laakad". I am giving a 4/5 simply for the performance of Saif and for the music direction and film direction itself. Thanks Vishal for a wonderful adaptation of Shakespeare's "Othello".

There is something about Omkara that I cannot quite put my finger on. For someone who isn't familiar with the rustic and colorful UP dialect and its swear words, understanding this movie is difficult. Get the best subs you can find and sit tight!I have never been so impressed with Hindi cinema as I am now. The way Vishal has managed to take this story and apply it to a wild and rural UP setting, seems effortless!Its dusty, barren and sometimes grimy, but I loved it because it seemed to fit perfectly like a painting on a canvas.Each star does a brilliant job of portraying their characters on screen. The real shocker was Saif.You get to see how much he's grown as an actor; he's certainly come a long way from those old flicks where he had long hair and short dialogs! His portrayal of Langda as a calculating, cold blooded killer will certainly chill your bones.Ajay was splendid as always. Great eye work. Gives the impression that under that tough exterior is a man riddled by insecurity, jealousy and pride. Vivek is adorable, was hoping for a bigger role for him, his potential as an actor is largely untapped. Konkona does a great job of portraying the den mother, while managing the trials of being married to a gangster. I'm not sure why they had N. Shah play Bhaisaab, it seemed unnecessary. He gets sidelined in the movie.I thought Kareena wouldn't have much to do as Dolly Mishra, but I was wrong. Dolly's heart is so pure and so innocent, it tugs at your heart. Dialogues are crisp and the script is tight, though it slows a bit in the middle of the movie. No bull shitting or low IQ jokes here.No long drawn out songs. You have to sit up and pay attention. The songs are blended in to the movie so that they're not eye sores or headaches.The ending is tragic, leaves you shocked and deep in thought afterward. Omkara now has a permanent place on my shelf. I recommend it to anyone who is a skeptic of Hindi cinema. It certainly changed my outlook.

This movie is neither too good nor too bad. If a director has to change so many things, why not using a new story than taking it from Shakespeare? The songs are a bit of a stretch and not directly connected to the events. The dialogs are so very slang.Iago's homosexuality is not clear here.The director needs to be faithful to Shakespeare at least. Other than this lack, this movie is OK. Especially the political killings are a true account for Asian countries. The fact that omkara leaves his marriage to kill someone shows how bad the practice of politics is. The two teams are always trying to scare each other and kill each other. I liked Karina's acting and also Indu's acting. Indu is a bit lacking in shame for an Indian woman especially when they talk about what satisfies men.