Literary Latitude

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara (2006) is a critically acclaimed Indian crime drama that masterfully adapts William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello to the rural landscape of Uttar Pradesh, India. The film delves into the intricate world of politics, crime, love, betrayal, and the destructive consequences of jealousy. This plot summary aims to provide a comprehensive account of the film’s narrative, encompassing all key characters, incidents, and their significance to the overall story.

Setting the Stage

Omkara unfolds in the rustic backdrop of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where the intricate web of local politics and crime intertwines with the lives of the characters. The film portrays a semi-lawless society where violence is the norm and local politics is a game played and won by muscle power. This setting, with its distinct cultural nuances and social hierarchies, provides a fertile ground for the Shakespearean tragedy to unfold.  

Themes and Symbolism

Before delving into the narrative, it’s crucial to understand the thematic and symbolic layers that enrich Omkara’s storytelling. The film explores various themes that resonate with the original Shakespearean tragedy while also reflecting the socio-cultural context of contemporary India. Some of the prominent themes include:

• Jealousy and Betrayal: The film powerfully depicts the destructive nature of jealousy and how it can consume individuals, leading to devastating consequences. Langda’s jealousy of Kesu and Omkara’s suspicion of Dolly drive the central conflict and ultimately lead to their tragic downfall.  
• Love and Trust: The film explores the complexities of love and trust in a world marked by deceit and betrayal. Dolly’s unwavering love for Omkara contrasts with Omkara’s fragile trust, which is easily shattered by Langda’s manipulations.  
• Power and Corruption: The film portrays the corrupting influence of power and the ruthless pursuit of it in the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh. The characters’ actions are often driven by their desire for power and their willingness to exploit others to achieve their goals.  
• Fate and Free Will: The film raises questions about the role of fate and free will in shaping human destiny. While some characters seem trapped by their circumstances, others make choices that have profound consequences.  
• Gender and Patriarchy: The film subtly critiques the patriarchal structures and societal expectations that limit women’s agency and contribute to their oppression. Dolly’s tragic fate highlights the vulnerability of women in a society where their fidelity and chastity are paramount. This is further emphasized by the film’s reformulation of the three female roles from Othello, providing a commentary on contemporary gender concerns in modern, small-town India. The film uses spaces, both interior and exterior, as visual manifestations of the emotional and psychic oppression faced by women.  

Omkara also employs various symbols to enhance its narrative and thematic depth. Some notable symbols include:

• Langda’s Limp: Langda’s physical disability symbolizes his inner turmoil and his resentment towards those who mock him. It fuels his ambition and his desire for revenge.  
• The Kamarbandh: The ancestral waist chain that Omkara gifts to Dolly symbolizes their love and commitment. Its theft and manipulation by Langda represent the erosion of trust and the destruction of their relationship.  
• The Janeyu (Sacred Thread): The sacred thread worn by Brahmin men symbolizes their social status and purity. Omkara breaking Kesu’s thread signifies his disappointment and loss of faith in Kesu.  

These symbols, along with the film’s evocative cinematography and powerful performances, contribute to its lasting impact and critical acclaim.

Characters and Relationships

The film boasts an ensemble cast, with each character playing a crucial role in the narrative. Here’s a closer look at the main characters and their relationships:

• Omkara “Omi” Shukla (Ajay Devgn): A powerful and respected gang leader, Omkara is a complex character with a strong moral compass. He is deeply loyal to his close associates but also susceptible to manipulation. He is the illegitimate child of a higher-caste Brahmin man and a lower-caste woman, a fact that his enemies use to taunt him.  
• Ishwar “Langda” Tyagi (Saif Ali Khan): Omkara’s ambitious and cunning lieutenant, Langda, harbours a deep-seated jealousy that fuels his actions. His physical disability, a limp, adds another layer to his character, making him an object of ridicule and fuelling his desire for power. He is married to Omkara’s younger sister, Indu.  
• Dolly Mishra (Kareena Kapoor): A young, vivacious woman who falls in love with Omkara. Dolly is portrayed as innocent and naive, unaware of the dark forces that surround her. She is the daughter of a wealthy lawyer and is college-educated.  
• Keshav “Kesu Firangi” Upadhyay (Vivek Oberoi): Omkara’s other lieutenant, Kesu, is educated and urbane, contrasting with Langda’s rustic nature. He is known for his charm and has a reputation as a “casanova.” He becomes an unwitting pawn in Langda’s manipulative schemes.  
• Indu Tyagi (Konkona Sen Sharma): Langda’s wife and Omkara’s sister, Indu, is a complex character who finds herself caught in the crossfire of her husband’s machinations. She leads a bittersweet life and unwittingly becomes an accomplice in Langda’s plan.  
• Tiwari Bhaisaab (Naseeruddin Shah): A powerful and influential politician, Bhaisaab, wields considerable influence over Omkara and his gang. He acts as a father figure to Omkara and is a key player in the local political landscape.  
• Rajan “Rajju” Tiwari (Deepak Dobriyal): Dolly’s former fiancé, Rajju, is consumed by jealousy and resentment after Dolly elopes with Omkara. He becomes a pawn in Langda’s scheme to destroy Omkara.  
• Billo Chamanbahar (Bipasha Basu): A dancer and Kesu’s love interest, Billo, becomes a tool in Langda’s plan to deceive Omkara. She is portrayed as a strong and independent woman who uses her sensuality to her advantage.  

These characters, with their intertwined relationships and conflicting motivations, drive the narrative forward, creating a complex and engaging drama.

To further illustrate the connection between Omkara and its Shakespearean source material, here’s a table summarizing the characters and their corresponding roles in Othello:

Character in Omkara	Character in Othello
Omkara “Omi” Shukla	Othello
Dolly Mishra	Desdemona
Ishwar “Langda” Tyagi	Iago
Keshav “Kesu Firangi” Upadhyay	Cassio
Indu Tyagi	Emilia
Tiwari Bhaisaab	Duke of Venice
Rajan “Rajju” Tiwari	Roderigo
Billo Chamanbahar	Bianca

The Unfolding Narrative

The film opens with a dramatic scene where Langda disrupts Rajju’s wedding procession, challenging him to stop Omkara from abducting Dolly. This sets the stage for the central conflict and introduces the key players in the story. Dolly’s father, Advocate Raghunath Mishra, is enraged by the abduction and confronts Omkara. However, Dolly confesses her love for Omkara, revealing that she willingly eloped with him. During this confrontation, Dolly’s father warns Omkara, “If a daughter is not loyal to her father, can she ever be loyal to her lover?” This seemingly innocuous statement plants a seed of doubt in Omkara’s mind that will later be exploited by Langda.  

Omkara and his gang are involved in various criminal activities to maintain their power and influence in the region. They manipulate a sex scandal involving an MMS to compromise Bhaisaab’s political rival, Indore Singh. They also eliminate several of Singh’s enforcers, showcasing their ruthlessness and willingness to resort to violence.  

Bhaisaab wins the election and promotes Omkara as the candidate for the upcoming state elections. This promotion signifies Omkara’s growing influence and power within the political landscape. However, it also marks a turning point in his relationship with Langda. Omkara appoints Kesu as his successor, overlooking Langda, who believes he is more deserving of the position.

This decision ignites Langda’s jealousy and sets in motion his plan for revenge. He exploits Kesu’s impulsive nature and low tolerance for alcohol to create a rift between Kesu and Omkara. During a celebratory gathering, Langda instigates a brawl between Kesu and Rajju, taking advantage of Kesu’s drunken state. This incident damages Omkara’s trust in Kesu and creates an opportunity for Langda to further his manipulative scheme.  

Langda cunningly manipulates situations and conversations to plant seeds of doubt in Omkara’s mind about Dolly’s fidelity, suggesting an affair between Dolly and Kesu. He uses subtle hints and insinuations, playing on Omkara’s insecurities and preying on his deep-seated fear of betrayal. He reminds Omkara of Dolly’s father’s warning, further fuelling his suspicion.  

Langda further strengthens his deception by involving Indu in his scheme. He has Indu steal a valuable kamarbandh, a family heirloom that Omkara gifted to Dolly. This kamarbandh holds significance as a symbol of Omkara’s affection and Dolly’s commitment to him. Langda plants the kamarbandh on Billo, Kesu’s girlfriend, creating the illusion of an affair between Dolly and Kesu.  

He then uses Billo to lure Kichlu, one of Indore Singh’s surviving enforcers, out of hiding, leading to Kichlu’s assassination by Omkara. This incident highlights the escalating violence and the dangerous consequences of Langda’s manipulations.

The climax of the film unfolds on Omkara and Dolly’s wedding night. Consumed by jealousy and convinced of Dolly’s infidelity, Omkara smothers her to death. Meanwhile, Langda shoots Kesu, who survives, and Rajju commits suicide, unable to bear the pain of losing Dolly. Indu, upon discovering Dolly’s body and the stolen kamarbandh, realizes Langda’s treachery and confesses her role in his scheme.

Enraged and heartbroken, Omkara confronts Langda. As Langda attempts to escape, Indu fatally wounds him. The film concludes with a poignant scene where Kesu, recovering from his wounds, questions Omkara’s actions, leading Omkara to realize the extent of his tragic mistake. Overcome with guilt and despair, Omkara takes his own life.

Cinematic Techniques

Vishal Bhardwaj employs various cinematic techniques to bring this Shakespearean tragedy to life in the Indian context. Some notable techniques include:

• Use of Local Dialect: The film authentically captures the linguistic nuances of Uttar Pradesh by incorporating the Khariboli dialect and local slang, adding realism and cultural specificity to the narrative. This use of dialect enhances the film’s authenticity and grounds it in the local culture.  
• Visual Storytelling: The film utilizes visual elements, such as colour palettes, framing, and symbolism, to convey emotions, foreshadow events, and enhance the narrative’s impact. Bhardwaj uses colour to signify emotions and character traits, such as the green-tinted light used to represent Langda’s jealousy. The film also makes effective use of its widescreen format to capture the vast landscapes and bustling crowds of Uttar Pradesh.  
• Music and Songs: The film’s soundtrack, composed by Bhardwaj himself, plays a crucial role in setting the mood, developing characters, and advancing the plot. The songs, with their evocative lyrics and melodies, add another layer of emotional depth to the narrative. For instance, the song “Beedi” not only provides entertainment but also serves as a parallel narrative that reflects the film’s themes of desire, betrayal, and societal expectations.  
• Adaptation of the Source Material: Bhardwaj masterfully adapts Shakespeare’s Othello to the Indian context, retaining the core themes and conflicts while incorporating elements of Indian culture, social dynamics, and cinematic conventions. He transforms the setting from Venice to rural Uttar Pradesh, and replaces the theme of racial prejudice with the more relevant issue of caste in Indian society.  

These cinematic techniques, combined with the powerful performances of the ensemble cast, contribute to Omkara’s critical acclaim and its enduring legacy as a significant work of Indian cinema.

Critical Reception and Analysis

Omkara has garnered widespread critical acclaim for its direction, screenplay, performances, and its bold adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Critics have praised Bhardwaj’s ability to seamlessly blend the Shakespearean narrative with the Indian socio-cultural context, creating a film that is both familiar and refreshingly original. The film’s success lies in its ability to “follow the Shakespearean plot closely while keenly evoking specific landscapes and local, identifiable characters that merge seamlessly with the genre-oriented structure of Bollywood films.”  

The performances of the lead actors have been particularly lauded. Ajay Devgn’s portrayal of Omkara has been described as “stirring and powerful,” capturing the essence of a man consumed by uncertainty and jealousy. Saif Ali Khan’s performance as Langda has been hailed as a “masterclass in villainy,” with his portrayal of the cunning and manipulative character leaving a lasting impact on audiences. Kareena Kapoor’s portrayal of Dolly has been praised for its delicate balance of innocence and resilience. Konkona Sen Sharma’s performance as Indu has also been recognized for its depth and complexity, earning her a National Award for Best Supporting Actress.  

Furthermore, the film has been analyzed for its use of micro-genres, alluding to the history of Indian cinema. Bhardwaj draws on familiar tropes from Indian films, such as the “courtesan” figure, while also incorporating elements of traditional folk theatre to create a unique and layered narrative. The film’s exploration of female sexuality and the violence associated with its monitoring in a patriarchal society has also been a subject of critical analysis.  

Conclusion

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara is a cinematic masterpiece that successfully translates the timeless themes of Shakespeare’s Othello to the rural landscape of Uttar Pradesh, India. The film’s intricate plot, complex characters, and powerful performances create a captivating drama that explores the dark side of human nature and the devastating consequences of jealousy, betrayal, and unchecked ambition. Omkara stands as a significant work of Indian cinema, leaving a lasting impact on audiences and critics alike.

The film’s exploration of universal themes, such as love, betrayal, and revenge, resonates with audiences across cultures and time periods. By setting the story in the heartland of India and infusing it with local dialects, customs, and conflicts, Bhardwaj creates a world that is both familiar and fresh. Omkara’s legacy lies not only in its cinematic achievements but also in its ability to spark discussions on important social and cultural issues, including the oppression of women, the corrupting influence of power, and the destructive nature of jealousy. It stands as a testament to the enduring power of Shakespearean drama and the creative potential of adapting classic works to new contexts, solidifying its place as a modern classic in Indian cinema.