Omkara (2006)

Vishal Bharadwaj is the filmmaker who has given us some brilliant and unforgettable masterpieces. One of such brilliant films was Omkara (2006) which was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. When the film was released it received a widespread acclaim. The direction, screenplay, and the performances were praised. I remembered watching this film when it was telecasted. The teenage me could barely understand the complexity of this film. But I was impressed with the performances and music.

In 2026, I decided to rewatch this film, mainly to analyse if it is still relevant. Here's what I think:
Presentation: The film is shot brilliantly. While watching it, I felt as if I am with the characters in a small town in Uttar Pradesh. Not even slightly I felt that it was shot somewhere else.
Language: Mumbai born me had difficulty in understanding the UP based Hindi at the first instance. This time as well I had some difficulty, however I could understand it thanks to the subtitles.
Music: The music is superb. However now I feel that some songs could have been avoided or at least shortened. Songs featuring beautiful Bipasha Basu such as "Beedi" and "Namak" now feel irrelevant. These songs were highly popular back then. However these songs do not help much to the narrative. These could have been shortened. Also the soothing number "O saathi re" which shows the playful relationship of the lead characters could have been shortened. I love the album however the placement of the songs unnecessarily lengthen the film.
Storytelling: The storytelling part is amazing. This film takes its own time to build the premise and the characters. However it is the part that makes this a strong movie. Though I had my doubts about the misunderstanding which makes the whole movie what it is. It is not believable how a person can manipulate so many people without any evidence. Especially when Omkara's character is considered to be intelligent.
Performances: Performances are brilliant across the board. Kareena Kapoor shows the playful, vulnerable, and innocent side. Konkona Sen Sharma portrays a responsible sister, faithful wife, and loyal friend masterfully. Vivek Oberoi shines in his minor but impactful role. Ajay Devgn appears as a real life goon. Other actors in their respective roles do justice to their work. Saif Ali Khan was praised for him performance back them, making him a star and winning several awards. I did not like his performance back then and even now. I sense a very peculiar dialect in his speech which is often seen in NRIs or foreign returnees. His performance was not convincing and believable for me. I was genuinely surprised to see young Pankaj Tripathi in the film. Bipasha Basu's potential is wasted in this film. She appears in songs and has been assigned with a couple of dialogues.

Overall I felt that the film is still relevant. In today's era of content based film, Omkara is still a good watch. The portrayal of power, politics, rivalry, relationship, and betrayal make this a brilliant film even today. If you are in for a thoughtful film, I would recommend you to watch Omkara.