I didn't have much expectations of Omkara; had never heard of Vishal Bharadwaj; expected another violent Bollywood pot-boiler. Turned out, it's one of the most accomplished Bollywood films of all times. Vishal Bharadwaj is an artiste of highest caliber, and succeeded beyond expectations in all the areas - direction, screenplay and music - he has put his stamp on. The screenplay, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello in the rustic setting of Uttar Pradesh's crime-ridden politics, is spell-binding, and could match the best of Kurosawa. The dialogues in Bhojpuri dialect are no doubt foul and vulgar in the extreme to match the setting, but to those who can understand the dialect, the humour is fascinating, and the dialogues possibly the best ever in the history of Hindi films. Unfortunately, the subtitles can't do justice to all the nuances of the dialogues. The most awe-inspiring aspect of the movie is the fantastic performances from all the cast, but above all by Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi (Iago). From what I had seen of Saif Ali Khan in Dil Chahta Hai, Salaam Namaste, Ham Tum, Parineeta and others before this movie, I would never ever have imagined him in this role, let alone expect an epoch-making performance. He was more famous for his lineage - the incredibly gifted Sharmila Tagore who withered away her talent in Bollywood, her more famous Nobel-laureate grandfather Rabindra Nath Tagore, and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi the notable Indian cricket captain of yester years - than for his acting prowess. Well, am I surprised? To put it in perspective, I could recall 2 past performances in Hindi cinema, which were bolts out of the blue - Amjad Khan in Sholey and Kanhaiya Lal in Gunga Jamuna. The one from Saif Ali Khan in Omkara is a volcanic eruption. Mind you, Ajay Devgan has given the best performance of his career in the title role, so it's not as if there was no competition. The credit must go to the director as well - it was an inspired casting. I can't wait to see other movies of Vishal Bharadwaj, and of Saif Ali Khan, even though I know I'll probably be disappointed.
