Omkara

The thing about Omkara that captured my attention at first was...saif...definately saif. The way he transformed himself into a manipulative lieutenant of a gang in uttar pradesh who had no scruples at all is commendable. By my standards, his acting is very impressive. In fact he is the principal catalyst in the story. Someone who manipulates the lives of everyone around him and coldly watches it to destruction.

Omkara is like a "wild west" version of Othelo, set around a gangland operating in the Inidan Bandlands operating in Uttarpradesh. It is based on Shakeshpere's 17th century classic "othello"
Omkara doesn't make any attempt to intellectualize itself (which is a good thing in the circumstances). The characters are crude and their language is coarse, in a way that compliments the feel of the film perfectly. Some of the elements of the film are deliberately over-the-top or violent. However, Bharadwaj seems to be succesful in turning this lack of subtlety into an asset. Indeed Omkara couldn't have been made any other way.The acting throughout the film is splendid. Saif Ali Khan, in particular, is extraordinary as the wily, manipulative Langda Tyagi. It is difficult to believe that this is the same guy who had once danced to songs like " main khiladi tu anari" or even played "sameer" in "Dil Chahta Hai".

Interestingly, i picked this up from Omkara's website- The shot in which Saif Ali Khan is in the shadows, looking at a mirror, Vishal Bharadwaj suggested that it would be very artistic and beautiful if Saif Ali Khan did it naked. The actor answered, "I am prepared to do that as long as you direct me naked." That was the end of the topic.