Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Omkara’ is a film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Othello’ which takes second position in a trilogy, following ‘Mqbool’ (Mcbeth) and preceding ‘Haider’ (Hamlet), dedicated to proving that the famous playwright’s stories are timeless and universal. By re-imagining the characters from the upper echelons of sixteenth century Venetian and Cypriot society, to placing a cast in the background of a modern, however rural Uttar Pradesh, Bhardwaj breathes new life into the story. He creates a masterpiece from a masterpiece, retaining dialogue, symbols and chronology and intermingling these with additions of his own that deftly captures the dark themes and the multifaceted character relationships of the original. In this comparative analysis the antagonist, protagonist, other central characters and the depiction of the themes love, race, deception and jealousy through symbols and music will be discussed.
Characters
Langda — Iago’s Deception
This tragedy would never have taken place without Iago aka Langda. It is important to notice that after he, the antagonist, replaces Kesu as Omkara’s right-hand man, in other words, after he receives what he desired, the elevated position, Langda’s deception continues. He pretends to be a friend to all. When Omkara is confronting Kesu about the brawl, he defends him, saying “sara kasoor…mera (hai)” (it is all my fault), taking responsibility as the person who encouraged him to drink. In this mastery of deception, Langda feigns honesty by being truthful and just as effortlessly as “honest Iago” does before speaking a lie. He knows how to identify the weaknesses of those around him and uses those weaknesses to control the emotions of others to get what he wants. He knows Omkara feels inferior to his lover Dolly because of her beauty, youth and upper caste status which is why he emphasizes that Dolly and Kesu “college mei pade hain” (have studied together in college). Langda is inadvertently showing Omkara that Dolly and Kesu have more in common than he does with her. In this way, he is setting up characters to interact with each other in a certain way so that Omkara misinterprets reality. He is creating scenes within scenes, where Langda’s most obvious illusion occurs when he speaks with Kesu about Kesu’s girlfriend Billo (Bianca), making it seem like to Omkara that he is referring to Dolly. This is taken almost directly from Shakespeare’s play and underpins the text’s constant imagery of dreams, trances and superstition all of which allude to the presence of an unreliable reality that extends onto Iago presenting himself as a “honest friend.” Afterall, he himself admits that he disguises the “blackest sins’’ with “heavenly shows.” The fact that both Shakespeare’s and Bhardwaj’s villains go to this extent to knowingly cause pain and suffering, proves that they are both Machiavellian in nature. They lie and manipulate just for the pleasure of it with no apparent gain and though most reviews describe Langda as a more sympathetic version of Shakespeare’s villain, this is an ill-informed interpretation. Vishal Bhardwaj stays true to Iago’s wickedness, setting it in an Indian context by bringing south-asian idioms to life. Notice that Langda’s character is the only one where the first sound of his name is not phonetically the same as that of Shakespeare’s cast. This is because Bhardwaj’s version of the villain has a limp which is what Langda’s name means, it is an aptronym, a name that is descriptive of the person themself and in this case, Langda is being described as someone who is not straightforward (seedha aadmi nahi hai). Bhardwaj also shows him using Raju’s shoulder as a gun rest to shoot others (kisi aur ke kandhe par rakh kar bandook chalana) symbolizing how the antagonist does not directly get blood on his hands, but uses others to carry out his dirty schemes.
Omkara — Othello’s Social Status
Bhardwaj pays so much attention and runtime to the antagonist, that many of the traits which made the protagonist of Shakespeare’s play, so compelling, fall short in his adaptation. In the original, Othello is a general in the Venetian army and though he is respected for his contributions as a powerful soldier and leader, he is still treated as an outsider due to his African race. This is why characters often refer to him as the “valiant Moor” which is almost an oxymoron because valiant, a compliment, contrasts with the word Moor, a derogatory name describing his dark complexion. Not only is Othello judged, but he is also dehumanized, being called a “beast” “devil” and “barbary horse.” It is clear that Othello is affected by this racism. He does not forget to continuously express that he is “little blessed” and “rude in…speech” despite being the most eloquently spoken character in the entire play. His stories of battle are so appealing, the duke expresses that they would “win (his) daughter, too” in other words anyone can be impressed by him. Othello almost always speaks in the poetic rhythmic scheme of iambic pentameter, a favorite of Shakespeare’s. It is only when Othello succumbs to what he is judged as being and when his faith that Desdemona “loved (him) for the dangers (he) had passed” and did not care for his skin color, is lost, does his speech truly become “rude,” and that he truly commits devilish acts. In Bhardwaj’s adaptation, to make it a more authentic Indian movie, the issue is instead about the caste system where those of a lower one are similarly discriminated against. Omkara (Othello) is visibly darker in complexion than other characters, symbolized with his attire of a black shawl wrapping around him. However, this issue of casteism is only mentioned in the beginning of the movie when Omkara tells Dolly he is “aadha jaat” (half caste) and tethers away as the theme of Langda’s deception takes center stage. In this way, Shakespeare’s progressive message that discrimination and prejudice can contribute to making the noblest of people bad, is lost. Moreover, Omkara and the other characters in the movie speak in a rough hindi dialect and the audience never get to hear of his adventurous tales like they do in ‘Othello.’ Therefore, when it comes to the theme of race, ‘Omkara’ is not as well versed as ‘Othello.’ Other character traits are similarly vague in the adaptation. Shakespeare puts emphasis on how Othello is so trusting, he “is of a free and open nature”, because he believes everyone will be as honest as him and Iago knows this weakness which is why he says Othello will “be led by th’ nose as asses are’’, he can easily be made a fool. This is not apparent in Omkara, in fact the opposite is depicted where he is threatening Langda to admit his honesty. Moreover, in ‘Omkara’ the anti-hero kills Dolly from the rage of betrayal, but in the play it is also a way for Othello to enact his own justice for being made a “cuckold,” for the honor of his manhood being compromised because of his wife’s suspected affair. Another aspect of the character that is underwhelming in the movie, only being mentioned in the beginning when he gifts Dolly the kamarband (waistband), claiming it to be a legacy of honor that the women of the house are expected to uphold. Othello’s fall from his noble nature to rage, hate and jealousy is so significantly recognised that there is an entire medical condition named after him describing a similar paranoid delusional envy and though it is still heart wrenching to watch Omkara’s reality and he himself become corrupted, the depth of Shakespeare’s tragic hero is not present in Bhardwaj’s adaptation, instead Omkara is just a pawn in Landa’s story.
Dolly & Indu — Desdemona and Emilia’s Resistance
Misogyny is rampant in Othello and despite the expectations that women should be controlled and subdued to the men around them, all three female characters defy stereotypes, standing up not only for themselves, but each other as well. It is evident that both Shakespeare and Bhardwaj are sympathetic to the plights of women from the beginning of their respective stories, considering that both Desdemona and Dolly take charge of their own life by marrying the man of their choice. In the play, Iago warns Barbantio, Desdemona’s father, that there are “thieves” in his house that he should look for his “bags.” Iago is essentially describing Desdemona as something her father owns and by marrying Othello without his permission, Barbantio has been “robbed.” He is astounded that his daughter could have the agency to make such a decision which is why he believes that she was “corrupted by spells,” over the notion of her own autonomy. Similarly in Omkara, Dolly expresses that the choice was made solely on her own. Another character that stands up for herself is the courtesan Bianca/Billo who is given the handkerchief/kamarband by Cassio/Kesu. She too questions him about infidelity, though this is also falsely set up by Iago. It is progressive to see a woman of low social status, a prostitute, demand respect and loyalty. Shakespeare also challenges the notion that women do not get along with each other by having Emilia, Iago’s wife, stand up for Desdemona by revealing her husband’s, Langda’s, lies and proclaiming that Desdemona was “honest” and “chaste.” Bhardwaj takes this a step further by making Indu (Emilia) kill her husband, thus obtaining justice for Dolly’s death in a manner even more satisfying than the original. She stabs him in the throat, ensuring that he can never speak another word of lie again.
Themes & Symbols
Kamarband — The Handkerchief as a Symbol of Love
Perhaps one of the reasons why Shakespeare’s scripts translate so well into societies and cultures hundreds of years later is because he was so ahead of his time in his portrayal and criticism of jealousy, womanhood, reputation, prejudice and deception, all of which are central themes in both ‘Omkara’ and ‘Othello’. Love is another key theme, known to be symbolized by the handkerchief because Othello describes it as something that can “subdue” people to love. Eventually, its origins from an Egyption sorcerer hold true as it twists Othello’s reality, playing a role in Othello’s suspicions of infidelity leading him to call his “gift” a “napkin” and something that is “too little.” In other words, Desdemona’s love is fake and not enough. At this point, as Othello’s love and trust falls, Desdemona too drops the handkerchief. Likewise, Omkara gifts Dolly a kamarband (waistband) and tells her to treasure it. This token, too, slips off of her waist and as it falls to the ground the camera also moves downwards, physically illustrating the fall of Omkara’s love. It is taken by Emilia/Indu on their husbands instructions, Iago/Langda plants it in Cassio/Kesu’s hands as proof to the protagonist, that his lover’s love lies somewhere else. The anti-heroes rage at this is palpable, there is a division between him and his partner symbolized by a pillar between Dolly and Omkara when they are performing their marriage nuptials and expressed via the lullaby ‘Willow’ in the original play.
The Green-Eyed Monster
As has been mentioned previously in this comparative, jealousy is a key theme and force that drives the plot of the play, which Iago warns Othello is a “green eyed monster.” Bhardwaj brings this symbol to life by imbuing the color green in the setting and characters. Notice that Langda, whose deceptions arise from his jealousy of not being promoted and also give rise to Omkara’s jealousy, is almost always wearing green clothes. As the climax of the movie approaches, Omkara confronts Dolly that she has placed the kamarband, her love, somewhere else. All subsequent scenes featuring the protagonist are tinged with an unmistakable green hue up until he murders his wife at which point the environs become red like Omkara’s rage. Hence, by using this chromatic imagery Bhardwaj is essentially saying that Langda is a monster whose lies influence and corrupt the hero to such an extent his environment literally suffocates with the augmented jealousy and to end it, suffocates Dolly. When he realizes the truth of his anger, he kills himself falling beneath the swing that Dolly’s body lies on, another symbol depicting the moral high ground she has over Omkara and the like a swing, the oscillating faith, love and trust he had in her.
Music
Omkara
The name Omkara arises from the Lord Shiva, the God of destruction in Hinduism, responsible for ending the universe when his rage awakens his third eye. It is true that Omkara eventually does behave as Lord Shiva. When he believes to see Dolly’s disloyalty clearly, almost like having a third eye, in his anger he kills her and eventually himself and by doing so he destroys his world. This is why the song ‘Omkara’ describes him like the God; he has three lines on his forehead (“maathe…teen bal padte hain”) and falls like lightning (“bijuri sa pondhe”). The song Omkara also introduces the bravery, power and respect the character holds similar to how it is described that Desdemona fell in love with Othello. Omkara “sabse bada ladaiya (hai),” he is the greatest fighter just as Othello speaks of his own “hairbreadth’ scapes” and all the “dushman” (enemies) are scared of him just as Othello encounters “insolent foe.” Hence, though the poetry of Shakespeare’s play is lost through the rough dialect of the characters, the lyrics certainly imbue another sense of poetry in ‘Omkara.’
O Saathi Re
At the climax of Shakespeare’s play, Desdemona knows she is about to be murdered; she begs Othello to “let (her) live” out the rest of the day and to instead, “kill (her) tomorrow.” These are the origins for the soulful song ‘O Saathi Re’ sung by Shreya Goshal and Bhardwaj himself. In the song the speaker is begging that “din doobe na” (the day never ends) so that “chaanv,” shadows and darknesses which represent lies and deceit, never touch them (“chhue na”). The speaker is warning her lover that when the sun becomes tired (“thaka sooraj”) in other words when there is a strain between them, the sun can risk slipping on rocks covered in moss and sinking into the horizon. Moss, which is green, symbolizes jealousy meaning they need to be careful to avoid succumbing to it and to do that they must work together. This is why she tells him “pheet pe lene” (hold the sun on your back) and she will give support from behind. Perhaps if Omkara and Dolly, as well as Othello and Desdemona, were able to work through the lies together, the darkness and tragic outcomes of those lies would never have happened and just like the speaker in the song wishes for the day to continue, so would have their lives and their love.
Naina
Just as the original play is written in dramatic irony, where the audience knows more about the plot than the characters themselves, so is Bhardwaj’s adaptation and the song ‘Naina’ only adds to this dramatic irony. Probably the most obvious in meaning, the lyrics serve as a warning, reflecting the emotions of the audience where they know Omkara must not trust the reality he is being shown (“naino ki maat maaniyon re) because his eyes can “thug” (deceive) him. The lyrics also often mention eyes casting spells (“jaadu phukenge”) which is reflective of the constant magical imagery in ‘Othello’ that underpins the idea of an unreliable reality. Poision or “zehar” is another repeated lyric that is also continuously mentioned in the play. Afterall, Iago himself expresses that is actions are like a “poison” that corrupt Othello’s “delight.” When Rahet Fateh Ali khan sings that the eyes can take you to heaven (“swarga mein le jaavein”) and give you rain, the meaning is the same as Iago’s quote that he has “heavenly shows” which are actually the “blackest sins.” Essentially, every word of this song is warning Omkara that he cannot rely on what he sees and what he is being told. As an audience that is aware of the truth, it is agonising to watch the cautions of this non-diegetic song, not reach him.
Beedi
Item songs are often criticized as being unnecessary, only added to garner an audience by a provocation. However, the song ‘Beedi’ (cigarette) serves to describe Langda’s jealousy and anger at Kesu being promoted to be Omkara’s right hand man which is why he specifically sings the lyrics “thandi hawa bhi khilaf” (even the cold air is against me), he believes that Othello is against him. In the chorus, the lyrics “jigar mein badi aage hai” is describes both the courtesan Billo as being an attractive woman and also the constant imagery of fire and heat also expresses Langda’s fuming anger. He believes he has been punished despite not having “kasoor” and “fatoor” in other words despite not doing any “jurm,” (wrong) and this punishment is worse and unlike that of the pain of a “chakkuon” (knife). It was Omkara’s words that made Kesu the “Bahubali” that bit Landgda so harshly “nisaan chhod de” (it left marks). Hence, when analyzed more closely this rowdy item song becomes Langda’s explanation for his horrible actions and reflects the beginning of Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ where Iago’s anger at Cassio being a “bookish theoric” and not a soldier is palpable.
To conclude, Vishal Bhardwaj is such an excellent storyteller that the complexities and intricacies of the themes of deception, love, jealousy etcetera can be understood without the context of William Shakespeare’s play. Not only is the movie meaningful, but it is also entertaining to watch, certainly containing many elements of a Bollywood film such as forbidden love and action. However, when the two are compared, the genius of both writers — the ability of Shakespeare to write stories that are relevant hundreds of years later and the ability of Bhardwaj to translate it into Indian society and culture — is truly revealed. ‘Omkara’ is an exquisite adaptation of ‘Othello’ and certainly worth a watch.
