Covering Bollywood and the Hindi Cinema

One movie which is on everyone’s must watch list is Omkara, the Indian adaptation of Othello. My reason for watching the movie would be mainly Saif, who has surprised everyone with his look (to say the least). In an interview to the website India FM, Saif talks about the movie, his character and how the director wanted him to do a nude shot! Here are some excerpts:

On Omkara:

“I think the fact that this film is based on a famous play by William Shakespeare, is what sets it apart. It’s not only an adaptation but very true to the original. It was one of the few formats that were suited to Indian sensibilities. Shakespeare used to write for the front benchers. The most attractive part of this project is that it is based on something special”.

“I think Othello is an extremely powerful play. Omkara is very true to that. It is not exactly a feel good movie and that is the USP of the film. The story is satisfying but it dwells on the darker emotions of human beings. A lot of people know what its like to be jealous. Unfortunately, a lot of people also know what its like to suspect your partner cheating on you. It is extremely disturbing and you do crazy things. It makes you do things that you wish you hadn’t done. Most of the aspects of the original play have been retained in the movie. Omkara is as true to Othello as Maqbool was to Macbeth”.

On his look and his character ‘Langda Tyagi’:

“Well, Langda Tyagi is a political mafia thug in Western Bihar. When I was offered the role, a lot of changes were required in my look. I had long hair at that time. However, after Nirmal Pandey’s role in Bandit Queen, long hair would have no longer been original for a rural Bihar setting. We worked on the character’s look from head to toe. We started with a crew cut, put scars on the face along with the yellow teeth and earrings. There was a limp of course because the character’s name is Langda. So all this required quite a lot of preparation”.

On his co-stars:

“Well Ajay Devgan is always fun to work with. He gives me a lot of space to perform. I think he has done a fantastic job in this film. It is as if he was born to play Omkara. It is a very controlled lion like performance. The energy of the two characters is very interesting to watch. Konkana Sen is a sparkling actress and she is so natural. She actually brightens up the screen. I think Kareena has also done something really fantastic. She is a commercially successful actress. Yet she was so at home playing something so earthy. It is not something you would expect from her. But she has taken it up and delivered really well. Vivek Oberoi has been cast very well. He has acted well. It’s a well cast movie. Naseer saab of course is great as always. Even the character actors in the film are phenomenal”.