International Reporter
"Omkara" brings Shakespeare's Othello to Indian audience MIL/Agencies/MC, Jul 6, 2006. Aarti Kapur Singh
Vishal Bhardwaj is adapting the play Othello and basing it in Uttar Pradesh. He's calling his Othello 'Omkara'. Vishal Bhardwaj ripped through Bollywood convention with his 'Maqbool', where he Indianised Shakespeare's Macbeth, while adding a generous dose of 'The Godfather'.
Now, all eyes are on 'Omkara', his multi-starrer July release. This time, the director has taken on the bard's 'Othello' and has set his adaptation in the rustic and violent heartland of Uttar Pradesh. Director, Vishal Bharadwaj told CNBC-TV18, "It's a mainstream star cast - and the kind of language they speak, the clothes they wear, the milieu they are a part of - that is the USP of the film."
Actor Ajay Devgan adds, "There are very few films, which are commercial and sensible, this is one of them." And highlighting the mass appeal of this film is the quintessential item number, written by Gulzar and filmed on Bipasha Basu. Bipasha Basu says, "It is raunchy, it is sexy but in a very raw manner." Producer, Kumar Mangat adds, "This song will match up to Kajra Re, which was also written by Gulzar."
Othello is a story of high passion, treason, love and death. 'Omkara' looks set to keep the basic ingredients well in place, and promises just that extra dose of masala to seduce Indian cinegoers.