[lbo-talk] "Omkara" brings Shakespeare’s Othello to Indian audience

[Sujeet Bhatt]

http://internationalreporter.com/news/read.php?id=1830

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.