Omkara (2006)

Vishal Bhardwaj’s compelling adaptation of Othello, released theatrically in the US and UK in summer 2006, sticks more closely to Shakespeare than his Maqbool (2003) followed Macbeth, yet still makes several inspired changes, the first in its opening scene. On a parched hillside in Uttar Pradesh, Bhardwaj’s lago, Langda, tells a dim, wimpish bridegroom, Raju (Roderigo), that Langda’s boss Omkara is abducting his bride. His lavish wedding to Dolly (Desdemona) is abandoned, and in his subsequent role as Langda’s accomplice, he is not the play’s hapless suitor, but a justified avenger, pursuing the man who destroyed his future with a beautiful bride.

Next, Raghunath, Dolly’s father, blames Omkara’s ‘seduction’ of his high-born daughter on his being a half-caste, so status largely replaces Othello’s racial strand (although several characters remark on Dolly’s comparatively fair skin). He only spares Omkara’s life on the orders of their boss, Bhaisaab (the formidable Naseeruddin Shah as a shaven- headed Doge), head of the Brahmin youth party, who needs Omkara, his General, and Raghunath, his lawyer, to secure his release from jail so that he can win a parliamentary seat against his rival, Indore Singh

As Bhardwaj shuttles between Omkara’s fort-like family home in a hillside village and various city locations, constant political violence replaces the Turks’ short-lived threat to Cyprus and enables the director to reflect the bloody world of contemporary politics in Uttar Pradesh by engineering a Macbeth-like cycle of attacks.

First, Langda’s marksmanship saves Omkara and his handsome young lieutenant, Kesu (Cassio), from Singh’s agents, one of whom, Kichlu, later tries to assassinate Bhaisaab. This incites reprisals against Kichlu and, finally, a rain-swept night-time assault on a train, in which Omkara and Langda kill Singh and his bodyguards. All this spectacularly overcomes the problem, for genre film-makers rather than stage directors, of Othello’s dearth of incident between the drunken brawl and the climactic murders, which here take place, with terrible irony, on Dolly and Omkara’s wedding night.

The rousing title song has proclaimed Omkara ‘the greatest warrior of all’ and links him to Uttar Pradesh folklore about a legendary band of brothers. Compared to Othello’s heroic exploits, however, the ruthless political killings make Ajay Devgan’s muscular, brooding Omkara a considerably less sympathetic figure than the Moor.

The open-air shootouts and arid widescreen landscapes sometimes give Omkara a Western tang, and Saif Ali Khan’s Langda has the tough, mischievous presence of Eli Wallach in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). His customised conspiracy, involving Dolly’s incriminating, jewel- encrusted cummerbund, and mobile-phone eavesdropping, is unambiguously attributed to the exhilarating early scene in which, following Bhaisaab’s election, the newly promoted Omkara must appoint his successor. In a religious ceremony at the top of a high temple overlooking riverbanks filled with hundreds of expectant followers, Omkara anoints Kesu, dashing Langda’s expectations and initiating his revenge. This simplified motivation works in tandem with Bhardwaj’s most radical change: Emilia becomes Indu, Omkara’s sister, and she and Langda have a young son, Golu, whose ninth birthday party is wrecked by Kesu’s drunken punch-up with Raju.

Langda thus betrays bonds of family as well as professional loyalty and, compared to the isolated Moor, Omkara’s close relationship with Indu and some amusing moments featuring their ancient grandmother, added to the loss of the interracial element, make him a far less isolated (as well as less admirable) hero than Othello. Konkona Sen Sharma’s wisecracking Indu and Kareena Kapoor’s saintly, vulnerable Dolly have a sisterly, rather than mistress—servant relationship, and Indu’s horror at realising that Langda has caused Dolly’s death motivates one final twist. After smothering Dolly, Omkara spares Langda (why take revenge, he asks, when ‘our souls are forever damned’?), only for Indu to kill her husband with a single machete blow. Shakespeare’s tragic love story is thus incorporated into a three-generation family tragedy of a kind very popular with Bollywood audiences (echoing Bhardwaj’s domestication of Macbeth in Maqbooh.

Bollywood convention explains the three love ballads on the soundtrack, including the syrupy duet played under a flashback as Dolly recalls falling in love when she nursed an injured Omkara. Song-and-dance numbers are also obligatory, although Bhardwaj (who doubles impressively as Omkara’s composer) roots them in the story by turning Bianca into Kesu’s stunningly beautiful girlfriend, Billo (Bipasha Basu), a nautch girl who performs two dubbed, raunchy uptempo songs, the first at Golu’s party and the second at a police club, just before Langda and Omkara turn up to kill Kichlu. This forced transition from jollity to chaotic gunplay is one of Bhardwaj’s few missteps. One would also not miss the scene of Kesu teaching Dolly to sing Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’ in English (pure kitsch). The family relationships could have been made clearer at an earlier stage, and we do not know whether Langda or Kesu kills Raju.

These are minor flaws in a story of great power and occasional flashes of poetry. Dolly recalls falling in love ‘like a blind bird plunging down an empty well’, and, sitting on a jetty, Langa nods ruefully to Raju: ‘Both of us are damned to lead donkeys’ lives.’

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 2006, Genre – Drama, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Devgan Entertainment, Director – Vishal Bhardwaj, Music Director – Vishal Bhardwaj, Cast - Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vivek Oberoi, Naseeruddin Shah, Bipasha Basu, Deepak Dobriyal, Manav Kaushik

Wake Up Sid (2009)

Whether it’s the typical Indian soap opera family saga, a controversial extra marital soap opera, or a playful film full of ribald humor, like him or loathe him, Karan Johar just knows how to make films. Period. With his latest venture Karan and Dharma Productions have come of age; quite ironically in a film that centers on the theme of ‘growing up’. Although Wake Up Sid overtly appears to have the same frivolous veneer that Dil Chahta Hai did, it’s far from it and manages to stand on its own, even though both films do roughly fall in the same genre.

The plot, as is evident from the title of the film, is based on Ranbir’s painful attempts of coming of age and adjusting to life post his college failure: walking out of his home and comfort zone and learning to live with Konkona Sen Sharma, an independent and focused woman, with whom he learns to cook, clean and basically hold his own after a life of being mollycoddled. The film also sees the come back of Kashmira Shah (the only dose of glamour in the film) as the hot and helpful neighbour who teaches Sid how to make an egg. In the past few films, one notes how endearingly Karan Johar has given a comeback to stars that have fizzled out. (Maybe his next will feature old friend Rani Mukherjee.) However unlike any of Karan’s previous ventures, Wake Up Sid is a mature and poignant film that pulls at one’s heart strings without using any trite Indian masala.

For starters the film touches upon issues of class in a very tactful way by projecting characters, such as Aisha (Konkona) in contrast to the carefree Sid (Ranbir Kapoor) who can only afford this nonchalance as he has a wealthy father who funds this lifestyle. The film is stripped clean of glamour and quiet refreshingly focuses on the nuances of real life where two people having tea can mean a party, a triple decker sloppy jam sandwich can be the best birthday celebration, where life means working hard and achieving goals. It also shows that growing up means learning to accept differences, to understand where others are coming from and stop being judgmental.

The film also gives a glimpse into the life of middle class Indians where though young women now have the independence to live alone in a chaotic city like Bombay to pursue their dreams, women from just a generation or two  above did not even have the privilege of good education.

The dialogue uttered by Sid’s mother: “I thought that if I could also speak English like your college friends maybe then we could also be friends”, is a tear jerker. It portrays the alienation mothers feel when their kids become ‘too cool’ for them. The scene where Sid runs to his father to give him his first pay cheque, for instance, is one of many that teaches the younger generation a thing or two on the dignity that comes from work. And unlike the romantic alliances forged amongst the youth on the basis of lust, Wake Up Sid (much like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na) depicts that love is built upon a genuine understanding and acceptance of each other’s personalities, intellect and background.

The musical score by Shankar, Ehsan and Loy is superb and the acting prowess of each character, even those with smaller screen time, is brilliantly delivered and infused with a lot of emotion. All in all, Wake Up Sid is a magnificent film that leaves one feeling tingly all over- Hani Taha Salim (Rating – 4 OUT OF 5)

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 2009, Genre – Comedy, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar, Director – Ayan Mukerji, Music Director – Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, Cast – Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak

Luck by Chance (2009)

Luck by Chance, which launches the career of Zoya Akhtar as a director, is one of the most decent films to release in a long time. 2008 has been a comedy of errors for Bollywood with one magnum opus disaster after another. The over-hyped Ghajini and star-studded Yuvvraaj being two prime examples. But if Luck by Chance, the first major release of2009, is anything to go by, this year will be one of promising films. Even though the story of Luck by Chance is hardly groundbreaking, it is the collective effort behind the film, which makes it so strong.

With the odd pairing of Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma and supporting cast of fabulous actors like Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla and Hrithik Roshan, the film makes its point.

Tackling the careers of two struggling actors in the city of dreams that is Mumbai, one sees the plight of making it big in Bollywood. And yet there is no moralistic preaching which is what makes this film such a delight.

Farhan Akhtar plays Vikram, an ambitious, talented man who wants to break into Indian films and will do anything to get there. In contrast to Farhan is his girlfriend Sona, played by Konkana Sen Sharma – who shares the dream but not the ambition and ruthlessness that Vikram plays to his advantage.

And their stories are neatly interlinked with the lives of producer Rolly (Rishi Kapoor) whose idea of great films is driven by superstar actors, former actress Nina, played by the superb Dimple Kapadia who relives her glorious days through her daughter, Niki -Isha Sherwani – who is also an actress and superstar actor Zafar Khan (Hrithik Roshan) who’d rather work with a big star cast and director than in a film that is “different”.

When actors fail to challenge stereotypes, new actors enter the arena and Luck by Chance manages to make this point superbly.

This is an interesting film to watch for a variety of reasons. The story doesn’t get boring and the ending is completely unpredictable. The film is not just about two actors but takes a sharp and humorous look into the glamorous world of cinema without tearing it down.

Outsiders enter the industry when major stars stay away from edgy roles. This fact is established very well with a cameo from Karan Johar who cited Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan as examples. Similarly, star kids don’t have it easy when former stars-turned-parents relive their days through their children. And Bollywood is full of star families and kids. How filmmakers get “inspired” by foreign cinema and often sheer luck will determine the fate of many. This in a nutshell defines Luck By Chance. And the reason why it works is the way the film has been made. Zoya Akhtar has kept the film tight and sharp without loosing focus.

Finally there is the casting of the film, which is a wonder to watch. Farhan Akhtar makes another splash after Rock On and this time around, he manages to make his mark.

The frustration behind struggling in the world’s largest film industry, doubt that surrounds him and the sly change in character – Farhan plays emotions well. He doesn’t light up the screen as fabulously as Hrithik Roshan. He may not be star material but surely as an actor, Farhan is one to watch.

His co-star Konkana Sen Sharma, as always, is a delightful performer. Her pairing with Farhan is odd but it is charming enough to work. She is a hugely talented actress and in this film, she delivers another stellar performance. The individual scenes between Farhan and Konkana are gripping and completely absorbing.

In supporting roles, two actors who make this film incredibly funny are Rishi Kapoor as the producer who has to deal with star tantrums of everyone and Dimple Kapadia as the has-been mom who is more of a diva than anything else. They are excellent.

Hrithik looks fabulous and does justice to his small role.

One reason why Luck By Chance has made so much news is because of the various cameos from some of the biggest actors of this generation. The one cameo that stands out and makes the most impact belongs to Shah Rukh Khan.

Add all this with a fabulous score and Luck By Chance has all the ingredients to make a highly entertaining film. Shankar-Ehsan-Loy has proven once again why they are the next best trio of musicians after A.R. Rahman. In particular, the tunes ‘Baawre’ and ‘Sapno Se Bhare Naina’ make for excellent songs.

Overall, this is an entertaining film. The cameos keep appearing as a nice surprise but they are never the focal point. Unlike most Indian films, which almost always go for a predictable, happily-ever-after ending, this film remains more realistic. This is no Om Shanti Om but it is definitely worth a watch – Maheen Sabeeh (Rating – 3.5 OUT OF 5)

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 2009, Genre – Drama, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Director – Zoya Akhtar, Music Director – Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani, Loy Mendonsa, Cast – Farhan Akhtar, Rishi Kapoor, Isha Sharvani, Sanjay Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Dimple Kapadia, Juhi Chawla, Anurag Kashyap, Aly Khan