OTHELLO:THE MOOR OF VENICE COMPARED TO OMKARA, INDIAN FILM ADAPTATION

Comparison between Shakespeare's Othello:The Moor of Venice and Omkara, an Indian film adaptation of Othello.

1. OMKARA VS OTHELLO
COMPARISON
OMKARA VS OTHELLO
COMPARISON

2. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
is a tragedy written by William
Shakespeare, around 1603. 
Othello is a Moorish military commander
who was serving as a general of the
Venetian army in defence of Cyprus
against invasion by Ottoman Turks. He had
recently married Desdemona, a beautiful
and wealthy Venetian lady younger than
himself, without the knowledge of and
despite the later objection of her father.
Iago is Othello's malevolent ensign, who
maliciously stokes his master's jealousy
until the usually stoic Moor kills his
beloved wife in a fit of blind rage. 
Due to its enduring themes of passion,
jealousy, and race, Othello is still topical
and popular and is widely performed, with
numerous adaptations, one of the
adaptations being-
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
is a tragedy written by William
Shakespeare, around 1603. 
Othello is a Moorish military commander
who was serving as a general of the
Venetian army in defence of Cyprus
against invasion by Ottoman Turks. He had
recently married Desdemona, a beautiful
and wealthy Venetian lady younger than
himself, without the knowledge of and
despite the later objection of her father.
Iago is Othello's malevolent ensign, who
maliciously stokes his master's jealousy
until the usually stoic Moor kills his
beloved wife in a fit of blind rage. 
Due to its enduring themes of passion,
jealousy, and race, Othello is still topical
and popular and is widely performed, with
numerous adaptations, one of the
adaptations being-
OTHELLO

3. Omkara is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language
crime drama film adapted from William
Shakespeare's Othello, co-written and
directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.
It is the second film in Bhardwaj's trilogy
of Shakespeare adaptations, which
began with Maqbool (2003) and was
completed with Haider (2014).
Set in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, it is about
a politically-minded enforcer's
misguided trust in his lieutenant which
leads him to suspect his wife of
infidelity.
Omkara is a 2006 Indian Hindi-language
crime drama film adapted from William
Shakespeare's Othello, co-written and
directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.
It is the second film in Bhardwaj's trilogy
of Shakespeare adaptations, which
began with Maqbool (2003) and was
completed with Haider (2014).
Set in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, it is about
a politically-minded enforcer's
misguided trust in his lieutenant which
leads him to suspect his wife of
infidelity.
OMKARAOMKARA

4. CHARACTERSCHARACTERS

5. SETTING
In Othello, Desdemona escapes from her father,Brabantio's house with
Othello while, on the other hand, Omkara abducts Dolly from her marriage
procession which is quite common for the setting Omkara is based in.

6. Othello is shown as a person of African descent. This is used against him in the story
when antogonists use slurs such as 'thick lips' to alienate and mock him. This is also
seen when Iago informs Brabantio about his daughter in the following manner: “Even
now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe” and later continues
to compare Othello and his folks to animals: “you’ll have your daughter cover’d with
a Barbary horse; / you’ll have your nephews neigh to you”
Omkara uses the caste system to alienate the protagonist in the film. The protagonist
has a dark complexion as compared to Dolly's fair "brahmin" complexion and is called
as half-brahmin throughout the film which Raghunath Mishra uses to imply his
ineligibility as a suitor for Dolly . Even Indu (Emilia in Othello) mocks Omkara and Dolly
by saying- “koyelein ke lotey mein doodh” (Milk in cup made of coal) or “kavve ke choch
me barfi” (Sweetmeat in crow’s beak) or “amavas ki godi mein chandan” (Sandalwood
in a new moon night’s lap), but then lovingly reveals – “karey kanhaiya ke hotho mein
bansuri” (Flute in Krishna’s lips).
Othello is shown as a person of African descent. This is used against him in the story
when antogonists use slurs such as 'thick lips' to alienate and mock him. This is also
seen when Iago informs Brabantio about his daughter in the following manner: “Even
now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe” and later continues
to compare Othello and his folks to animals: “you’ll have your daughter cover’d with
a Barbary horse; / you’ll have your nephews neigh to you”
Omkara uses the caste system to alienate the protagonist in the film. The protagonist
has a dark complexion as compared to Dolly's fair "brahmin" complexion and is called
as half-brahmin throughout the film which Raghunath Mishra uses to imply his
ineligibility as a suitor for Dolly . Even Indu (Emilia in Othello) mocks Omkara and Dolly
by saying- “koyelein ke lotey mein doodh” (Milk in cup made of coal) or “kavve ke choch
me barfi” (Sweetmeat in crow’s beak) or “amavas ki godi mein chandan” (Sandalwood
in a new moon night’s lap), but then lovingly reveals – “karey kanhaiya ke hotho mein
bansuri” (Flute in Krishna’s lips).
Protagonist Characterization

7. Themes of Jealousy - Iago/Ishwar (Langda)
In Othello, Iago reveals in the beginning of the play that he is hurt by Othello choosing Casio over him which lays
the seeds of hate and jealousy is Iago's mind. He assumes that he has a better military experience and condemns
Othello by saying-
"And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on
other grounds, Christian and heathen, must be be-lee’d and calm’d
By debitor and creditor"
In Omkara, the seeds of jealousy and hate are laid in Langda's mind when Omkara chooses Kesu over him.
However, the seeds are watered by Rajju in a later scene ( Scene 36) when he says-
"Don’t I know…for the last fifteen years, you’ve been  faithfully backing up Omi on these half limbs … All hail
Langda the Strongman…! and then that young pretender Kesu comes out of nowhere and coolly snatches the bone
out of your mouth… where did your balls go walking then… Company garden… ?"
To which Langda responds-
"You know Rajju, you are finally making some sense… when god jotted down our share of luck he must’ve 
used a donkey’s penis for a pen…"
Iago is aware of his devilish nature as he himself reveals- …"Divinity of hell! When devils will their blackest sins
put on, They do suggest at first with heavenly shows, As I do now; ". The equivalent of this is the common saying of
Langda which he repeats through the film- " If I lie, them I’m your bitch. And if I’m not, then I’m your mother's lover."
"

8. Tragedy of Desdemona/Dolly
In Othello, Desdemona elopes with Othello from her father, Brabantio's house. Brabantio goes to the Duke of Venice
with Othello and his men to sort out the issue. Before going to the duke, he accuses Othello of foul magic by
saying-“That thou hast practis’d on her with foul charms, Abus’d her delicate youth with drugs or minerals That
weakens motion" .When summoned by the Duke of Venice, she reveals that she has married Othello By saying-"My
noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education. My life and education both
do learn me How to respect you. You are the lord of duty. I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband. And
so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may
profess Due to the Moor my lord."
Brabantio felt so betrayed by this that he warns Othello by saying- "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She
has deceived her father, and may thee."
In Omkara, Dolly is abducted from her wedding procession by Omkara which is later revealed to be a willful
elopement. Advocate Mishra goes to Tiwari Bhaisaab in jail along with Omkara and his men to sort out the issue.
Before going to Tiwari, he abuses Omkara using casteist slurs by saying- "Even stray dogs show more character,
Omi… Was my daughter the only lass left in the entire province… huh? Actually, it’s my fault… I had forgotten that
you are a half-caste after all, borne by that bloody slave girl… no? Fuckin’ bastard…". After being summoned, Dolly
says-" I’ve always followed the tune of my own heart… Dad… please forgive me… I can’t live without Omkara…". 
After finding out the truth, Mishra refuses to bless the couple and later warns Omkara in private saying-
"Strongman… may you never forget the two-faced monster a woman is… she who can dupe her own father will never
be anyone’s to claim…".

9. ACT 1 SCENE 1
Othello Omkara

10. ACT 1 SCENE 2

11. ACT 1 SCENE 3

12. MACGUFFIN (PLOT DEVICE)
In Othello, a handkerchief with strawberry red fruit patterns which he claimed had magical powers, was gifted by Othello
to Desdemona as a token of love. The handkerchief was gifted by an Egyptian to Othello's mother. While gifting the
handkerchief to Desdemona, he says- "…while she kept it Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father Entirely to
her love; but it she lost it, Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathely, and his spirits should hunt After
new fancies.". This is a sort of foreshadowing for future events.
 This handkerchief is used by Iago to raise suspicion in Othello's mind.
In Omkara, an ancient waistband which has been in Omkara's family from generations has been used as a macguffin
here. Omkara gifts it to Dolly in a scene of the film. There is hint of eroticism related to the waistband because it's always
worn by the female characters in the film to seduce their male counterparts. This is what makes Omkara furious when he
finds the waistband with Kesu. 

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