From Stage to Screen: Othello Becomes Omkara

 A Comparison between movie Omkara by Vishal Bhardwaj and a play Othello by William Shakespeare 

Omkara is directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Omkara is a powerful Indian film based on Othello, a famous tragedy written by William Shakespeare. Bhardwaj is known for turning Shakespeare’s plays into Indian stories that feel real, raw, and relatable. He adapted Othello to show how jealousy, power, and love still affect people today even in a completely different time and place. In this blog, we’ll compare the characters, themes, and symbols in a simple way that helps you understand both versions easily. Let’s explore how one powerful story connects two different worlds Venice and Uttar Pradesh.

Setting & Background

Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus during the late 16th century, focused on war, honor, and race.

Omkara is set in modern-day Uttar Pradesh, India, centered around political rivalry, caste, and crime.

Key Point: Bhardwaj keeps the core story but adapts it to the Indian political-criminal setup, making it relatable.

Characters – Othello and Omkara 

Othello Character	Omkara Character	Role/Relation	Traits
Othello	Omkara (Omi)	Main hero, general/gang leader	Brave, respected, insecure and jealous
Desdemona	Dolly Mishra	Othello/Omkara’s lover	Loyal, innocent, strong-hearted
Iago	Langda Tyagi	Villain, manipulator, aide	Jealous, cunning, fake loyalty
Cassio	Kesu Firangi	Officer, second-in-command	Charming, loyal, well-mannered
Emilia	Indu	Wife of Langda, Dolly’s supporter	Honest, brave, speaks up too late
Roderigo	Rajju	Foolish admirer of Desdemona/Dolly	Obsessed, tricked easily
Brabantio	Raghunath Mishra	Father of Desdemona/Dolly	Proud, disapproves of Othello/Omi
Duke of Venice	Tiwari Bhaisahab	Senior figure, mediator	Fair, wise, politically aware
Montano	—	Former governor	Honest, law-abiding
Lodovico	—	Observer of the tragedy	Calm, moral, shocked by events
Gratiano	—	Brabantio’s brother	Supportive, arrives late
Clown	—	Comic servant	Witty, ironic
Sailor	—	Messenger	Minor role
Bianca	Billo Chamanbahar	Prostitute girl Cassio’s admirer	Emotional, jealous, ignored

Comparison of movie and play themes 

• Jealousy: Langda and Iago destroy everything due to envy.
• Betrayal: The hero trusts the villain and doubts the innocent.
• Innocence Destroyed: Desdemona and Dolly are killed without fault.
• Outsider Identity: Race and caste create insecurity and isolation.

Symbols in Both Stories

Symbol	In Othello	In Omkara	Meaning
Token of Love	Handkerchief	Silver Waist Chain	Love turned to doubt
The Bed	Death of Desdemona	Death of Dolly	Love ends in tragedy
Race/Caste	Othello’s race	Omkara’s caste	Symbol of being an outsider
Silence	Emilia speaks too late	Indu tells truth too late	Truth delayed leads to death

Style and Language

Othello uses poetic English and long speeches.

Omkara uses strong, realistic Hindi and local dialects.

Conclusion: One is classical, the other raw and modern—but both are powerful emotionally.

The Tragic Ending

Both heroes kill the woman they love out of jealousy, and later regret it when they learn the truth.

Both end their own lives in grief and guilt.

Conclusion 

Both Omkara and Othello tell the same heartbreaking story in different ways. Whether it’s a general in Venice or a gang leader in Uttar Pradesh, the emotions of love, jealousy, and betrayal are the same. Vishal Bhardwaj successfully brought Shakespeare’s classic into an Indian setting, helping us see how timeless these themes really are. By comparing the characters and symbols, we learn that human nature hasn’t changed much over the years. For students, Omkara is a great way to understand Othello in a language, culture, and style that feels closer to home.

From Venice to Uttar Pradesh, the tragedy remains timeless.