Latest news with #Omkara
India Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Exclusive: Deepak Dobriyal says he's waiting for the right biopic, not just any role
Actor Deepak Dobriyal recently spoke about the kind of work he wants to pursue and the challenges of picking meaningful projects in today's film industry. In an exclusive interview with India Today, Dobriyal shared that despite his longstanding desire, he is yet to take on a biopic, something he has been hoping to do since 2007– about the roles he wants to play in his upcoming films, he said he wishes to do biopics on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Pinki Pramanik, and Dhyan are so many characters I want to play. I want to do a biopic on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, I wanted to do one on Pinki Pramanik, I wanted to do one on Dhyan Chand. There are many others too. And there are some more now, but I won't say anything about those yet, because every time I say it, others end up making the biopic except me. I've been talking about these since 2007-2008, so now I won't speak, I'll show through action,' he said. Dobriyal shared that he is drawn to characters rooted in real life or literature because of the depth and difficulty they demand. 'I want to do these roles because they're challenging. People already know and admire these figures, so portraying them is very difficult. Or if it's a character based on literature, or someone from real-life incidents, those are the kind of roles I want to do,' he actor also addressed the industry's tendency to typecast and how producers often push for familiar formulas. 'A lot of really good scripts are coming to me. So, I don't want to repeat the kind of roles I've already done. I want to do something new. But producers often have a direct demand - take this actor, his comic timing is great, or his villainous approach is fantastic. Here, you're expected to show shades that haven't been seen before. I consider all that, and if the story is good and there's a solid director attached. I give preference to a good director, a good script, and a strong star cast,' he Dobriyal has built a reputation as one of the most talented and versatile actors in Indian cinema, with memorable performances in films like 'Maqbool', 'Omkara', 'Delhi-6', 'Tanu Weds Manu', and 'Hindi Medium'. He was last seen in the crime thriller 'Sector 36', based on the 2006 Nithari serial murders, where he played Inspector Ram Charan Pandey opposite Vikrant Massey.- Ends
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Naseeruddin Shah once revealed he was sceptical of Ajay Devgn-Saif Ali Khan starrer Omkara: 'Almost every Hindi film borrows heavily from Shakespeare'
Nearly two decades after its release, Omkara continues to be celebrated as one of the most daring and transformative films in Hindi cinema. 's raw and riveting adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello not only redefined how literature could be translated for Indian screens but also challenged the norms of mainstream storytelling. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, what many might not know is that even veteran actor had initial doubts about joining the film — until the script changed his mind. In an old interview with Wild Films India, Naseer revealed his early doubts about the film. He admitted being sceptical—until he read the script. He went on to explain that while it might seem like India hasn't made many films based on Shakespeare, the influence of the playwright runs deep in Hindi cinema. From mistaken identities to family feuds and love across class divides, he pointed out how many Bollywood tropes actually trace back to Shakespearean plots—unintentionally borrowed over the years by generations of writers. The actor didn't hold back in criticising the film industry's habit of borrowing from Shakespeare without giving credit. Reflecting on the deep yet often unacknowledged influence of the playwright on Hindi cinema, he pointed out how many classic Bollywood storylines are rooted in Shakespearean themes—but rarely is the source acknowledged. He noted that the industry has strayed so far from the originals that it's hard to even recognise where these ideas came from. Citing 's wry comment that 'the only original thing is that whose source hasn't been discovered,' Shah expressed his disagreement, calling out the broader mindset of Bollywood creators who often pass off borrowed ideas as their own. It was only after reading the script that he fully came on board with Omkara, realising it was an even more rooted and authentic adaptation than Maqbool. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While Othello wasn't his favourite Shakespearean play, the actor found Omkara deeply resonant—especially because of its realistic portrayal of life in Uttar Pradesh, a world he was familiar with. Coming from a town near Meerut, Shah had seen firsthand the kind of local gangsters and power struggles depicted in the film. Unlike the Mumbai underworld of Maqbool, which felt distant to him, the characters and settings of Omkara felt strikingly real and relatable, making Vishal Bhardwaj's vision all the more compelling in his eyes. Reflecting on Omkara's portrayal of Shakespeare's most puzzling villain, Iago—reimagined as Langda Tyagi—Shah applauded Vishal Bhardwaj and his writing team for adding clarity and emotional weight to characters often left ambiguous in the original play. He noted how Iago, one of literature's greatest enigmas, is traditionally depicted as a villain without clear motive. But in Omkara, the motivations of both Langda Tyagi and Omi (Othello) are far more fleshed out, lending a stronger psychological grounding to their actions. Shah even remarked that while it might seem bold to say the adaptation improves on Shakespeare, Bhardwaj's take offers a deeper, more relatable understanding—especially of jealousy, a central theme in the story. Today, Omkara stands as a cult classic in Indian cinema. 's career-defining performance as Langda Tyagi remains a high point, supported by a powerful ensemble cast including , Kareena Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, , and Bipasha Basu. The film's earthy, unapologetically rustic dialogue and unforgettable one-liners continue to leave an impact nearly two decades later. Gulzar's evocative lyrics and Vishal Bhardwaj's music—from the fiery 'Beedi' to the haunting 'Naina Thag Lenge'—further cemented the film's place in pop culture, making Omkara not just a literary adaptation, but a cinematic milestone.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Naseeruddin Shah was sceptical of Omkara, slammed industry for always stealing from Shakespeare: ‘We tried to pass it off as our own'
Vishal Bhardwaj's Omkara is often hailed as a turning point in mainstream Hindi cinema. A gritty adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, the film brought the politics, language, and layered morality of heartland India into the spotlight like never before. Released in 2006, it wasn't just a bold creative leap, it was a foundational moment that paved the way for films like Gangs of Wasseypur a few years later. Raw, unfiltered, and unapologetically desi, Omkara showed that commercial films could also be rooted in strong literary tradition and regional authenticity. As the second installment in Bhardwaj's Shakespearean trilogy, flanked by Maqbool (Macbeth) and Haider (Hamlet), Omkara became both a cinematic triumph and a literary homage. But few know that one of the most respected actors in the film, Naseeruddin Shah, was initially unsure about being part of the project. In an interview given to Wild Films India during the lead-up to the film's release, Naseer candidly admitted, 'I was sceptical. Until I read the script. Because it may seem as if we haven't made too many films on Shakespeare in India, but the truth is that almost every Hindi film borrows heavily from Shakespeare. All the clichés of Hindi cinema have been borrowed from Shakespeare, every single one. And the reason for that is that at the time when movies became talkies, we had a lot of very literate writers around. And today's writers merely ape the old tricks of the trade and imagine that these are original things, whereas in fact, you find the mistaken identities, the twin brothers, the poor boy, rich girl, the man becoming a woman, the woman turning into a man, the warring families etc., everything is there in Shakespeare.' Naseeruddin Shah further critiqued the industry's longstanding tendency to lift directly from Shakespeare without acknowledgment: 'And we've gone so far away from it that it's difficult to recognize the source of the factors Hindi films have always borrowed. But never have we admitted that we are stealing from old Mr. William and tried to pass it off as our own. And many times it has passed off. As Javed Akhtar says, 'The only original thing is that whose source has not been discovered.' Well, I don't agree with that statement, but it shows, it indicates, the attitude of our Bombay filmwalas.' It was only after reading the script that he became convinced that Omkara was a far more grounded and authentic adaptation than even Maqbool. 'So Othello, which is not my favourite play among Shakespeare's play, I was very sceptical until I read the script and realized that it's perhaps a better adaptation than the Maqbool one. It rings more true to me, and because I am from UP, I've seen people like that. Making films about the Bombay underworld is always very dicey because I've never met a person from the underworld and I don't know what they're like. But about the UP gangsters I've seen, my family belongs to a small place near Meerut, and I've seen these kinds of things operating. The UP kind of strong-arm characters I have happened to see a lot of, and the depiction of that world rings very true in Vishal's adaptation.' Also Read | Naseeruddin Shah writes on Diljit Dosanjh controversy: I feel no need to prove anything, including my patriotism Discussing Omkara's interpretation of Shakespeare's most enigmatic villain, Iago, known in Omkara as Langda Tyagi, Naseeruddin Shah praised Vishal Bhardwaj and his writers for giving depth and motive to characters who were originally left ambiguous. 'And secondly, the character of Iago, which is one of the perennial enigmas of literature, a villain without a motivation at all, and volumes have been written about it. I think it's a bit presumptuous to say that they've improved upon Shakespeare, but they've certainly given both Iago and Othello much more reason to behave the way they do in this script. And I stand by this statement: when I read the play Othello, it strikes me that this man Othello is a complete idiot. He is nothing like a tragic hero, he is a complete idiot. In fact, it comes across almost as a racist play at times. But Vishal seems to have had a better understanding of jealousy than poor old William.' Today, Omkara is widely considered a cult classic. From Saif Ali Khan's career-defining performance as Langda Tyagi to the brooding, combustible chemistry among its ensemble cast, including Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vivek Oberoi, and Bipasha Basu, the film has only grown in stature. Its earthy dialogue, unforgettable one-liners, and razor-sharp writing continue to resonate. And of course, Gulzar's lyrical brilliance in the soundtrack, from 'Beedi' to 'Naina Thag Lenge', helped immortalize the film's mood in Indian pop culture.
Deccan Herald
08-07-2025
- General
- Deccan Herald
CBSE School Chandan Residential School promotes daily yoga
CBSE School Chandan Residential School, Laxmeshwar, observed International Yoga Day as students demonstrated yoga by chanting Omkara. Highlighting yoga's role in mental strength, courage, peace, and academic growth, the school emphasised its daily yoga practice among students.
India.com
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Saif Ali Khan was impressed as soon as he saw 10-year-old Kareena Kapoor, here's how Bebo and Chhote Nawab's love story began, watch viral video
Bollywood's star couple, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, have many fans. This couple has also done many films together. Saif and Kareena are also parents of two sons and live a wonderful life. Kareena is the actor's second wife. Saif's first wife was Amrita Singh, from whom the actor got divorced. Saif-Amrita got divorced in 2004, and before that, Saif had met Kareena. In the year 2003, the film LOC-Kargil was released, where Saif saw Kareena for the first time. In a show of Shah Rukh Khan, Saif shared the story of seeing Kareena for the first time. When was the first time Saif Ali Khan saw Kareena Kapoor for the first time? Saif told on Shahrukh Khan's show, 'The first time I saw Kareena, I was shooting in Filmistan studio, a little girl was sitting, outside the make-up room, and maybe she was looking, towards me, maybe not at me, I felt she was looking at me, I asked someone who she was, then someone told me that she is Karisma Kapoor's younger sister Kareena Kapoor, I thought she was very beautiful, and since then I have liked her a lot, we have met many times, did not talk much, we did a film LOC, we did not talk much in that, we did not talk at all in Omkara, we talked a lot in the film Tashan and then slowly we became friends.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bollykike (@bollykike) When did Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor get married? After this Shah Rukh asked Kareena, 'Kareena, when you were looking at the wall, were you really looking at Saif?' To this, Kareena said, 'To be honest, I don't remember at all. ' Let us tell you, Saif and Kareena got married in the year 2012, and the couple has two children from this marriage, Taimur and Jahangir Ali Khan. Saif-Kareena have done many films together, including LOC Kargil, Omkara, Tashan, as well as Agent Vinod and Kurbaan. Agent Vinod was released on 23 March 2012, and the couple got married on 16 October 2012.
