Overview
A gripping tale of love, betrayal, and ambition unfolds in a world ruled by crime and politics.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- paranoid
- harrowing
- serious film night
- crime drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the powerful performances, serious Shakespearean adaptation, and Vishal Bhardwaj's direction, while noting uneven pacing and difficult regional dialogue.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot reworks Othello through Omkara, Dolly, Ishwar, and Keshav in Uttar Pradesh organized crime.
Ishwar's resentment over his physical disability and diminished status fuels his campaign against Keshav and Dolly.
Bhaisaab's political influence, Omkara's bahubali position, and election succession structure the characters' lives.
The characters' lingo, political order, and criminal hierarchy anchor the Shakespearean drama in north Indian society.
Films like Omkara, and why
Maqbool
modernized Shakespearean tragedy, organized crime, corrosive jealousy, and intense ensemble performances
Haider
Shakespeare adaptation relocated into Indian criminal underworld, with brooding atmosphere and moral corruption
Othello
crime-centered tragedy driven by betrayal, ambition, and psychologically destructive relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Vishal Bhardwaj
- Release Date
- 2006-07-28
- Runtime
- 155 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (102)
Cast
- Ajay Devgn
- Kareena Kapoor Khan
- Saif Ali Khan
- Vivek Oberoi
- Konkona Sen Sharma
- Deepak Dobriyal
- Naseeruddin Shah
- Bipasha Basu
- Pankaj Tripathi
- Kamal Tiwari
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Brew, Eros Now Select Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Omkara about?
- A Shakespearean jealousy tragedy becomes a dark Hindi crime drama about power, suspicion, and betrayal in Uttar Pradesh's criminal-political underworld.
- What is Omkara like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Omkara as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Omkara violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Omkara as brutal.
- What did critics think of Omkara?
- Critics broadly praised the powerful performances, serious Shakespearean adaptation, and Vishal Bhardwaj's direction, while noting uneven pacing and difficult regional dialogue.
- Which films are like Omkara?
- Films with a similar feel include Maqbool, Haider, and Othello.
- How long is Omkara?
- Omkara runs 155 minutes.
- Where can I watch Omkara?
- In United States, Omkara streams on Brew, Eros Now Select Apple TV channel.
