Omkara, an interpretation of the classic Othello is a Hindi film directed by Vishal Bharadwaj starring Saif Ali Khan, Bipasha Basu, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma and Ajay Devgan in lead roles. The score and soundtrack of the film has been composed by Vishal Bharadwaj himself with lyrics by Gulzar. The film is Vishal Bharadwaj's interpretation of William Shakespeare's play, Othello. Shooting for the film began in March and has been completed. A 10 minute preview of the film was showcased during Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. The film was released on July 28, 2006.

Omkara or Omi (Ajay Devgan) is initially the 'General' or enforcer of a political party, leading a group which includes the crafty Langda Tyagi (Saif Ali Khan) and the dynamic Kesu (Vivek Oberoi) amongst his chief cohorts. The story begins when Omi appoints Kesu and not Langda as his replacement as his predessor once he enters politics himself. Langda's pride is slighted and raging with envy, he hatches a plot to falsely implicate Omi's beautiful lover Dolly Mishra (Kareena Kapoor), in a love affair with Omi's “favorite lieutenant”, Kesu. With the unwitting aid of Indu (Konkona Sen Sharma), Langda's wife, and the willing help of Raju, a fellow grouch, Langda's plan takes shape and results in horrific tragedy. Using petty insinuations and lies, Langda keeps poisoning Omi's mind till one day it snaps and Omi goes about tearing up his own safe and secure world. By the time he realizes what he has done and the backlash of his actions it is too late.

Omkara "Omi" Shukla - Omkara is a combination of greatness and weakness. A principled man of action, he does not see life in midtones. He sees life either as good or evil. Therein lies Omi's tragic flaw.

Ishwar "Langda" Tyagi - The pricipal catalyst in the story, Langda manipulates chaos into an orderly world and coldly invigilates its utter destruction. Tragically, the one person who truly loves him is the one who will have to settle the scores.

Dolly Mishra - Dolly's love and trust for Omi remains rock steady till the end. Smitten by him, she believes that the idyllic life of her dreams will begin soon.

Keshav "Kesu Firangi" Upadhyay - Kesu is a natural charmer. He likes his woman as much as he loves his guns. Inspite of his first skin, he manages to fall in love with Billo, an orchestra party singer. Fearless and loyal to the bone, Kesu's only chink is his impatience and he pays for it in blood.

Bhaisaab - An influential cog in the Brahmin politics of the region, Bhaisaab is a sophisticated man, which can be misleading at times, given the ruthless nature of his profession. Omi treats him more like a father figure than just a political mentor.

Billo - Billo's wiles and charms has seen the sternest men melt with her desire. Kesu is besotted with her but she just keep him hanging on. A capricous soul, she is easily sucked into Langda's master scheme.

Indu - Life with an unscrupulous gangster was always going to be tricky but Indu bore it all with stern determination. Fiercely devoted to Langda, she becomes an unwitting aid in her husband's nefarious scheme. When the truth dawns, she takes up the cudgel and decides to stem the rot.

Omkara was shot over a period of 4 months across various locales, including Lonavala, Lucknow University, Allahabad, Bodh Gaya, Mahabaleshwar, Wai and Mumbai. Bulk of the shooting for the film took place in Wai Maharashtra. Even though most of the shooting took place in Maharashtra, sets were erected with precise details to create an authentic Uttar Pradesh village.

Though the film did not do too well in India, with its dark theme and strong language which kept away family audiences, it was a success abroad, receiving universal critical acclaim from all quarters. Raja Sen of Rediff.com writes:'Vishal Bhardwaj's film is a superlative-exhausting work of passion and tribute, skill and style...Spellbinding stuff.' The actor who walked away with most of the praise was Saif Ali Khan, for his spellbinding portrayal of the antagonist Ishwar 'Langda' Tyagi, Iago in the original play.