In my last review I commented on the current tendency of Indian films to always borrow ideas from elsewhere. Well here we are again with Omkara, Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello.

In Bhardwaj's adaptation, Othello the Moor is Omi Shukla, lead henchman to a politician Bhaisaab. The embittered and scheming Iago takes the shape of Langda Tyagi. Fair, gentle Desdemona shows up as Dolly. And the unfortunate Cassio appears as Kesu Firangi. The backdrop of Omkara is the rough Indian countryside of Uttar Pradesh, a region where politics and crime are virtually synonymous.

Something that will strike any British viewer of Omkara is the fact the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), which sets the minimum viewing age of a film, did not watch Omkara before assigning it a 12A certificate. I have long suspected that the BBFC does not bother watching any Indian films before classifying them, but now I know for sure! Omkara is a fully adult film with many gruesome scenes and very explicit language the entire way through.

Omkara (Ajay Devgan), nicknamed Omi, is the lead character, a respected young gang leader and politician. He has fallen in love with a beautiful young girl named Dolly (Kareena Kapoor), whom he is set to marry. Omi's boss Bhaisaab (Naseeruddin Shah) decides to contest for the Parliamentary seat, and his State Assembly seat is offered to Omi. For his part, Omi has to decide a successor to his old post as local leader.

Drama brews up when Omkara chooses Kesu Firangi (Vivek Oberoi) instead of Langda Tyagi (Saif Ali Khan). Langda, who happens to be a vicious psychopath, felt that he should have been chosen, having served Omi faithfully for many years. He doesn't make his hurt immediately obvious, but inside he is deeply enraged, and plots to create a rift between Omi and Kesu, by convincing Omi that Kesu and Dolly are having an affair. Skilfully manipulated by his lieutenant Langdi, Omi's descends into the twisted whirlpools of jealousy, which leads him to do terrible things.

On the whole, Omkara pulls off remarkably well. All of the main roles are well performed, with the possible exception of Kareena Kapoor, who is too one-dimensional in her role as Dolly. The music is well timed, complementing rather than interfering with the flow of the film. And rather than opting for an artificial western image, Omkara faithfully recreates the rugged, colourful and vibrant Indian countryside right down to the dialect, dress and mannerisms.

Some Indian media outlets have criticised Omkara for adopting a different kind of Hindi dialect compared with most Bollywood films. The language used is such that one would find in the bandit land countryside of Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. It is claimed by the critics that using a regional dialect will lessen the film's appeal in the rest of India and elsewhere. This argument is flawed, and Omkara could hardly have been made differently. If people in a given part of India speak in a certain way, then a film about them cannot re-invent their language if it is to remain authentic.

On the whole Omkara is a highly engrossing film to watch. This is hardly surprising. After all, a classic script always has the power to move us, provided it is handled by a director who knows his craft, and actors who understand their job. Omkara is far better than the dull chicken broth that most Bollywood productions resemble, and is definitely worth viewing.