Vishal Bharadwaj on Omkara's Music

After a long wait and huge publicity, Omkara hit the silver screen - to accolades and criticism like any other film. Some critics have felt that the language used in Omkara is difficult for the audience to comprehend. Instead of using a dialect, they say that Hindi should have been the obvious and right choice. Music composer turned director Vishal Bharadwaj will have none of that. He responds that the language cinema is far more important to him and should be to any filmmaker than the dialect used. When audiences can appreciate regional language films, why can't they appreciate Omkara?

The film has been shot in Uttar Pradesh and Bharadwaj concedes that while Omkara could have taken place anywhere, he wanted to showcase the culture and beauty of rural Uttar Pradesh in his film. It adds more color to the film and it was where he wanted his story to take place. Considering that the film is based on Shakespeare's Othello, he also wanted the backdrop to be dry, barren, vast - all of which he found in Uttar Pradesh. He also refutes the charge that he played favorites and concentrated on all other characters except Vivek Oberoi's. He says that all the actors read the script and knew they roles well before shooting began.

The music of the film is a hit. It makes good listening and the lilting tunes have struck an instant chord with music lovers. Bharadwaj is happy that the music in the film is being appreciated since his first love has always been music. He started out as a hit music director before turning to making films. He says that while he has used Hindustani music in the film, he has also used Western symphony. Critics have charged that the use of Western symphony is totally unnecessary. Bharadwaj refutes that saying that he has used Western symphony consciously to reflect the emotions of his characters. The opera music adds weight to the situation and has helped the film immensely, he says.

Omkara's music and story have been well appreciated by discerning audiences and for Bharadwaj that is more than enough. He makes films to satisfy such audiences, he says. His films and music are not ones that fall into the commercial framework nor can they be labeled as art films. As he puts it, they are made to satisfy discerning audiences and he prefers that they not be labeled.