Vishal Bhardwaj speaks about the shooting of Omkara ...Interview by Subhash K Jha.

Q: What have you finally named your Othello?
A: We had three options Omkara, O Saathi Re and Ishaq(the UP way of saying Ishq ). I personally liked Omkara. And that's the final title.

Q: You've wrapped up this impossible project?
A: Omkara has been a one-schedule film in spite of various locations in UP and Maharashtra. I've never worked so uninterrupted for so long. But I had a lot of fun.

Q: How much of Omkara is Shakespeare ?
A: Shakespeare would have probably written his play the way I've made the film. I've changed all the voice-overs in the play to mobile phones.

Q: You worked with an awesome cast. Is it a pleasant experience?
A: I'm pleasantly surprised by everyone. There's absolutely no truth to all those stories I had hear about stars. Of course the fact that I treat them like friends and allies helps. But they're so focused on their work and so helpful and well prepared.

I'm completely surprised by Ajay, Saif, Kareena, Konkona....They all create every nuance for their characters before coming on location. They understand the sincerity of my entire unit and work accordingly. Everyone is trying to walk that extra mile. I'm not missing anyone.

Q: Whom should you've missed?
A: You know the brilliant actors Naseer, Om, Irrfan, Tabu and Pankaj Kapoor that I worked in Maqbool. They're all outstanding. But my cast in this film is no less committed. The only difference is, when I was shooting with Ajay or Kareena there're ten thousand people on the road(laughs).

To control the crowds is tough, yes. But the trouble is worth it. I knew I wanted only these actors when I was writing the script. No one but Kareena could've been my Desdemona.

And Ajay had to be Omkara, just as Saif had to be Langda Tyagi. I'm bowled over by their sincerity. They've given me more than I expected. There are no ego hassles on the sets.

Q: Did you have to pursue any actor?
A: The only actor who needed some convincing was Saif. He was reluctant about cutting his hair. But now just see him in the computer -ad and you'll know how good he looks in my film. I'd have never been able to make the film with his long hair. If I couldn't convince him to do something so minor like cutting his hair, how could I convince him to get into character?

I remember on the night before shooting Saif sent me a message saying he has a razor in his hand wondering whether he should cut his hair. It was Eid, and I told him to take Allah's name and make the sacrifice. Unki Qurbani qubul ho gayi. My film will take Saif to a different level.

Q: And Ajay?
A: The role was written with Ajay in mind. He may not be familiar with Shakespeare. But he's familiar with its drama. In my opinion we can make Shakespearean dramas in Hindi all the time. His plays are very Indian at heart. But for now, I'll do something original next. Then maybe the last of my Shakespearean trilogy. But no Shakespeare for the next two years.

Q: Maybe because you've all the stars with you out of Mumbai. That helps...
A: Oh yes, it definitely helps. I've sworn never to make a film in Mumbai. If I need to locate a script in Bombay I immediately drop it.

Q: Some people said Maqbool was more Ram Gopal Varma than Shakespeare
A: Really? Then they don't know their Shakespeare. Maybe because the genre in Maqbool was the underworld. Ram Gopal Varma has made some remarkable underworld films. Besides them the only notable underworld films I can think of are Vinod Chopra's Parinda and Mahesh Manjrekar's Vaastav.

But Omkara isn't set in the underworld. It's the political mafia of Uttar Pradesh. That's a completely different world. The Mumbai underworld is an autonomous entity. But the world shown in my Othello has never been shown before.

Q: How much research did you have to do?
A: I am from Meerut in UP. So I know the world that my characters in my Othello inhabit. In Meerut I had a friend with whom I played cricket. After six years I came to know he was a leading don of that area and a fugitive. I was shocked. Even I used to carry a knife in college in Meerut.

Street fights are common over there. Students there have street fights about a girl who isn't even aware that they're fighting about her. Shakespeare's Othello had to be set in a violent milieu. Likewise my Omkara.

Q: Does your film have lots of humour?
A: Yes we've lots of humour. The violence in Omkara is often comic. I like doing the unexpected. And there's no fear of failure within me. I was scared during Maqbool. But it got lots of appreciation even among the intelligentsia of England. That gave me the courage and confidence to do Shakespeare again. Hopefully my Omkara will also be appreciated. This time I'm more truthful to Othello than I was to Macbeth in Maqbool.

Q: What are your plans for Omkara/Othello?
A: I'm not targeting it at international festivals. This film is for the Indian market. Somewhere I'm disillusioned by the festival circuit. Maqbool went to all the festivals. But it didn't get an overseas release. I saw how big a hit Maqbool was at international festivals. Hollywood Reporter wrote a big review.

Q: Why wasn't it sold overseas?
A: I think the producer started asking for unreasonable amounts of money. The well-known producer from South Africa Mr Anant Singh was our international agent for Maqbool. For one whole year he couldn't sell the film.

I don't think Mr Bobby Bedi was interested once he got back his investments in Maqbool. Fortunately this time I've got a fabulous producer. Kumar Mangat isn't only non-interfering he also provides me with anything that I need. His bandobast during the shooting in UP was amazing.

Q: You've made amazing headway.
A: It's my luck. I had offered Maqbool to Akshay Kumar. He turned it down. I made Maqbool without charging a single penny. How do you think I ran my home? I lost 12 lakhs in my first film Makdee. Let's see what happens with my Othello.