Omerta (2017 film)

Last updated

Omerta
Omerta film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Hansal Mehta
Written by Mukul Dev
Hansal Mehta
Produced byNahid Khan
Starring Rajkummar Rao
CinematographyAnuj Rakesh Dhawan
Edited byAditya Warrior
Music byIshaan Chhabra
Production
companies
  • Swiss Entertainment
  • Karma Features
Distributed byNH Studioz
Release dates
  • 8 September 2017 (2017-09-08)(TIFF)
  • 4 May 2018 (2018-05-04)(India)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguagesHindi
English
Budget₹18 crore [1]
Box officeest.₹4.49 crore [2]

Omerta is a 2017 Indian biographical crime drama film directed by Hansal Mehta and stars Rajkumar Rao in the role of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, British terrorist of Pakistani descent. [3] [4] The film explores the 1994 kidnappings of Westerners in India for which Omar was arrested and served time in prison and the plotting of murder of Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. [5] [6]

Contents

The title refers to the Mafia's code of silence [7] but is also a play on the name of the main character. Produced by Nahid Khan of Swiss Entertainment and Shaailesh R Singh of Karma Features, [8] it was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, the Mumbai Film Festival, Florence Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival and the Busan International Film Festival. [9] [10] [11] Omerta was the closing night film in 2018 New York Indian Film Festival. [12] [13] Omerta was released on 4 May 2018 and received positive reviews from critics. [14]

Cast

Production

The story of Omerta was suggested to director Hansal Mehta by actor Mukul Dev in 2005, who marks his debut as a writer. [15] [16] Mehta said that at the time when Dev told him the story, the internet was "really slow". So he had to buy books, material from the archives and magazines for the research. [15] He started developing the script but made Shahid (2012) with Rajkummar Rao instead, as he felt the latter was an "easier film to make". [17] He credits Rao being a reason Omerta was made. "I had to meet Rajkummar and because I met him, he became an enabler and because of him, I could make this film." [15] Initially, Hansal was thinking of casting Riz Ahmed, a British actor of Pakistani descent, as the lead actor for Omerta. [18]

Mehta stated that his intention behind making Omerta was to explore evil as a "human characteristic". [15] He further said that he wanted to leave the audience with a sense of "awe, disgust, hate, surprise" and to examine the "ramifications of these [terror] events on their lives today." [19] Mehta called the villain of the film, Omar Sheikh, the "hannibal" of terrorism who could be planning how to outwit you even while talking to you." [17]

Omerta in the making Omertamaking.jpg
Omerta in the making

Mehta further told that the film "exposes state-sponsored terrorism and how it manipulates young minds into believing a sordid interpretation of Jihad." [20] The film was shot in real locations across London and Punjab, Old Delhi, [21] parts of Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh in India, [22] while the scenes of Afghanistan and Pakistan were recreated. [23] Mehta, along with his crew, visited some of the places that Ahmed Sheikh had visited. [23] Mehta said that the film does not show the backstory of Sheikh and how he became a terrorist: "It is an uncomfortable film which will raise uncomfortable questions and answers that we have to compel our establishment to find". [15] Several real life footage's were purchased from different sources of the Indian Airlines flight 814 hijacking, media footage following the September 11 attacks. [24]

To prepare for the role, Rao watched several videos, documentaries and hate speeches of Sheikh repeatedly to "gather a lot of hatred and anger" inside himself. [25] He expressed that he was "disturbed" while shooting the film, because of the character he was playing and called it "easily the toughest character" he has played till date. [25] [20] While filming, the November 2015 Paris attacks took place. Rao stated that he was in the character and appreciated the attacks, but soon realised that it was wrong. [26] The title of the film refers to the Italian term for a criminal code of honor that encompasses absolute non-cooperation with legal authorities. [27] Anuj Rakesh Dhawan and Aditya Warrior served as the director of photography and editor respectively. [28] Omerta was made on a budget of ₹ 18 crore (including marketing and promotions). [1]

Central Board of Film Certification cleared Omerta with an 'A' certificate, [29] with only two cuts, where the censor board has asked for the national anthem to be removed from an offensive scene [30] and a scene involving full frontal nudity that was showcased to portray the mental condition of the protagonist. [31] [32] There was report that banned scenes were leaked online few days before film’s release. [33]

A special screening of Omerta was held on 29 April 2018, [34] the same day director Hansal Mehta also celebrated his 50th birthday. [35]

Reception

Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost praised the acting of Rajkumar Rao and gave it 3.5 stars. [36] Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN praised the gripping story line of film and gave it 3 stars. [37] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV stated Rajkumar Rao performance as pitch- perfect in this riveting thriller and gave it 3.5 stars. [38] Sweta Kaushal of The Hindustan Times praised the spine-chiling acting of Rajkumar rao and gave the film 3.5 stars. [39] Priyanka Bhadani of the Week praised the film editing and gave it 3 stars. [40] Economic Times states that Omerta is a brutal tale of terrorism and gave it 3 stars. [41] Meena Iyer of DNA praised the film as worth watching and gave it 3 stars. [42] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare praised the film as dramatic account of a terrorist life and gave it 3 stars. [43] Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter called it a "gripping study of evil that reveals nothing". [28] Dennis Harvey called it a "slickly mounted film" but criticised the lack of motivation behind the crimes. [27] Namrata Joshi of The Hindu did not find the film clinical. [44] Shalini Langer of The Indian Express termed the film as a passion-less biopic and gave it 2.5 stars. [45] Tanul Thakur of the Wire did not find the film too compelling. [46] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in described the film as a damp squib. [40]

Box office

Omerta was released in 500 screens in India. [1] Omerta did not open well at the Indian box office. [47] [48] It grossed ₹ 54 lakhs on the first day. The collections picked up on the first weekend and the film grossed more than ₹ 2 crores on Saturday and Sunday. [49] Omerta grossed ₹ 3.25 crores in the first week. [50] [51] Director Hansal Mehta said that film's poor collections were due to bad show timings after the success of Avengers: Infinity War in India. [52] Omerta was not released in Bahrain, as Censor Board did not grant permission. [53] [54]

Controversy

On 26 April 2018, Supreme Court of India passed a judgement, demanding director Hansal Mehta to deposit Omerta's earnings in separate bank account to pay up dues of Adarsh Telemedia — a film production house financed by Amit Agarwal, Kolkata-based businessman. [55] [56]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajkummar Rao</span> Indian film actor

Rajkummar Rao is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. He has appeared in more than 30 films since 2010, and is the recipient of several accolades including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards and an Asia Pacific Screen Award. In 2017, he appeared on Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list.

<i>Shahid</i> (film) 2012 film by Hansal Mehta

Shahid is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film directed by Hansal Mehta, written by Sameer Gautam Singh and jointly produced by Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Bohra in association with Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur under the UTV Spotboy banner. Based on the life of lawyer and human rights activist Shahid Azmi, who was assassinated in 2010, the film stars Rajkummar Rao as Azmi; Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Prabhleen Sandhu and Baljinder Kaur appear in supporting roles.

<i>CityLights</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Hansal Mehta

CityLights is a 2014 Indian drama film directed by Hansal Mehta starring Rajkummar Rao and actress Patralekha in the lead roles. It is a remake of the BAFTA nominated British film Metro Manila (2013). The film was presented by Fox Star Studios in association with Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hansal Mehta</span> Indian film director (born 1968)

Hansal Mehta is an Indian filmmaker. He started his career with television show Khana Khazana (1993–2000) and later moved on to directing films like Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar!! (2000), Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai? (2002) and Woodstock Villa (2008). He received critical acclaim with Shahid (2013), for which he won the National Film Award for Best Direction. He was nominated for a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Film for Faraaz (2023). He directed the television series Scam 1992 (2020), for which he won the Filmfare OTT Award for best director and Scoop (2023), which won the Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Award for best Asian television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patralekha Paul</span> Indian film actress (born 1990)

Patralekha Paul known mononymously as Patralekha, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. Paul made her acting debut with drama film CityLights (2014), for which she won the Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muskurane</span> 2014 Hindi song

Muskurane (transl. Smile) is a romantic song from the 2014 film, CityLights. Composed by Jeet Gannguli, the song is sung by Arijit Singh, with lyrics penned by Rashmi Singh. The music video of the track features actors Rajkummar Rao, Patralekha and Arijit Singh.

<i>Aligarh</i> (film) 2015 film by Hansal Mehta

Aligarh is a 2015 Indian Hindi- language biographical drama film directed by Hansal Mehta and written by Apurva Asrani. It stars Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao in the lead roles.

<i>Simran</i> (film) 2017 film directed by Hansal Mehta

Simran is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language heist drama film directed by Hansal Mehta in a screenplay written by Apurva Asrani. Loosely based on the real- life story of Sandeep Kaur, the film stars Kangana Ranaut as Praful Patel, a divorcee, who loses her savings in a gambling bout. She takes a loan in order to repair the damage but when she is unable to repay it, she finds herself drawn into a life of crime. Hiten Kumar, Kishori Shahane and Sohum Shah are featured in supporting roles.

<i>Stree</i> (2018 film) 2018 Indian comedy horror film

Stree is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by debutant Amar Kaushik and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Raj & D.K. It stars Rajkummar Rao in the main lead, alongside Shraddha Kapoor, Flora Saini, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, and Abhishek Banerjee. The plot is based on the urban legend Nale Ba of Karnataka, modified as O Stree Kal Aana in the film.

<i>Judgementall Hai Kya</i> 2019 Indian Hindi-language black comedy film

Judgementall Hai Kya is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language black comedy film directed by Prakash Kovelamudi, with screenplay by Kanika Dhillon starring Kangana Ranaut and Rajkummar Rao, produced by Ekta Kapoor, the film was theatrically released in India on 26 July 2019. The movie received positive reviews for the performances, story, direction, dialogues, production values, and cinematography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luv Films</span> Indian film production company

Luv Films is an Indian film production house founded by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg in 2012. Based in Mumbai the company produces and distributes commercial as well as feature films. Within a short span of time the production house established itself as one of the prominent producers in the Indian film industry while giving blockbusters like Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety, Malang - Unleash The Madness, De De Pyaar De, Chhalaang. The production house has also produced two critically acclaimed films like Vadh and Kuttey. 

<i>Chhalaang</i> 2020 Indian comedy film

Chhalaang (transl. Leap) is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language sports black comedy film directed by Hansal Mehta. It is produced by Ajay Devgan, Luv Ranjan, Ankur Garg and presented by Bhushan Kumar. Chhalaang stars Rajkummar Rao, Nushrat Bharucha and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shailesh R. Singh</span> Indian film producer

Shailesh R Singh is an Indian film producer known for his works exclusively in Hindi cinema. In his 12-year career span, he has produced both commercially & critically acclaimed films.

<i>Roohi</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Hardik Mehta

Roohi is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language comedy horror film directed by Hardik Mehta and produced by Dinesh Vijan under the banner Maddock Films. The film is the second installment in Maddock Supernatural Universe, the first being Stree, and is followed by Bhediya. It tells the story of a ghost who abducts brides on their honeymoons. The film stars Rajkummar Rao, Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Sharma. It was announced on 29 March 2019 and filming kicked off on 14 June 2019 in Agra. The film was set to release in June 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic in India interrupted production. The film was theatrically released in India on 11 March 2021. The film received negative reviews from the critics for its convoluted plot. Publications like The Indian Express named it as one of the worst Hindi films of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajkummar Rao filmography</span> List of films of Indian actor Rajkummar Rao

Rajkummar Rao is an Indian film actor who has his first lead role in Dibakar Banerjee's anthology film Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010). After a few supporting roles in films like Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2 (2012) and Talaash: The Answer Lies Within, his breakthrough came with the drama film Kai Po Che! in 2013. He rose to prominence with his portrayal of a lawyer Shahid Azmi in Hansal Mehta's critically acclaimed biographical drama Shahid (2013), for which he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.

Maddock Supernatural Universe is an Indian shared universe consisting of Hindi-language supernatural horror comedy films.

<i>HIT: The First Case</i> (2022 film) 2022 Indian mystery thriller film

HIT: The First Case is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language thriller film written and directed by Sailesh Kolanu, being a remake of his 2020 Telugu film of the same name. The film is produced by Dil Raju Production and T-Series. It stars Rajkummar Rao and Sanya Malhotra. It was released on 15 July 2022.

<i>Faraaz</i> (film) 2022 film by Hansal Mehta

Faraaz is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language biographical horror thriller film directed by Hansal Mehta and produced by T-Series and Benaras Media Works. The film supports an ensemble cast with Juhi Babbar, Aamir Ali, Aditya Rawal, Zahan Kapoor, Jatin Sarin, Pallak Lalwani, and six newcomers, Jatin Sarin, Reshham Sahaani, Ninaad Bhatt, Harshal Pawar, and Sachin Lalwani including Kapoor marking their debuts. Based on an actual event, it depicts the Holey Artisan Bakery, July 2016 Dhaka attack that shook Bangladesh. The film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on 15 October 2022, and was released in India on 3 February 2023. At the 69th Filmfare Awards, the film received five nominations, including Best Film (Critics) and Best Supporting Actor (Rawal), and won Best Male Debut (Rawal).

<i>Srikanth</i> (film) 2024 Indian film by Tushar Hiranandani

Srikanth is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language biographical film on the life of Srikanth Bolla, a visually-impaired industrialist and the founder of Bollant Industries. Starring Rajkummar Rao in the title role, it is directed by Tushar Hiranandani and co-stars Jyothika, Alaya F and Sharad Kelkar.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "That old magic". The Hindu .
  2. ↑ "Omerta - Movie - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. ↑ "The simplified terror in Omerta".
  4. ↑ "Omerta review: Steely, concise portrait of a terrorist". Cinestaan. 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Omerta Movie Review: Brilliant performance trapped in a not quite brilliant film". 19 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "Omerta first look: Hansal Mehta, Rajkummar Rao team up again for this intriguing looking film" . Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  7. ↑ "Omerta Italian noun". Merriam Webster. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  8. ↑ Nathan, Leona (3 May 2018). "Rajkummar Rao Starrer Omerta Gets Thumbs Up From Critics – Read Reviews". India.com. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  9. ↑ "Toronto Film Festival 2017 Unveils Strong Slate". Deadline. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  10. ↑ Jha, Subhash K. (15 March 2018). "Hansal Mehta surprised by U/A certification for Omerta". The Asian Age. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Hansal Mehta: Happy that audience appreciated hard push against terrorism in Omerta". The Indian Express. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "Omerta, Nude to screen at New York Indian Film Festival, tributes to Sridevi and Shashi Kapoor planned".
  13. ↑ "CLOSING NIGHT FILM SCREENING HANSAL MEHTA OMERTA". Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  14. ↑ "Why Omerta should be remembered as a classic example of film editing".
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Kameshwari, A. (16 March 2018). "Omerta raises uncomfortable questions but does not provide any answers: Hansal Mehta". The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  16. ↑ Parkar, Shaheen (16 March 2018). "Mukul Dev: Omar Sheikh Turned Me Into A Writer". Mid Day. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  17. 1 2 Bhattacharya, Roshmila (20 March 2018). "Omerta director Hansal Mehta: I am the outsider even after 25 years". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "It was this Hollywood actor who was the first choice for 'Omerta', not Rajkummar Rao!". The Times of India .
  19. ↑ Srivastava, Shruti (14 March 2018). "Omerta Director Hansal Mehta Wants To 'Leave The Viewer With A Sense Of Disgust, Hate'". NDTV. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  20. 1 2 Srivastava, Shruti (13 March 2018). "Omerta First Look: Rajkummar Rao As An Antagonist Will Leave You Speechless". NDTV. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  21. ↑ "'Omertà' traces a dreaded terrorist's footsteps". The Times of India .
  22. ↑ "OMAR SHAIKH: THE MAN WHO BEHEADED DANIEL PEARL".
  23. 1 2 "Omerta director Hansal Mehta: With Rajkummar Rao, no challenge seems insurmountable". The Indian Express. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  24. ↑ "Hansal Mehta: Purchased actual footage to keep Omerta as real as possible". The Indian Express. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  25. 1 2 Kameshwari, A. (14 March 2018). "Rajkummar Rao: I was very disturbed while shooting for Omerta". The Indian Express. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  26. ↑ "During Omertà filming, Rajkummar Rao had a shocking reaction to the 2015 Paris attacks". Times Now. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  27. 1 2 Harvey, Dennis (22 September 2017). "Toronto Film Review: 'Omertà'". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  28. 1 2 "'Omerta': Film Review: Mumbai 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  29. ↑ "Hansal Mehta On Omerta's Censor Hurdle: Revising Committee Lopped Off Frontal Nudity".
  30. ↑ "Rajkummar Rao-starrer Omerta's release date pushed to 4 May; CBFC clears film with 'A' certificate".
  31. ↑ "Omerta: Hansal Mehta asked to chop off Rajkummar Rao's frontal nudity scene despite A certificate".
  32. ↑ "'Omerta': Censor board demands two scenes cut from the Rajkummar Rao starrer". The Times of India .
  33. ↑ "Omerta: Banned scenes leaked online days before film's release". Archived from the original on 2 May 2018.
  34. ↑ "Bollywood celebrities react to Rajkummar Rao starrer 'Omerta'". The Times of India .
  35. ↑ "Omerta's Special Screening & Hansal Mehta's Birthday Party".
  36. ↑ "Omerta movie review: Rajkummar Rao's stellar performance carries Hansal Mehta's gripping, clinical terrorography".
  37. ↑ "Omerta Review: Rajkummar Rao Plays a Sociopath With an Iciness That Will Stay With You".
  38. ↑ "Omerta Movie Review: Rajkummar Rao Gives Pitch Perfect Performance In This Riveting Thriller".
  39. ↑ "Omerta movie review: Rajkummar Rao's film focuses on the terrorist's modus operandi, not his ideology". 4 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  40. 1 2 Ramnath, Nandini. "'Omerta' film review: A damp squib about deadly terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh" . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  41. ↑ "'Omerta' review: A brutal and nerve-wracking tale of terrorism". 7 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018– via The Economic Times.
  42. ↑ "'Omerta' Movie Review: Rajkummar Rao-Hansal Mehta's film is worth a dekko if you like terror sagas – Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". 3 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  43. ↑ "Movie Review: Omerta" . Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  44. ↑ Joshi, Namrata (4 May 2018). "'Omerta' review: doesn't go beyond the clinical" . Retrieved 13 May 2018– via www.thehindu.com.
  45. ↑ "Omerta movie review: A surprisingly passion-less biopic of Omar Saeed Sheikh". 4 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  46. ↑ "'Omertà' Fails to Go Deeper Than the Basic Facts – The Wire". The Wire. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  47. ↑ Hungama, Bollywood. "Omerta Box Office Collection till Now – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama . Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  48. ↑ Hungama, Bollywood (4 May 2018). "BO update: 102 NOT OUT opens to 15%, OMERTA is a disaster – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama . Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  49. ↑ "Omerta Box Office Collection Day 2: Rajkummar Rao's Film Adds Rs. 1 Crore To Its Business".
  50. ↑ "102 Not Out Decent First Week – Omerta Disaster – Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  51. ↑ "102 Not Out Is Rock Steady On Tuesday – Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  52. ↑ "Thanks to the success of Avengers, we were given very poor show timings: Hansal Mehta on Omerta collection". 6 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  53. ↑ "BREAKING: Hansal Mehta's Rajkummar Rao starrer Omerta faces censor issue in Bahrain". Bollywood Hungama .
  54. ↑ "After India, Rajkummar Rao starrer 'Omerta' faces Censor Board trouble in Bahrain – Censor Board controversies – The Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  55. ↑ "Hansal Mehta can't use his earnings from Rajkummar Rao's Omerta, here's why".
  56. ↑ "Hansal Mehta ordered by SC to deposit Omerta's earnings in separate account to pay up Rs 7 cr dues".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.