Had it not been Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara, we would have missed Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s intensely soulful rendition of Naina Thag Lenge, words penned by Gulzar, and music placed by Bhardwaj himself. Of any songs I have heard, known, ‘Naina’ fits perfectly to the context of the film’s storyline, like no other! Well, leaving aside the lyrics and music, it is the romantic arc between Omkara (Ajay Devgn) and Dolly(Kareena Kapoor) that unfolds aptly through this song in merely 3-4 minutes. And that’s what makes this music track an important highlight of Omkara.
Quite similar to the original play, tragedy overpowers romance in this Hindi adaptation, making it dark and preoccupied with the themes of power, betrayals, infidelity, etc. However, utilizing cinematic liberty, Bhardwaj keeps up with his trademark style of conveying a love story through a song. Just like Khul Kabhi in Haider or Ru-Ba-Ru in Maqbool, Naina Thag Lenge becomes the medium for Omi and Dolly’s love story.
In the first 20 minutes of the film, the song Naina stages Dolly’s character as a stand-alone persona. Precisely, she’s the only one who believes in true love while “following the tune of her heart,” as she conveys. Being from the upper caste, Dolly elopes with Omkara who is a political chief albeit backed down by his ‘half-caste’. Unlike Othello, Omkara is never alone. He is a demi-god of the countryside with high political connections. However, casteism is what causes the first conflict in his love story.
Despite all the tragic sides of the story, Bhardwaj seeps into Dolly’s love story, portraying it beautifully through Naina wherein the latter narrates her tale of approaching madness in Omkara’s love. Just a few minutes into the flashback and you’re already rooting for her character. A slow-burn song with a pacy tune that also defines the film in a nutshell. Moreover, it’s the precisely crafted love story within a music track that Bhardwaj seems to have mastered very well.
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