This research utilizes a Qualitative Comparative Content Analysis (QCCA) to explore the significant differences in the motivation for revenge between Iago in William Shakespeare’s Othello and Langda Tyagi in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film, Omkara. The examination reveals that although both adversaries are essential triggers for tragic downfall, the adaptation essentially re-establishes the essence of their malevolence. Iago’s motivation is intangible, psychological, and marked by “motiveless malignity,” arising from anxieties about class and socio-sexual grievances (Coleridge, Newman). In stark opposition, Langda Tyagi’s drive is focused, practical, and wholly material, stemming from the loss of the Bahubali political position and the abuse of strict Caste/Feudal Honour Codes (Trivedi, Rajadhyaksha & Willemen). The results indicate that Bhardwaj’s Omkara serves as a potent post-colonial reimagining, substituting Iago’s intrinsic malevolence with an examination of systemic marginalization and the concrete quest for power, thus framing Langda Tyagi as a strategic political rival instead of a mysterious villain. This change demonstrates how the enduring model of revenge is moulded by its current socio-cultural environment.

Keywords: Othello, Omkara, Iago, Langda Tyagi, Adaptation Theory, Post-Colonialism, Motiveless Malignity, Socio-Political Critique.

Dr Noveena Chakravorty, Associate Professor, Department of Media Studies, School of Media and Communication, Adamas University

Ms. Ayantika Das, MA Journalism and Mass Communication, School of Media and Communication, Adamas University

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