Omkara had a fairly good performance at the box office in India and received widespread critical acclaim all over. The film grossed $16,466,144 worldwide in its total run at the box office. Even though the film received rave reviews, its dark theme and strong language kept away family audiences.[13] It was, however, a major success in the overseas markets. The film quickly entered the UK's Top 10 and did very well in Australia, South Africa and the United States.
Omkara was universally acclaimed and was praised for its taut script, dramatic sequences and its lead performances. Devgn and Kapoor's performances were considered to be their career-best at the time, yet it was Khan's performance as Langda Tyagi that received widespread critical acclaim and accolades, and was labeled as the real milestone of the film. Director Vishal Bhardwaj says it was Aamir Khan who was keen to star in the role of Langda Tyagi initially, but finally it was Saif Ali Khan who bagged the role. Sen Sharma, who eventually won a National Award for her performance, was also highly praised.[14][15][16]
