As the cult classic ‘Omkara’ clocked 20 years, Saif Ali Khan returns to the remarkable coincidence that led to his iconic portrayal of Langda Tyagi in: Vishal Bhardwajby Shakespearean adaptation. Bhardwaj, however, had other plans for him. not Othello, but Langda Tyagi. The actor also recalled the memorable casting remark of Bhardwaj, his mother Sharmila TagoreShakespeare’s advice to do Shakespeare, and a funny behind-the-scenes anecdote about filming an intense scene.
Saif Ali Khan recalls the ‘miracle’ that took him to Omkara. ‘You’re too handsome to play Othello’
As Vishal Bhardwaj’s ‘Omkara’ celebrates 20 years, Saif Ali Khan opens up about the rare coincidence that got him one of the most acclaimed performances of his career. The 2006 adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello, set against the rugged landscape of Uttar Pradesh, is widely considered a landmark in Hindi cinema, with Saif’s portrayal of the plotting Langda Tyagi garnering widespread critical acclaim.Speaking to IMDb, the actor described the phone call from Vishal Bhardwaj as a miracle, revealing that it happened moments after his mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, encouraged him to take on Shakespeare.
Sharmila Tagore’s advice was followed by an unbelievable call
Saif recalls that he was shooting in Jaipur when he spoke to his mother about wanting to do Shakespeare on screen.“My mom just talked to me, and she said, ‘Yeah, you’re becoming an interesting actor, and I like your development. You should do Shakespeare.’ I said, ‘That would be great if I could.’ And then he suggested, ‘You should do Othello or something.’ Then the phone rang. Vishal Bhardwaj.”The actor said that he was stunned when Bhardwaj revealed that he was planning a Shakespeare adaptation.“He said, ‘I’m thinking of offering you a film. I’m thinking of doing Shakespeare.’ I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Yes, Othello.’ I went, ‘What?'”Initially, Saif believed he was being considered for the lead role, which eventually went to Ajay Devgn, who played Omkara.However, Bhardwaj had a different attitude of mind.“I asked, ‘Should I play Othello?’ He said, ‘No, no, you’re too handsome to play Othello.'”Instead, Bhardwaj offered him the role of Langda Tyagi, a character inspired by Shakespeare’s Iago.Surprised by the unexpected casting, Saif asked the filmmaker what convinced him that he was right for the part.“I asked him, ‘Why are you thinking of me?’ He said, ‘I saw you in Dil Chahta Hai and I really liked it.’ I thought, ‘Dil Chahta Hai? That person is so sweet.'”The role turned out to be one of the defining performances of Saif’s career and remains one of the most famous negative characters in contemporary Hindi cinema.
Saif reveals a funny behind the scenes from ‘Omkara’
In a separate conversation with THR India, Saif also shared a funny memory from the sets of Omkara involving one of Langda Tyagi’s emotionally charged scenes. According to the actor, Bhardwaj suggested shooting a long mirror monologue without clothes to heighten the vulnerability of the character.“There was some kind of long dialogue in front of this mirror. And I remember Vishal ji saying, ‘Do you want to do this naked?'”Although intrigued by the creative idea, Saif admitted that he hesitated because the set was crowded.“It was a very exciting thing, but I was kind of conscious because there were so many people on set. So I remember him saying, ‘Listen, if you lead me naked, I’ll do it.’ And he said, ‘No, I’m not.’ So, yeah, that’s the funny part. “
More about ‘Omkara’
Released in 2006, ‘Omkara’ is considered one of Vishal Bhardwaj’s finest works and a landmark adaptation of Shakespeare for Indian audiences. Featuring Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Vivek Oberoi, the film remains celebrated for its powerful performances, memorable dialogues and gritty storytelling.