In 2006, director Vishal Bharadwaj embarked on a bold journey to adapt Shakespeare’s Othello for Indian audiences, giving birth to the gritty and powerful film Omkara. After deep discussions with writer Robin Bhatt, they concluded that Ajay Devgn was the perfect choice for the lead role. With Ajay and Kareena Kapoor locked in for the central characters, the team soon found themselves at a crossroads while casting the crucial role of Langda Tyagi.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment, Robin recently revealed in an interview, “Aamir Khan was ready to do the villain’s role. The second choice we had was Saif Ali Khan. However, at one point, we decided that Aamir was not the right choice for the film.” This decision steered them towards Saif Ali Khan, who, while enthusiastic, faced a significant hurdle — mastering the local dialect of western Uttar Pradesh, the region where the story was rooted.
Robin shared that Saif showed great determination to transform himself for the character. “Saif’s problem was the language required here. But then he started going for tuitions, he started training with another, chopped his hair,” he recalled. Saif’s commitment to perfecting the nuances of the dialect and his physical transformation ultimately helped him deliver one of the most iconic performances of his career.
The journey from a dilemma over casting to Saif Ali Khan’s career-defining portrayal stands today as an important chapter in the making of Omkara, a film that remains a benchmark in Indian cinema for its raw intensity and faithful adaptation of a Shakespearean tragedy.
