Saif Ali Khan’s career took a decisive turn with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara.
Saif Ali Khan’s career took a decisive turn with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara. An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello, re-imagined against the backdrop of India’s hinterlands, the 2006 film went on to become a landmark not just in the careers of those associated with it, but also in the evolution of Hindi cinema. As Omkara completes 20 years this month, Saif recently looked back on the remarkable chain of events that led him to the film. Speaking to IMDb, the actor recalled what he described as an almost miraculous coincidence. While shooting in Jaipur, he had a conversation with his mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, about his desire to perform Shakespeare on screen. Moments later, he received a call from Vishal Bhardwaj with an offer that seemed too uncanny to be true.‘You’re too handsome to play Othello’ “I was actually in Jaipur, and I was staying in this hotel, shooting for something, I can’t remember what. My mom had just spoken to me, and she said, “Yeah, you’re becoming an interesting actor, and I like how you’re developing. You should do Shakespeare.” I said, “That’d be great if I could.” And then she suggested, “You should do Othello or something.” Then the phone rang. It was Vishal Bhardwaj. He said, “I’m thinking of offering a film to you. I’m thinking of doing Shakespeare.” I was like, “What?” He said, “Yes, Othello.” I went, “What?”” Initially, Saif assumed he was being considered for the titular role of Othello, which was eventually played by Ajay Devgn as Omkara. However, Bhardwaj had something else in mind. “He came over and started telling me about it. I asked, “Should I play Othello?” He said, “No, no, you’re too handsome to play Othello.” (laughs) Which is… well, that was his way of saying it. But then he said, “I’m offering you a very interesting role.” He offered me the part of Langda Tyagi.” Saif admitted he was surprised by the casting and immediately asked Bhardwaj what made him think of him for the role. “I asked him, “Why did you think of me?” He said, “I saw you in Dil Chahta Hai and I really liked it.” I thought, “Dil Chahta Hai? That guy’s really sweet.”” ‘If you direct me naked, I’ll do it’ In another recent conversation with THR India, Saif also recalled an amusing incident from the sets of Omkara, when Bhardwaj suggested filming one of Langda Tyagi’s scenes without clothes. The actor said he was intrigued by the idea but ultimately declined because of the large crowd present on set. “I remember one incident from the film. There was a kind of long dialogue in front of this mirror. And I remember Vishal ji saying, ‘Would you mind doing it naked?’ It was a very exciting thing, but I was a bit conscious because there was a huge crowd on the set. So I remember saying to him, ‘Listen, if you direct me naked, I’ll do it.’ And he said, ‘No, I won’t.’ So, yeah, that was the funny part.” Saif Ali Khan was last seen in Kartavya.
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