Aamir Khan Was Cast As Langda Tyagi In Omkara But Was Replaced, Says Writer: 'Saif Ali Khan's Problem Was...'
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In 2006, Vishal Bharadwaj's Omkara, an adaptation of Othello, gave Saif Ali Khan a role that is considered one of his best in Bollywood.
In 2006, Omkara was born when director Vishal Bharadwaj decided to adapt Shakespeare's Othello. After brainstorming with writer Robin Bhatt, they concluded that Ajay Devgn would be the ideal choice for the lead. Robin, in a recent interview, mentioned that after finalising Ajay and Kareena Kapoor for the main roles, they found themselves in a dilemma when it came to casting Langda Tyagi, as two well-known actors were interested in the part.
Speaking to Friday Talkies, Robin explained, 'Aamir 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 led them to offer the part to Saif, though he faced a challenge — he wasn't familiar with the local dialect of western UP, where the story was set.
Robin mentioned that Saif was eager to put in the effort to get into character, so he made a lot of changes, including cutting his hair and hiring a tutor to improve his language skills. '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.
In Omkara (2006), Saif Ali Khan played Langda Tyagi, a role that was very different from what he usually did. To prepare, Saif worked hard on the local dialect, even traveling to the Maldives and Italy to focus on his character. He practiced a lot with co-star Deepak Dobriyal, who helped him with the language. On set, Saif's hard work paid off. He nailed his lines in the first take, impressing director Vishal Bharadwaj. His portrayal of Langda Tyagi is considered one of his best in Bollywood. Omkara was widely praised by critics for its strong performances, gripping story, and unique take on Shakespeare's Othello.
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