When Vishal Bhardwaj dropped Aamir Khan and chose Saif as Langda Tyagi for Omkara

MUMBAI : Very rarely do you come across a character and an actor as perfectly matched as that of Langda Tyagi and Saif Ali Khan. Vishal Bhardwaj had already given us Maqbool (2003), an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth with Irrfan and Tabu, but with Omkara (2006), he was stepping into a slightly more commercial zone. The adaptation of the Bard's Othello, saw big names headline the project: Ajay Devgn as Omkara or Othello, Kareena Kapoor as Dolly or Desdemona, Vivek Oberoi as Keshav or Cassio, Konkona Sensharma as Indu or Emilia, and of course, Saif as Ishwar 'Langda' Tyagi or Lago.

Today, 14 years after the film's release, we cannot imagine any other actor do what Saif managed. Yet, for Vishal, Saif wasn't his first choice.

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In an interview with Film Companion, Saif admitted that Aamir Khan was first approached for the role of Langda Tyagi. Vishal showed him the script and was ready to discuss the character, and the ever-perfectionist Aamir wanted to add his two pence. At the very onset, Vishal decided not to compromise with how he had envisioned Omkara and the character of Langda Tyagi, and out went Aamir. Next on Vishal's calling list was Saif.

Saif was shooting for a different film at the time, making up his mind quietly that he will change his on-screen persona, evolve as an actor, because otherwise, what are you really doing? During a conversation on the phone, Sharmila Tagore, his mother suggested him with conviction, "You should find a Shakespearean role, that will get you what you want," to which Saif scoffed, and said, "Where do I find Shakespeare, I don't know if anyone is adapting it." And that's when he got a call from Vishal.

Vishal offered him Iago in his version of Othello. The actor had two reservations: he wanted to play Othello, and he wasn't sure he could be Lago, only the most rounded negative character ever sketched. Vishal, by then had none. He was sure Saif was his Lago.

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Credits: India Today