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The film is counted among the cult classic films of Bollywood and is based on William Shakespeare’s famous play ‘Othello’. ‘Omkara’ It has been 20 years since its release. On this special occasion, many interesting and unheard stories related to the film have once again become a topic of discussion among cinema lovers.
In this series, actor Saif Ali Khan, who played the immortal and dreaded character of ‘Langra Tyagi’ in the film, has made a very shocking revelation regarding the casting of the film during an interview. Saif told that this historical character was not initially written for him, but the director’s first choice for this was Mr. Perfectionist i.e. Aamir Khan.
‘Creative differences’ between Aamir Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj
Saif Ali Khan told that the film’s director Vishal Bhardwaj first wanted to cast Aamir Khan for this rustic, clever and villainous character. Aamir Khan also liked the concept and character of the film, but his thinking regarding some aspects of the script and character was slightly different from that of the director.
There were several rounds of talks between Vishal Bhardwaj and Aamir Khan regarding this role. Both are veterans of cinema, but both could not come on the same page on the ‘creative vision’ of bringing this character on screen. Ultimately, due to mutual differences, Aamir Khan separated from this project.
The risky journey of becoming a ‘lame Tyagi’ from a romantic hero
After Aamir Khan left the film, Vishal Bhardwaj approached Saif Ali Khan for this role. In that era of 2006, Saif Ali Khan’s image in Bollywood was that of a ‘chocolate boy’ or ‘urban-romantic’ hero, who was doing films like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ and ‘Hum Tum’.
In such a situation, when Vishal Bhardwaj decided to cast him as ‘Langra Tyagi’, a limping, gutkha-chewing and abusive character from the background of Meerut, many pundits of the film industry were surprised at this decision. People thought that Saif would prove to be a complete misfit (wrong choice) in this look and tone, but the director had full faith in Saif’s ability.
Saif changed the fate of his career; Received the honor of National Award
Saif Ali Khan also took this challenge as an opportunity and completely immersed himself in the character. Breaking his urban image, he worked hard for months on his body language, the rustic dialect of western Uttar Pradesh, the pitch of his voice and his facial expressions.
When the film was released in theatres, Saif Ali Khan created such a stir on the screen with his acting that despite Ajay Devgan being the lead actor, the entire film remained centered around Saif’s character. From critics to the audience, everyone was stunned to see this new and scary look of Saif. Saif was also awarded many prestigious awards for this role that year.
A right casting decision and the film became history.
Apart from Saif Ali Khan and Ajay Devgan, veteran actors like Kareena Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Bipasha Basu and Vivek Oberoi had shown their acting skills in ‘Omkara’ released in 2006. Even after two decades, when a list of the best villains or characters in the history of Indian cinema is made, the name of ‘Langra Tyagi’ comes at the top. This story of Saif Ali Khan is the biggest proof that sometimes a small change during casting can change the fate of an actor and his entire identity forever.