Kamal Ghorui
Saif Ali Khan is back in a heartland setting with his upcoming cop drama ‘Kartavya’, and it brings back memories of one of his most loved performances, Langda Tyagi from ‘Omkara’. The film, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, was based on Shakespeare’s works, and Saif’s performance in it is widely regarded as the best of his career. In a recent interview, Saif talked about how that role helped him prove himself to those who had doubted him, both in the industry and among the audience.
‘Omkara’ remains one of the finest Shakespearean adaptations in Hindi cinema
‘Omkara’ came out in July 2006 and is still remembered as one of the best Shakespearean adaptations ever made in Hindi cinema. The film was set in the political heartland of Uttar Pradesh and was based on Shakespeare’s Othello. Ajay Devgn played the main lead, while Saif played Langda Tyagi, a character inspired by the villain Iago from Shakespeare’s play. The film also featured Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, and Konkona Sen Sharma in important roles.
Saif Ali Khan credits Vishal Bhardwaj for believing in him, recalls preparing for role in Maldives
Saif was full of praise for director Vishal Bhardwaj, crediting him for believing in him when many others did not. Talking to PTI, he revealed, “Everyone was doubtful, but he was very kind and supportive and helped me with the dialogues. I did a lot of homework. I was on holiday in the Maldives, people were like, ‘Why don’t you rehearse in the heartland?’ I was reading this script under an umbrella in the Maldives, learning all these lines, and kept practising. Then I came back”.
Saif Ali Khan says ‘Omkara’ changed the way the industry saw him
Saif further added that the role changed the way people in the industry saw him, and the positive impact of that performance is something he still feels and benefits from even today. “The film has done so much for me, and I’ll always be thankful. It has expressed a certain range to a bunch of filmmakers, who would otherwise think that I can’t do it. They’ve said, ‘Okay, if he’s done that, then he can do this. I like playing roles like this (in Kartavya), which is not like Omkara, but it’s a little grounded, rooted, and very different from my personality. But that’s the whole point of acting. So, it’s nice if you can be free enough to have your own accent and your own body language and not try and convince people that actually you can be different,” Saif added.
‘Kartavya’ to premiere on Netflix on May 15
‘Kartavya’ is directed by Pulkit, who is known for making Bhakshak, and is produced by Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. The film has a talented cast including Sanjay Mishra, Saurabh Dwivedi, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudhari, and Rasika Dugal. It will be available to watch on Netflix from Friday, May 15.
