Saif Ali Khan has one of the most interesting characters in Vishal Bharadwaj's Omkara, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. It explains why his co-stars, Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu, would rather have his role!
Saif plays Langda Tyagi, a man compelled by jealousy to hurt the people closest to him. The National Award-winning actor tells Patcy N more. Excerpts:
I was shooting for Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya, which is similar to Shakespeare's Hamlet. My mother (Sharmila Tagore) called and we were speaking about Shakespeare when she casually mentioned I should do Othello. I soon found out that Vishal Bharadwaj was adapting it and wanted to meet me. I was surprised by the coincidence.
Vishal wanted me to play Iago. I wasn't sure about doing a negative role because films are about selling dreams and being larger than life. When you can be a hero, why play something designed to upset people? He then narrated the first scene, and I heard the language. I felt it would be a challenge to place a Western theme in a rural setting.
Also Read: Showcasing Omkara
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