Lone Believer: How Vishal Bhardwaj is betting on Saif Ali Khan for Langda Tyagi

Twenty years may have passed since Omkar first hit theaters, but Saif Ali Khan’s chilling performance as Langda Tyagi remains one of the best sinister performances in Hindi cinema. Vishal Bhardwaj's gritty model of Shakespeare's Othello did not redefine the literary adaptation in Bollywood yet additionally altered Saif's career, proving his range beyond the urban romantic roles he grew up alternately.

When the film turned 20, Omkara's co-producer and collaborator Abhishek Choubey looked down from behind the casting system and made Vishal Bhardwaj the only person who thought the actor wanted to leave the complicated place.

"No one was sure about Saif Ali Khan"

In an interview with Bollywood Hangama, Choubey admitted that the entire team was expecting a very unique actor for the role. He, along with others, took on the role of conspirator Langda Tyagi to make him look like a more serious, art-house artist, especially coming on the heels of Bhardwaj's Maqbool.

"I converted to the belief that the Langda Tyagi thing we go for an unconventional, bigger serious kind of actor... But Vishal said he went for Saif. And I'm like, 'Are you positive?' Saif hadn’t gotten anything like this before, had he? He pointed out that although Saif still proved to be very formidable, the Ha urban character in Ha urban sunse rugged, down-to-earth Tyagi

Choubey revealed that uncertainty was normal, but Bharadwaj’s conviction changed relentlessly. "I wasn't sure if it would be pictures, but Vishal was extremely confident that he could do it. I have to give him credit that not only me, but everybody around him now is not too sure what he preferred.

A mother’s nudge and a twist of fate

Choubey also said that Saif’s mother veteran actress Sharmila Tagore played an important role in his selection. She knew Shakespeare and encouraged him, saying that Iago was the most memorable character in the play. The best hurdle was timing as Saif gets delivered for another film. "His dates weren't clean." I think he kept competing. But then Race started moving and he came on board here,” Chaubey defined.

Interestingly, Saif Ali Khan himself recently recalled a very good accident that hit his career. In an interview with IMDb, the actor discovered that right after a worrying interaction with his mother, Vishal Bhardwaj received an unexpected phone call.

“I would definitely be in Jaipur… My mother had just spoken to me, he or she said, ‘Well, you’re going to be an exciting actor… you should do Shakespeare.’ I said, ‘It would be great if I had to.’ Then she suggested, ‘You should do Othello.’ Then the smartphone rang.

He confessed that he first turned to believe that he was approached to play the title character, which is ultimately portrayed using Ajay Devgn. However, Bharadwaj had a specific task in mind – which was to be the overall performance defined hereafter. “He came here and almost started saying it. I asked, “Am I going to play Othello?” He said, “No, no, you look too good to play Othello.” (laughs) … But then he said, “I’m going to give you a very interesting assignment.” He gave me the part of Langda Tyagi.”

‘He jumped at the chance’.

Omkara also became a landmark for exceptional language use. His down-to-earth language and unapologetic use of puns felt natural in this world, and recalling Saif’s reaction to the bold script, which was unlike anything the mainstream Hindi audience was experiencing at the time, Choubey said the actor undoubtedly embraced the opportunity.

“Saif jumped at the chance. He said, ‘Once again, I’m never in danger of doing anything like this,’” Choubey said. He said there were some concerns about how news not made by the Indian language market could be normalized or cleared by the censor board, but the inventive language of the crew was cleared "Shakespeare is first-class poetry. Let me point out in a perfectly poetic way that this has not been used without reason.

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