Not Saif, this superstar was the first choice for 'Omkara'
What's the story
Writer Robin Bhatt recently revealed that superstar Aamir Khan was first approached for the role of Langda Tyagi in Omkara, an adaptation ofWilliamShakespeare's Othello.
However, despite Aamir's willingness to play the complex role, Saif Ali Khan was eventually chosen.
Here's what happened.
Casting decision
'Aamir was ready to do the villain's role'
Bhatt revealed that after locking Ajay Devgn and Kareena Kapoor Khan in lead roles, they were stuck in a dilemma over who would play Langda Tyagi.
"Aamir was ready to do the villain's role. The second choice we had was Saif Ali Khan. However, at one point, we decided that Aamir was not the right choice for the film."
This paved the way for Saif, who was offered the role, despite struggling with the local dialect of western UP.
Preparation process
Saif's dedication to mastering local dialect
Despite initial language barriers, Saif was determined to master the local dialect.
Bhatt shared, "Saif's problem was the language required here. But then he started going for tuitions, he started training with another, chopped his hair."
Saif even traveled to Maldives and Italy to focus on his role and practiced with co-star Deepak Dobriyal, who helped him with the language.
The movie also starred Vivek Oberoi and Konkona Sen Sharma and was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.