Saif Ali Khan is back in a heartwarming setting with his next cop drama ‘Kartavya’, which brings back memories of one of his most loved performances, Langda Tyagi from ‘Omkara’. Film, director Vishal BhardwajIt was based on the works of Shakespeare, and Saif’s performance in it is considered the best of his career. In a recent interview, Saif spoke about how it helped him prove himself to those who doubted him, both in the industry and among the audience.
“Omkara” remains one of the best Shakespeare adaptations in Hindi cinema
‘Omkara’ was released in July 2006 and is still remembered as one of the best Shakespeare 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 lead, while Saif played Langda Tyagi, a character inspired by the villainous Iago from Shakespeare’s play. The film also featured Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoiand Konkona Sen Sharma in important roles.
Saif Ali Khan thanks Vishal Bhardwaj for believing in him, recalls preparing for role in Maldives
Saif was full of praise for director Vishal Bhardwaj for believing in him when many others did not. Talking to PTI, “Everyone was skeptical, but he was very kind and supportive and helped me through the interviews. I did a lot of homework. I was on holiday in the Maldives, people were saying, ‘Why don’t you rehearse in your heart?’ I was reading this script under an umbrella in the Maldives, I kept learning and practicing all these lines. Then I came back.”
Says Saif Ali Khan, ‘Omkara’ changed the way the industry saw him
Saif 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 today. “Film has done so much for me, and I’ll always be grateful. It’s kind of given a range to a bunch of filmmakers who might otherwise think I can’t do it. They’ve said, ‘OK, if he’s done that, he can do that. I like doing such roles (in Kartavya) because it’s not like Omkara, but it’s a bit grounded, rooted and very different from my personality. But that’s the thing about acting. So it’s nice that you can be free to have your own accent and your own body language and not try to convince people that you’re really different,” Saif added.
‘Kartavya’ will release on Netflix on May 15
‘Kartavya’ is directed by Pulkit, who is known for making Bhakshak, and 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 on Netflix from Friday, May 15.
