Kareena Kapoor recalled hosting an Omkara screening for top directors, expecting praise for her performance, but Saif Ali Khan’s role as Langda Tyagi stole the spotlight.
Kareena Kapoor reflected on her 25-year career and a memorable moment from Omkara, where she expected praise for her performance as Desdemona but was surprised when Saif Ali Khan’s portrayal of Langda Tyagi stole the spotlight.
Kareena Kapoor is celebrating 25 years in the film industry this year. Over the course of her career, Kareena has established herself as a versatile actor who can balance the demands of being a movie star while delivering powerful performances when required. One of her most memorable roles was in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara, where she portrayed his version of Desdemona in the film, which was based on Shakespeare’s Othello. At a recent event, Kareena fondly reminisced about how proud she was of her performance in Omkara and even arranged a special screening for some of the industry’s most renowned directors to showcase her work. However, much to her surprise, Saif Ali Khan’s portrayal of Langda Tyagi stole the spotlight, and instead of the praise she had expected, everyone gravitated toward Saif.
During the event, Kareena shared how she invited top directors like Mani Ratnam to the screening, confident in her own performance. “I said it’s such a good performance, I am going to call all the directors. From Mani Ratnam to everybody… all the directors. I am going to have this trial and call all the directors because I think I have done really well in this movie. I had this in Film City and everyone was there and of course, Vishal, Konkana Sensharma, Vivek Oberoi, Saif Ali Khan, everyone was there. And I was excited that they are going to watch me as Desdemona,” she recalled.
But things didn’t go as she expected. By the interval, the conversation had already shifted towards Saif’s captivating performance. “At interval, everyone came out and said you are really nice, we loved everyone and Saif was amazing. And then, the movie ended and everyone was like ‘You were fab but where’s Saif?’ I was like ‘what is happening? I called everybody to praise me.’ Then suddenly everyone just flocked to Saif and was praising him,” Kareena recounted with a laugh.
Interestingly, Kareena and Saif started dating a few years after Omkara, and today they are happily married with two children.
At the same event, held to honor Kareena’s milestone in the industry, she was asked about Saif’s reaction to the entire situation. Kareena shared that Saif was “extremely happy about it,” and mentioned that he wanted to watch Omkara and Ashoka at the festival, reflecting their shared appreciation for each other’s work.
Omkara was a 2006 Indian crime drama film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, adapted from Shakespeare’s Othello. Set in the political and criminal landscape of rural Uttar Pradesh, the film follows Omkara (Ajay Devgn), a local gang leader, as he navigates power struggles, jealousy, and betrayal. The film featured strong performances by Kareena Kapoor as Dolly (Desdemona), Saif Ali Khan as the cunning Langda Tyagi (Iago), and Vivek Oberoi as Kesu (Cassio). With a gripping storyline, dark themes, and powerful music, Omkara is regarded as one of the best adaptations of Shakespeare in Indian cinema.
