Saif Ali Khan addressed comparisons between his character Pawan Singh in the upcoming drama Kartavya and his iconic performance as Langda Tyagi in Omkara during the film’s trailer launch on Wednesday.
Soon after the trailer dropped, social media users began drawing parallels between the two characters because of their rooted dialogue delivery and rustic screen presence.
Speaking to the media, Saif said the biggest connection between the two roles is that Omkara helped filmmakers recognise his range as an actor.
“If there is any connection, it is probably that people think I come from a city background and speak polished English, so a filmmaker like Pulkit must have seen Omkara and realised that I can also play a rooted character like this,” Saif said.
The actor added that Vishal Bhardwaj’s directorial played a major role in changing how audiences and filmmakers perceived him professionally.
“This is a very big thing for me because people judge actors very quickly. They decide that someone can or cannot do a certain kind of role,” he shared.
Saif went on to thank filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj for casting him in Omkara, a role that broke away from the sophisticated urban characters he was mostly associated with at the time.
“Because of Omkara, people started taking me seriously as an actor. So I have to thank Vishal for that,” he said.
The actor also reflected on how surprising it still feels that Bhardwaj cast him in Omkara after seeing him in Dil Chahta Hai.
“I still don’t know what made him think I could do Langda Tyagi after watching Dil Chahta Hai, but I’m glad he did,” Saif joked.
Talking about the similarities between Pawan Singh and Langda Tyagi, Saif clarified that while the characters themselves are quite different, the dialect and rooted style of speaking may remind audiences of Omkara.
“There’s a certain voice and texture that comes with characters like these. Every person sounds a certain way for a reason, depending on where they come from. When you can capture that properly, it makes the role feel more complete,” he explained.
“There is a kind of generic language that actors can use which everybody understands, and that has its own advantages. But it’s far more satisfying when you can find a rooted voice for a character. I really enjoy that process,” he added.
Even though he understands why viewers are making comparisons after watching the trailer, Saif maintained that Pawan Singh is a very different character from Langda Tyagi.
“Maybe people associate me with a certain image, so when they see me speaking differently or playing a rooted part, it reminds them of Omkara. But for me, these are very different roles,” he added.
Backed by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment, Kartavya is set to premiere on Netflix on May 15.
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