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'Omkara': When Vishal Bhardwaj asked Saif to perform scene naked
09 Jul 2026

As Omkara completes 20 years, actor Saif Ali Khan has revisited some of the film's most memorable moments.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, he shared an unusual suggestion from director Vishal Bhardwaj for one of the movie's pivotal scenes.

Looking back at the experience, Khan revealed how Bhardwaj's unconventional filmmaking approach left a lasting impression on him.

Bhardwaj's shocking suggestion for a scene
Unusual suggestion

Khan recalled a scene where he had to deliver a monologue in front of a mirror.

He said, "There was a kind of long dialogue in front of this mirror."

"And I remember Vishal ji saying, 'Would you mind doing it naked?' It was a very exciting thing, but I was a bit conscious because there was a huge crowd."

"So I remember saying, 'Listen, if you direct me naked, I'll do it.' And he said, 'No, I won't.'"

Khan now feels he should have agreed to it
Reflection

Looking back at the incident, Khan admitted he now sees the suggestion differently.

"Even now, when I look back, I wouldn't have minded. Maybe I should have, in the sense that he shoots from the back, in silhouette. I think it would have looked great."

"Since we were doing new things, this would have been something. Yeah, I mean, I'd do it today," he added.

The director's last-minute change to the scene
Scene alteration

Khan also revealed that Bhardwaj made a significant creative change to the same sequence just before filming.

The original version featured a lengthy dialogue expressing Langda Tyagi's thoughts of revenge.

However, moments before the cameras rolled, the filmmaker decided to replace the speech with a powerful scene.

'I want you to smash the mirror yourself'
Director's vision

Recalling the director's instructions, Khan shared, "There was a long dialogue. At the last minute, he came up to me...and said, 'I don't want you to say any dialogues. I've got an idea."

He further explained Bhardwaj's vision: "So he said, 'I want you to stand in front of the mirror. I'll come in on a trolley...we'll give you some metal in your hand, something heavy...and I want you to smash the mirror yourself and break it."

Aamir Khan was 1st choice for Langda Tyagi
Casting details

Earlier, in an interview with Film Companion, Khan had also spoken about actor Aamir Khan being the first choice for Langda Tyagi.

"Yes, that is what I heard later," Khan said, adding, "'Vishal said, 'He was asking me a lot of questions, and he wanted to alter things.'"

He further recalled, "Aamir must have just had a discussion with him, but Vishal apparently said he would call him back and then called me instead."