Playing Langda Tyagi in Omkara was a turning point in Saif Ali Khan's Bollywood career, but director Vishal Bhardwaj says it was Aamir Khan who was keen to star in the role initially. The movie, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, was released in 2006. Bhardwaj says it was Aamir who inspired him to make the movie and he was willing to play the character of Langda Tyagi.

"There was a film we were planning to make, but it got shelved after a year because of some differences. "During that time I used to tell Aamir about this character Langda Tyagi and Othello, so he encouraged me to do something on it and said he will play that role.

He told me to come to him after a year when the script is ready but this time I did not want to fall into his trap so I went to Saif," Bhardwaj said on the sidelines of NFDC Film Bazaar here. "I thought if Aamir is interested in some character it might have some potential. And I saw that hunger in Saif's eyes; he was desperate to shed that lover boy image," he added.

Saif went onto win a Filmfare award for his portrayal of Langda Tyagi. Bhardwaj is currently working on the release of his upcoming film Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola, starring Pankaj Kapur, Anushka Sharma and Imran Khan.