How Saif convinced Vidhu Vinod Chopra for 'Parineeta'
What's the story
In a recent interview with News18, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan revealed that he was offered Akshaye Khanna's role in Race. However, he chose to play the elder brother's character instead. "Even in Race, they wanted me to play Akshaye Khanna's role. It was an amazing role, but I told them that I want to play the elder brother, who's a little more responsible." Khan also spoke about convincing producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra about casting him in Parineeta.
Role challenges
Struggle to break away from 'metrosexual guy' image
Khan highlighted his struggle to break his "metrosexual guy" image. Recalling the casting for Parineeta, he said, "Mr Chopra is an amazingly encouraging person. We were speaking to each other, and he told me that he was looking to cast someone else as Shekhar." "He told me that that actor's career hadn't worked out the way he wanted. I was told that he has pain, and I didn't."
Persuasion
Khan was eventually able to convince Chopra
"I said to Mr Chopra, since when is failure a prerequisite to getting a role? We had a bit of a joke on that." "He thought I'm a bit 'rom com-y'. I talked to him about it and tried to convince him to give me a shot at playing Shekhar." The film was directed by Pradeep Sarkar.
Career progression
On his role in 'Omkara'
Khan, who is best known for his "romantic comedies and lighter roles," said it took a "leap of faith" for filmmakers to cast him in serious roles. He also spoke about his iconic role as Langda Tyagi in Omkara, saying it was director Vishal Bhardwaj's vision. "I would never have asked for that part because I would've never gone there," he admitted. "I would've never thought of even doing a role like that. He thought of casting me," he added.