India, May 14 -- As Saif Ali Khan returns to the heartland with his cop drama Kartavya, many viewers and journalists are reminded of his first tryst with the land - Omkara. In Vishal Bhardwaj's seminal Shakespearean adaptation, Saif played gangster Langda Tyagi, widely considered his finest performance. In a new interview, the actor said the performance helped him overcome doubts from within the industry and audiences.

Released in July 2006, Omkara is widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema's finest Shakespearean adaptations, transplanting the tragedy of Othello to the political badlands of Uttar Pradesh. Ajay Devgn played the titular role, while Saif's Langda Tyagi was based on the Shakespearean villain Iago. The film also starred Kareen...