'In 'Race', they wanted me to play Akshaye Khanna's role': Saif Ali Khan reveals the huge casting shakeup in Abbas Mustan film

With his latest series, 'Kartavya', drawing praise for his gritty Haryanvi cop act and inevitable comparisons to his iconic Langda Tyagi from 'Omkara', Saif Ali Khan has opened up about the behind-the-scenes battles he fought to prove himself beyond romantic comedies. Now, the actor revealed that convincing filmmakers of his range has been a recurring challenge throughout his career.Saif Ali Khan, long associated with suave, metropolitan characters, admits that roles requiring a rougher, more complex edge rarely land in his lap. In conversation with News18, he said, "I had to convince filmmakers that I can be more than a metrosexual guy a couple of times," reflecting on a pattern that has defined some of his most celebrated work.In the same conversation, Saif also revealed that the makers of 'Race' wanted him to play the role of Akshaye Khanna initially. He said, "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."The pattern, he explained, stems from his earlier commercial success in lighter fare. He added, "I had had successes in romantic comedies and lighter roles. So, it took a leap of faith to cast me in more serious roles."Interestingly, 'Omkara', arguably his most celebrated departure from type, is the one role Saif said that he never would have pursued himself. The actor shared, "I can't say the same for 'Omkara'. The decision was up to Vishal (Bhardwaj) ji. I would never have asked for that part because I would've never gone there. I would've never thought of even doing a role like that on my own. He thought of casting me in 'Omkara'. But these serious, calmer and cooler guys are parts that people don't usually come to me with."Directed by Pulkit, the film stars Saif Ali Khan as SHO Pawan Malik of Jhamli. The movie also features Sanjay Mishra, Rasika Duggal, Saurabh Dwivedi, Zakir Hussain, and Manish Chaudhari. It premiered on Netflix on May 15, 2026.