Saif and Konkana

Saif, Konkona in desi Othello

He plays Iago, she plays his wife Emilia in Vishal Bharadwaj's remake

Ram Kamal Mukherjee

National award-winning actors Saif Ali Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma will be seen together on screen for the first time in director Vishal Bharadwaj's next venture based on Shakespeare's Othello. Konkona has been offered the role of Emilia, while Saif is to play her husband, and the villain, Iago. The director has already finalised Ajay Devgan as Othello and Kareena Kapoor as Desdemona. To be produced by Devgan Entertainments, the film also stars Vivek Oberoi as Cassio, lieutenant to Othello. "Yes, Vishal has approached me for the role of Emilia, and I would love to work with him," says Konkona, who feels that Maqbool is one of the finest Bard adaptations in recent times.

The director is now finalising the script and its technicalities. Our source reveals, "Saif has signed the film and he is extremely satisfied with the script." Saif plays Iago the standard bearer to Othello. Incidentally, Ajay and Saif were to work together in Aparna Sen's Hindi film Gulel, but the film was shelved after Pritish Nandy Communications backed out. Now Saif will play husband to Konkona (Aparna Sen's daughter). "I think Saif is a fantastic actor; I am sure he will work with my mother in future. Currently his mother and sister are working in my mom's first Hindi venture," says Konkona.

Vivek Oberoi, who is currently busy shooting in Bangkok for Indra Kumar's comedy Pyare Mohan, was unavailable for comments. An associate of Ajay Devgan informed that, "…it was Ajay who referred Vivek's name to Vishal. After working with him in Yuva, Ajay felt that Vivek has much more potential as an actor and he would justify the character." The director is searching for Bianca, Cassio's love interest. To be produced by Kumar Mangat, the film will be launched in January and will wind up by April 2006.