From the Indian contingent's point of view, the first Saturday of the 59th Cannes Film Festival belonged in large measure to Ajay Devgan.

Having shed an appreciable amount of weight, he now wears a lean, mean look, well in keeping with the persona he projects in his home production, "Omkara".

"Director Vishal Bhardwaj has done a fabulous job of transporting William Shakespeare to an Uttar Pradesh mafia milieu. It is a great interpretation of a timeless classic," said the usually reticent Ajay.

Does the fact that he is being typecast as the strong, silent, brooding man on screen worry him?

"Not at all," Ajay shoots back. "Two weeks ahead of the release of 'Omkara' (release date - July 28), another film of mine, 'Golmaal', will be making it to the theatres. It is an out and out comedy, a completely different kettle of fish," he added.

At a late night bash on the beach of Carlton Intercontinental, the actor made every effort to let the eight-minute promo speak for the film. All that he would say when Bhardwaj called him up on the podium was: "It is great to be here." That's quintessential Ajay.

No wonder Bhardwaj had no difficulty whatsoever in making up his mind about who would be best at interpreting the character of the sombre Othello.