As makers unveil Saif Khan's appearance in Laal Kaptaan, actor on investing two hours a day to look like a Naga Sadhu
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 20, 2019)

One half of two warring brothers, Saif Ali Khan's role of a Naga Sadhu in Navdeep Singh's upcoming revenge drama gained attention last year when photos of the actor in character, went viral. Rechristening their film - until now referred to as Hunter - to Laal Kaptaan, the makers unveil the first look of the actor today. Chronicling the toil put into looking the part, Khan, in a previous interview to mid-day, had said, "I had to invest two hours a day for the make-up. [Shooting for the film was] like going to war every day."

Shot in the lesser known pockets of Rajasthan, Khan reveals that they filmed in "mud and heat" to add depth to its bitter premise. "I play a revengeful Naga Sadhu. He kills a British soldier, and wears a bandana to look cool."

NH10 fame director Singh courted controversy last year when cinephiles pointed to the similarities between the look of Khan, and that of Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp in Pirates Of The Caribbean. Yet, the actor stated that the inadvertent resemblance had missed the makers' eyes until they finished filming. "I can't believe I let that happen," he says, alluding to the similarities. "My nephew Kiaan [Karisma Kapoor's son] and son [Ibrahim] saw the photographs before they had leaked, and said, 'Hey, that's Jack Sparrow.' The resemblance was because of the jacket and dreadlocks. While filming, I never thought about it. If I did, I wouldn't have done it. But, everything will make sense when you see the film."

Ahead of the film's September 6 release, co-producer Color Yellow Production's Aanand L Rai says they are banking on its solid plot-line to make a mark at the box-office. "It is going to create a genre of its own."

Co-producer Eros International's Sunil Lulla adds, "Saif is gifted. This script boasts of a larger-than-life landscape."