Laal Kaptaan director reveals they tweaked Khan's on-screen avatar after fans drew parallels with Johnny Depp's character in Pirates Of The Caribbean
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 5, 2019)

As soon as Saif Ali Khan's look from Laal Kaptaan was leaked last year, cinephiles promptly pointed out its striking similarities with Johnny Depp's avatar from Pirates Of The Caribbean. While director Navdeep Singh maintains that the resemblance was coincidental, he reveals that the team made minor alterations to Khan's look after the similarities were brought to their notice. "Some scenes required Saif to wear a head gear. But we decided to discard it [owing to the similarities with Jack Sparrow]. Also, I would like to point out that naga sadhus have been around for almost 5,000 years. So, Jack Sparrow's look could have been inspired by them. Johnny Depp's character has dreadlocks and wears an orange bandana. If you go to Haridwar, you will find hundreds of sadhus dressed exactly like that. So it's silly to compare the two looks."

Singh emphasises that his leading man's rugged avatar — replete with kohl-lined eyes, ash-smeared face and dreadlocks — is crucial to his act as a ruthless Naga sadhu seeking revenge. The actor, on his part, devoted months to bulk up for the role. "I didn't want a chiselled body that can be acquired through regular gym sessions because that would be a modern day look. I wanted Saif to have the appearance of a pehelwan, a robust frame that you acquire by going to the akhada."

Heaping praise on Khan for getting into the skin of the character, the director says the shoot was physically demanding. "When we were shooting in the desert, Saif's feet had developed cracks and were bleeding since he was walking on the hot sand. My assistants excitedly told me, 'Sir, that is real blood. Let's include it in the shot,'" he laughs.