Saif Ali Khan, one of the early birds of digital entertainment, knows its perks. Even as his recent offering Bhoot Police enjoyed a direct-to-web premiere, the actor rules out the possibility of Adipurush taking the same route. He argues that the Prabhas and Kriti Sanon-starrer — an adaptation of the epic, Ramayana — deserves to be told on the big screen, owing to its visual effects. The actor believes that director Om Raut won’t compromise on his magnum opus by having it stream on laptops and smart TVs.

“This is a big-ticket movie with never-before-seen [visual effects]. This film can’t release anywhere except in theatres. The [makers] will have to sit on it [until cinemas are fully up and running],” emphasises Khan.

The actor plays Lankesh to Prabhas’s Lord Ram in the movie. As he reunites with Raut after Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020), Khan applauds his knack for mounting larger-than-life projects, generously comparing him to K Asif of Mughal-E-Azam fame. “Om Raut is K Asif reborn. He is offering something yet unseen to the [Indian] audience.”