‘I am drawn towards darker, edgier scripts’: Saif Ali Khan on why 'Hunter' is his most ambitious project till date

These days, Saif Ali Khan is sporting a bushy beard and a man bun, which is a far cry from his erstwhile clean-shaven and cropped hair. This is the actor’s look for his forthcoming film Hunter, which is helmed by Navdeep Singh. In a candid chat, the National Award winner, who hasn’t had a good run at the box office in the recent past, reveals why he hopes this film will bring him back in the game.

A REVENGE SAGA

Saif says Hunter is not just a period war saga, but a revenge drama at its heart. Explaining what prompted him to take it up, he says, “When Navdeep came to me with the script, I immediately was drawn towards the subject. It’s a difficult and challenging role. Also, it’s my most-ambitious project till date. I don’t think I have been part of a film that has been made on this scale. It’s about a fight between two brothers and my character, who’s almost like an animal, fights for his rights.”

THE LOOK AND DESIGN

The Nawab is also sporting a look that he has never donned in any of his movies earlier. “I play a naga sadhu, so I’ve been growing my hair and beard. As the story is set against a war backdrop, I had to learn sword fighting and different forms of action. There’s a lot of post-production and VFX work involved in this project as it will have many war sequences,” he elaborates.  

VEERING TOWARDS EDGIER SCRIPTS

The actor confesses that rather than playing it safe, he is keen to experiment. “Sometimes, there’s a lot of pressure on me because my films haven’t fared well at the box office, and that makes me rethink my calculations. There have been times when I felt that the audience might not want to watch me anymore. But as an actor, I don’t like to do similar-looking roles or films; I’m drawn towards darker, edgier scripts,” Saif avers.

CASTING CHANGE

The 47-year-old states that he was eager to shoot with R Madhavan but the actor had to be replaced at the last minute. “It would have been great if both of us starred in the film, but he injured himself two days before the shoot. So, we had to finalise Manav Vij. He’s fantastic in the movie.”