Saif Ali Khan to play a Naga Sadhu in his upcoming film, ‘Hunter’

Saif Ali Khan hasn’t shied away from experimenting with his roles. Of late, Saif was sported with a full grown beard and now we know the reason why; it is his role in the upcoming film, ‘Hunter’, which is going to be an action thriller set in 1780. Saif will be seen as a Naga Sadhu in the film.

Talking about his character, Saif, in an interview with Times of India, said, “Don’t get ideas (laughs). I wear clothes even though I shouldn’t be because Naga means ‘nanga’. My character is a failed Naga Sadhu, who has strong notions of revenge.”

He further added, “The film is a drama set in Rajasthan. I even got my ears pierced for the role, which I was worried about initially. My hair has grown a lot. It bothered me throughout summer, when I was shooting in Rajasthan’s sweltering heat. It took me 40 minutes to two hours sometimes to just get into hair and make-up for the part.”

This has been a complete experience for Saif. He shares, “I’ve always felt that there is one entity that is giving me things that I don’t deserve. That’s how I feel for the role, also. It’s too good to be true and it’s a complete experience. And though it takes ridiculous two hours of make-up and hair, it’s like the journey of a character in a Westerner (a Western film), who goes into another space all together with his experiences. It’s so fulfilling to watch old forts in Rajasthan come alive because of these shoots.”

Saif will be seen engaging in sword fighting in the film. “It’s a difficult role to carry because it requires strong self-belief in a different way — to make others and myself believe that I am the most dangerous swordsman in the world requires some conviction. This part continues to be fun.”

People around Saif think he has started looking different. Talking about it, Saif said, “People have also told me that I have started looking different from the time I started shooting this film. I will soon be my normal self again, without the beard. Saif Ali Khan is a ‘character’ I am more used to being, while my part in ‘Hunter’ is that of a person who is an animal at heart — a flat-footed wild fellow. Fifty days into the shoot and my spotboy also told me that something has changed in me. Some roles do that to you, I guess.”

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