Director Tigmanshu Dhulia, known for making serious movies, is entering the commercial zone with Bullett Raja and claims that he can change the face of commercial cinema to be more aesthetic.
“This is the first time I am attempting such a movie. Masala is a very derogatory word. I would like to say that yes, I have made films like Paan Singh Tomar, Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster. But when a director like me makes a commercial film, we can change the face of commercial cinema,” Dhulia said.
“We will give commercial cinema more value and they will be better aesthetically. Then they will not be called formula films,” he added.
A gangster film based in Lucknow, Bullett Raja stars Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha and Jimmy Shergill in the lead roles.
Tigmanshu directed his first feature film, Haasil, in 2003, while last year’s Paan Singh Tomar won wide critical acclaim, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.
The Saif Ali Khan-starrer is set against the backdrop of the Uttar Pradesh mafia.
Having grown up in Allahabad, Dhulia’s films have always been deeply rooted in the Indian heartland.
“I can’t pick any one politician or celebrity by whom we have been inspired for this film, I don’t want to name them. While I was growing up in UP there were a lot of colourful stories of gangsters and we have tried to use them. The film is against the authority and system with whom people are fed up,” he added.
The action-packed entertainer starring Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Shergill, Vidyut Jamwal, Chunky Pandey, Gulshan Grover, Ravi Kishen, besides Khan, is set to release on November 28.
— With inputs from PTI
