Saif Ali Khan is getting to do a variation on one of his favourite films, the George Roy Hill classic Western “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”. In “Bullet Raja”, director Tigmanshu Dhulia has relocated the original buddy film’s concept from the Wild West to Lucknow.
While Khan plays one of the trigger-happy protagonists, the talented Jimmy Shergill plays the other lead in “Bullet Raja”, so named because of Khan’s character’s penchant for firing bullets and riding the Bullet brand of motorcycle.
“Saif and Jimmy are akin to Paul Newman and Robert Redford’s roles from ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’. Irrfan [Khan] comes into the story midway as a ruthless cop who is summoned to stop Saif’s no-holds-barred outlawry,” said a source close to the project.
“He is exploring the adventurous royal side of his personality, firing guns, screeching down dusty roads on his trademark Bullet mobike, looking for a new adventure every day.”
Khan is getting out of his cultured accent to get a hang of the colloquial Uttar Pradesh dialect.
Said Dhulia: “Saif is really enjoying himself. He is the only star-actor after Aamir Khan, who has the draw and the ability to get completely into character. I am his dialogue coach on location here. I brief him very closely on how to deliver his lines. He listens, absorbs, and practises the dialogues till he gets them just right.”
Dhulia feels Khan is well-read enough to imbibe any character, no matter how alien to him.
“He posseses a world-view, has a sound knowledge of music, literature and the fine arts. He has taken possession of Bullet Raja’s character. He lives the role even when the camera is off. He wants to know what the character is doing when he is not in the frame. That kind of dedication I got when Irrfan played Paan Singh Tomar.”
