Agent Vinod's back

After playing a Dalit man in Aarakshan, actor Saif Ali Khan returns as a spy in the thriller Agent Vinod, which is releasing tomorrow.

The film, made on a budget of approximately Rs600 million (Dh42.92 million), was shot in Russia, Switzerland, and India. It took almost two years to complete.

Produced under Khan's banner Illuminati Films, it also stars Kareena Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Prem Chopra, Ram Kapoor and Ravi Kishan.

The story begins with a series of seemingly unconnected events, all over the world. In Uzbekistan, an ex-KGB officer is murdered. In Cape Town, a group of international business tycoons are seen discussing that the dead officer had a nuclear suitcase bomb hidden away.

In Moscow, an Indian secret agent is exposed and is shot dead while he was trying to send a coded message to India.

In India, the head of RAW sees the incomplete message, which has only number 242. To solve the mystery, Agent Vinod springs into action.

Even before the release, Agent Vinod found itself embroiled in controversy after Iranian music band Barobax slapped a legal notice against the makers and music composer Pritam Chakraborty for the song Pyaar Ki Pungi over copyright violation. Dinesh Vijan, the co-producer of Agent Vinod, said on Monday the track is an original.

"Are you finding any similarity in the track? Pritam Chakraborty has made an original song. I don't see any reference. All I can say is that this has become the original song," Vijan said.