Saif Ali Khan excited about new look

Actor Saif Ali Khan has always been experimental when it comes to his roles and sporting a different look in films. It was no different when he was offered filmmaker Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan, a film which centres around caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions.

Khan was required to play a dalit in the film and it took him a lot of preparation to fit into the character. “After playing a rustic guy in Omkara and a terrorist in Kurbaan, this was apparently one of the most toughest and challenging roles for him to play. “It was really challenging to prepare for this film because it required more than just acting on my part. It was more about looking and feeling the part and getting the facial expressions just right.”

Khan apparently discussed his role at length with Jha and the duo spent a lot of time researching the character, before they actually started working on the film.

“He (Jha) said that I had to have a calm, Zen like look — like that of Buddha in the film. It was more than just being edgy or stylish. Everything about me in the film is different — my clothes, hairstyle, the moustache and it was much more challenging for me because this is not how I naturally am,” says Saif who is happy with the result of his final look.

A couple of weeks ago, Prakash Jha’s production house received a letter in their Patna office from the Dalit Suraksha Samiti. The letter stated that the Dalit Suraksha Samiti was vehemently opposed to the casting of Saif as a dalit in the film — the reason being Khan's background — the actor in fact has a Muslim royal lineage. Ask him if these controversies upset him and he nonchalantly says, “It has now become a habit for people to raise their voice for anything. While some are relevant and have a point, others are totally uncalled for. I don’t think it is right to raise an objection before even seeing the film. I think once the film releases, it will be fine.”