Saif Ali Khan: Prabhas can’t stray from classical interpretation of Raghav’s role

Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan

With Adipurush, director Om Raut is set to offer a retelling of one of the oldest stories about the victory of good over evil - that of the conflict between Ram and Ravana. Prabhas is shouldering the responsibility of bringing the virtuous Raghav to the big screen, while Saif Ali Khan plays the larger-than-life Lankesh. Stepping into the shoes of Lord Ram is a tall order, but Khan believes the South actor is the perfect choice for it.

Khan, who wrapped up the shoot of the mythological drama earlier this month, heaps praise on his co-actor, saying, "Prabhas is a subtle actor, and that is interesting because he is playing a difficult role. He is also a powerful actor. I understand why Prabhas is such a big star; he has got tremendous screen presence." Their characters may be at loggerheads on screen, but the actor discovered a "charming young man with a naughty sense of humour" in the South star, off camera. "We pulled off some [heavy-duty] action scenes between Raghav and Lankesh, but as Prabhas and Saif, we had our share of laughs too. So, that conflict [between our characters] may come across interestingly on screen."

It won't be wrong to say that the actor too had an uphill task in depicting Lankesh's villainy. However, he insists that Prabhas's role was more challenging. "See, Lankesh is not an incarnation of the Divine. You can take a few liberties with his costume, styling and performance. As long as your intention is correct, people will be on board with it. But there is a classical interpretation of Raghav's role that you cannot stray from."

Today, Khan is known as a thinking actor, straddling a Sacred Games alongside a mainstream Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. "There are some great stories and roles being written now. [At the same time], you must think how to [maintain a balance] so that some guy having popcorn in Bihar or UP has a smile on his face while watching your movie. That connection is important. There was a time when I was becoming a bit thoughtless about my work. But I picked [myself] up [from that phase]."

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