After 'criticizing' Om Raut's Tanhaji, Saif teams up for Adipurush

Saif Ali Khan

The casting of Saif Ali Khan in writer-director Om Raut's next, Adipurush, has raised eyebrows. Earlier, the two teamed up for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Soon after its release in January, Khan had criticised the film for its inaccurate portrayal of history. He had reportedly said that it was not a historical, but just a movie.

When the team finalised Saif Ali Khan for the character, they shared the news on social media platforms and welcomed the actor.

The actor spoke about the "altered political narrative" of Raut's drama, which is "dangerous." Khan played Udaybhan Singh Rathore, Aurangzeb's royal guard, and Ajay Devgn was seen as Tanaji Malusare, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's military leader. A voracious reader and history buff, Khan said he didn't take a stand, but next time he would. Devgn, who was also the producer of Tanhaji, had preferred not to comment.

Now, Khan plays the antagonist in Adipurush, starring Baahubali sensation Prabhas. The film rolls in 2021. Hopefully, Raut has got his facts right in the mythological, or Khan might have a point to make after its release. There's buzz that Kiara Advani has been approached to play the female lead.

Adipurush will be shot bilingual in Hindi and Telugu. The 3D extravaganza will have a humongous release with the film dubbed in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and several other foreign languages. The film, produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Om Raut, Prasad Sutar & Rajesh Nair, is currently in the pre-production stage and is expected to go on floors in 2021 and hit the marquee with a massive release in 2022.

On the professional front, Saif Ali Khan has won a lot of accolades while playing the antagonist in several films - whether it's as Langda Tyagi in Omkara or as Udaybhan Rathod in the recently released Tanhaji. In Adipurush, which is an on-screen adaptation of the Indian epic, that revolves around the triumph of good over evil, Saif will be stepping into the role of a larger than life villain.

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