‘Bullet Raja’ changed the urband Saif Alii Khan to rural

‘Bullet Raja’ was earlier titled Jai Ram Ji Ki, why change of title?
‘Bullet Raja’ sounded more apt as it appeals to a larger audience. Jai Ram Ji Ki is very rural.

Could you tell us more about the movie?

I have never done a movie like this before. This subject is my forte but at the same time, it has ingredients of commercial cinema, which is a new territory for me. Saif is very urban and his upbringing can be noticed in his mannerisms and our film has a rural backdrop. We had to be very careful even with a simple handshake. Even his language is urban, so we had to change a few things during dubbing.

Did Saif come with any baggage?

When actors give inputs it doesn’t mean that they have baggage. Even the cameraman gives inputs. I also take inputs from my driver when I shoot my songs. Everybody is free to give their inputs because filmmaking is a joint venture; it’s all about teamwork and I don’t mind taking tips as long as it adds value to the film.

What about Vidyut Jamwal?

Vidyut’s action sense is good and I especially liked his role in ‘Commando’. He gets into the skin of the character.

Can you elaborate on Sonakshi Sinha’s character?

She plays a Bengali girl who is struggling to become an actress. As fate would have it, she gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Why do you choose real locations?

When you shoot at real locations, the actors also get charged up and it makes a lot of difference in their performances.

And the real guns…

Our guns look too fake. I remember when we shot ‘Paan Singh Tomar’, I gave Irrfan a real gun and he was so excited. Many of our heroes don’t even know how to use a gun. Saif has seen real guns, so he knows how to handle them. Such things definitely make a difference in their performance.

What have you to say about films now?

Every actor needs a good director to perform well. Cinema is no longer like the 80’s now. We are not making formula films where Suneil Shetty and Akshay Kumar could succeed in spite of being not-so-good actors. Cinema has changed and so has the acting quality.

Lastly, have you decided to cast Priyanka in ‘Milan Talkies’?

We have not decided on Priyanka Chopra as yet. We may sign a new heroine so that she brings in some freshness. Right now, we only have Shahid on board.