Mumbai, Oct 23: Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia says he roped in Saif Ali Khan for his upcoming action-crime thriller 'Bullett Raja' as the movie required a superstar to rake in box office earnings.
The 46-year-old director, who has made films like 'Haasil', 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' among others, said a high budget film demands the "stars" of Bollywood.
"When you are working on a high budget film, the pressure requires you to have an actor, who can pull that off at the box office. And I think only he (Saif) can justify that kind of budget. So, we had to get a star. Luckily, Saif was interested in this space," Tigmanshu said.
Tigmanshu has often chosen serious topics for his movies but this time around he found it interesting to come out with a masala entertainer.
"I have never made a film like this before. As compared to 'Paan Singh Tomar' and 'Sahab Biwi and Gangster', which were serious films, this is an entertainer. 'Bullettt Raja' has all the aspects of a commercial film which you can enjoy in the theatre," he said.
"I was apprehensive initially if I would be able to pull it off. If I roped in somebody who had already done a film like this it would have not been a challenge," he added.
Actress Sonakshi Sinha will be seen playing the leading lady opposite Saif in the movie and the director says he found the chemistry between the two actors extra-ordinary. 'Bullettt Raja' will hit theatres on November 29.
"Sonakshi is a star and she has done successful films, so we needed somebody like her. But the reason we cast her is that she looks Bengali because of her big eyes, dusky and classic looks. She was perfect to play a Bengali character in the film.
"Other reason is that I feel that when you're casting male and female lead, there should be some contrast between them because then their chemistry gets better. Saif is very fair and Sonakshi is dusky, they look fabulous together," he said.
Besides direction, Tigmanshu has acted in films like 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster', Anurag Kashyap's 'Gangs of Wasseypur' and Hansal Mehta's 'Shahid', but he has no plans to take up acting as a full time career.
"I think I have just done two scenes in 'Shahid' because Hansal, who is my friend asked me to do it. I did it for Anurag because he is a friend. I only work with friends, when they ask me to act. It is not that I am looking at it as an alternate career," he said.
'Bullettt Raja' also stars Jimmy Shergill, Chunky Pandey, Ravi Kishan, Gulshan Grover and Vidyut Jamwal.
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