Saif Ali Khan Begins Shooting for His Upcoming Period Drama with filmmaker Ritesh Batra

Saif Ali Khan begins shooting for his much-anticipated period drama with filmmaker Ritesh Batra. The collaboration has generated curiosity, given Batra’s track record of taking distinctly Indian stories to international audiences. His debut feature, The Lunchbox (2013), starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, earned global acclaim for its intimate portrayal of an unlikely connection in Mumbai. He subsequently directed international projects such as The Sense of an Ending and Our Souls at Night starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, establishing himself as a filmmaker comfortable working across industries and cultures.

For Saif, the collaboration is in keeping with a career made on taking chances on ideas that lie beyond the obvious. Often among the most interesting actors to watch, he has repeatedly backed projects that have ventured into unexplored territory, from the dark, morally complex world of Sacred Games, which helped change the grammar of Indian streaming, to the unconventional telling of Being Cyrus and the period world of Laal Kaptaan. His willingness to take a punt on material that challenges familiar storytelling conventions makes his pairing with Batra intriguing. With a filmmaker known for finding extraordinary stories in seemingly ordinary lives, the collaboration promises a meeting of two creative sensibilities willing to venture beyond the tried and tested.

While filming begins today, further details about the cast, plot and release plans are expected to emerge as the production progresses. But for now, we are seated for Saif’s next!