Saif Ali Khan and Rajkummar Rao to topline Jigarthanda remake?

According to reports, Rajkummar Rao and Saif Ali Khan are set to join forces to headline the official Hindi remake of Tamil gangster comedy Jigarthanda. Helmed by Karthik Subbaraj, the Tamil film hit screens in 2014 and turned out to be a huge money-spinner at the box-office. Made on a tight budget of ₹ 10 crores, Jigarthanda wrapped up its lifetime business by raking in more than ₹ 35 crores.

Buzz has it that well-known producer Sajid Nadiadwala has shown interest in the project and is gearing up to remake it in Hindi. While Rajkummar Rao has been confirmed to play the lead role, the makers are reportedly considering Saif Ali Khan for the role of the gangster in the flick. Interestingly, Saif has previously played a gangster in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara (2006) and Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullett Raja (2013).

“When Ajay Devgn bought the rights of the film a few years ago, he wanted Farhan to play the filmmaker and Sanjay Dutt to play the gangster. The casting was like picking up the sitting ducks to essay the roles, as both Farhan and Sanju were apt to do it. But since that project went into cold storage, director Abhishek Chaubey came out with his wishlist for the roles and has zeroed in on Rajkummar and Saif for the said characters. While Bobby Simha had a very desi style in the Tamil film, the character designed for Saif is a little more stylish,” reveals a source.

Meanwhile, Rajkummar Rao is presently busy shooting for his horror-comedy Roohi-Afza with newcomer Janhvi Kapoor. Saif Ali Khan, on the other hand, is shooting for his next Jawani Janeman. Apart from playing the male lead, the superstar is also co-producing the film under his production house.