Saif Ali Khan to train in Kalaripayattu for hindi remake of 'Oppam'; Filming to begin soon

Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan is getting ready for one of the toughest roles of his career as he steps into the shoes of Mohanlal for the Hindi version of the award-winning 2016 Malayalam thriller, 'Oppam.' Directed by the experienced Priyadarshan, the project has been talked about for months, and now the makers have confirmed that filming will start by the end of 2025.
A New Challenge: Learning Kalaripayattu
What makes this remake special for Saif is his focus on being authentic. He will not only play a blind character but will also train hard in Kalaripayattu, the traditional Indian martial art. As reported by Mid-Day, "Saif will take a two-month break after completing Rahul Dholakia's movie." During this time, he will attend workshops to prepare himself for playing a blind man. After that, he will go to Kerala to learn Kalaripayattu, as his character is a skilled martial artist.
This training shows Saif’s commitment to doing justice to a role that needs both physical skill and emotional depth. In the original Oppam, Mohanlal’s character Jayaraman uses his sharp sense of smell, hearing, and touch to solve the mystery, and Saif is determined to bring the same intensity to the Hindi remake.
'Oppam' tells the story of Jayaraman, a blind man who becomes the protector of a retired judge’s daughter after the judge is killed by someone he sentenced. The Hindi remake will be directed and written by Priyadarshan.