Saif Ali Khan has opted for a naturally tanned look instead of make-up to play a rural gangster in Tigmanshu Dhulia-directed "Bullet Raja".

According to a source, the actor was required to get a tanned look for his character and to achieve that the 42-year-old would sit outside his van in the afternoon.

`Saif really puts in a lot of effort to get into his character. Tigmanshu wanted a certain tanned look since he is playing a rural gangster. When Saif learned this, he decided that instead of the make-up he would sit outside his van in the afternoons to get the natural tanned look.

We all told him that it was not necessary to do that as it was really scorching hot, but he did not listen to us,` said the source.


The actor went to great lengths to get under the skin of Langda Tyagi, his character in critically acclaimed Othello-inspired 2006 movie "Omkara".

"Bullet Raja" narrative will be set against the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh-based mafia, and it will deal with the underworld. It also stars Sonakshi Sinha and Jimmy Shergill.