Saif: Srk and I would have kissed on the lips

Right off, he asks, "Does my moustache suit me?" Not really. Then he wants to know, "Do you like the title of the first film I've produced — Love Aaj Kal?" Umm, his director Imtiaz Ali had a catchier title with Jab We Met. And before he sits himself down, in his high-rise rented apartment, he wonders, "Do you think I'm a good actor?" No ummms there, yesterday's casual star has become an actor of sense and substance, thanks very much to Hum Tum, Omkara and Parineeta. Saif Ali Khan points out a taller apartment building at a distance. He has bought a duplex there and beams, "Next year I'll be shifting in there... and finally feel that I've settled in."
As Kareena Kapoor ambles in and out of the living room, he lowers his voice, smiling, "I can't let her hear anything I'm saying about her... can I?" 😆

Kareena Kapoor, love and marriage
What no one knows is that both our parents approve of us being together. In fact, Babitaji is coming over for dinner tonight... she and I have the same kind of sense of humour, we're always laughing. Dad and mum ('Tiger' Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore) are also very fond of Bebo... so there are no tension points.
I've never been in love the way I'm in love with Bebo. She is such a softie... when I was in hospital for a stomach ailment recently, she wouldn't leave me alone for a minute... even if I'd tell her to go home and get some sleep. There's a mutal regard for each other... but if you want to know about marriage? Nope. I'll say it's not in the near future at all... right now we're career-obsessive. Still, I regard her as my fiancee. There is an unspoken commitment.

Love — what's it about? And how many times has he been in love?
Love is so deep, so mysterious, so beatiful that even the greatest poets have not been able to define it over the centuries. So who am I? I'd say it's a feeling, a feeling that I've experienced three times in my life. There was Amrita (Singh)... then there was a relationship... and now there's Bebo who is forever. My intention is to be a dedicated actor and a dedicated husband.

Which actors would he regard as his buddies?
Friends certainly don't grow like trees in the film industry. The ideal way is to keep a healthy professional relationship with your colleagues. With some actors you enjoy your work.

What about Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan whom he has acted with?
I don't know about Akshay Kumar. Did I really ever enjoy acting with him? He's always been pretty much on his own trip. Ajay Devgan is easygoing, cool, never the sort to feel insecure. And Salman Khan is the tough guy with the classic soft heart... he's very protective like a big brother.
As for Shah Rukh Khan, he advised me to take my career more seriously... I used to be a bit cavalier about things. After Kal Ho Na Ho, I understood that I had to establish my credentials as a solo hero... which I did with Hum Tum.

Would Shah Rukh Khan and he have been comfortable about doing a Dostana?
I would have loved to do Dostana with Shah Rukh... and we would not have chickened out like Abhishek Bachchan-John Abraham did. For the climax, we would have kissed each other on the lips. It's high time someone did a full-on Brokeback Mountain here.🤣

Does the separation from Amrita Singh still rankle?
I would have to be made of stone to be not affected. But I also have to be rational and real. So yes, my marriage didn't work out. Yet I have only great memories of the past. (My daughter) Sara is 14 now... we chat on the phone. She's gregarious, (my son) Ibrahim is quite the opposite. I'd like to spend more time with them for sure.

Has Saif Ali Khan finally been tamed?
At the age of 38, I finally feel I've grown up. No booze binges for me... at most I'd nurse a glass of a good French wine... or a single malt. And you know something? My parents look at me differently now. (Laughs) They're so, so happy that I can earn my own daily bread and some more. They no longer grumble that I should have been a banker or a lawyer.