'I didnt make Agent Vinod right' - Saif

Kolkata seems to be lucky for you.

I don't know if it is lucky for me. But it feels good given that both Parineeta and Love Aajkal are important films in my career, which were set here. A film looks good if it's shot in Kolkata. It is a beautiful city with so much history, culture and art.

You too are developing a connection with the city just like your mother.

Yes, I am forming a connection. As a kid, I use to move around in the city a little more when my grandparents were alive. My mother and I have a lot of friends in Alipore and Middleton Mansion. I have lovely memories. When I am shooting in Kolkata, I go back to the hotel, watch TV or go to the gym. I don't get to eat or see much. It is pretty boring. I cannot really tell what has changed here. A lot of things are also the same.

What made you sign on Bullet Raja?

I wanted to work with Tigmanshu after watching Paan Singh Tomar and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster. It is a commercial film that has integrity and artistic sensibilities. I feel at home with these kinds of films. Too much of one thing is boring. The idea is to entertain people. There should be a mix of both.

Race 2 has made more than ? 100 crore. How important is that for you as an actor?

The numbers are important. You have to know why you are getting into this. You don't expect it from a film like Being Cyrus. I did that film to enhance my portfolio. It depends on how and what you want in life. Race 2 had to make money. We don't do such films just for artistic integrity. It also requires conviction, as some of the dialogues are pretty difficult to believe in.

How did you cope with Agent Vinod's failure?

Apart from personal disappointment, it is a tremendous process since you put your heart and soul into it. Life is a constant process of doing different things. As long as you know how to make films, it does not really matter after a point. Some will work and some won't. I still believe that Agent Vinod contained a good idea for a movie. I just think we didn't make the right movie. I might make it again. We didn't get it right.
Masala films are doing well.

Is that the reason why you are doing more commercial films?

I got into a comfort zone where I felt I could do well. Now I feel I have grown. The market has grown from the time I had started. I would like to be more versatile to maximise the potential of a film.

People often call such films mindless potboilers.

Some of them are not mindless but entertaining. It requires heroism along with a great comic timing to make people laugh. You can't make people laugh by being mindless.

Your marriage was a much-hyped affair. Was that irritating?

I never felt irritated. I respect what the nation wants to discuss.

You read a lot. How about writing a book?

I have never felt the need to express myself through writing. You can write an odd piece if you strongly feel about an issue like I did during the Mumbai terror attacks. But I am happy reading other people's books.

How about working with wife, Kareena Kapoor as a co-producer?

I would love to work with her in a production. But working together on screen is not a good idea. When you are too comfortable off screen, the chemistry between two actors suffers. At times, our comfort level makes it difficult for us. It is far more interesting to work with other people. I am very happy knowing her personally. If there is a script I am working on, she will naturally be high up on the priority list.

How has life changed after marriage?

(Smiles) We are quite different but we don't influence each other at all. Sensitive people become better people. I am asked more about my marriage now. That's the only change.

Some of them are not mindless but entertaining. It requires heroism along with a great comic timing to make people laugh. You can't make people laugh by being mindless.