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Saif 'N' Sexy
He's one cool dude for sure. Playing a beach bum and a rustic dacoit with equal ease, Saif Ali Khan insists he is yet to achieve that "something special". In a heart-to-heart chat with AFSANA AHMED…
Attitude comes easy to Saif and the tag of the super 'cool dude' of Bollywood sticks well. But the man resembles a sandy, grimy 'beach boy' when you meet him for a chat on Goan sands. He's shooting for a dance sequence with Katrina Kaif for one of his current releases. Looking rugged in denims and vest, Saif is exhausted but sits down for a chat and, soon, his sun-and-sands mood is back. So it's a talkative walk down the sunny beach with the star actor who rocks—literally!
Saif has been a spunky roadie in a journey that started 16 years ago with Bekhudi (1992). Having ace cricketer 'Tiger' Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and sterling actress Sharmila Tagore as parents made the going rather tough. Add to this, his choice of movies, his failed marriage to actress Amrita Singh and his liaison with an Italian woman Rosa Catalano... That was then.
Suddenly, there was light at the end of the tunnel. Chhote Nawab did a smooth turn in the successful urban romance Dil Chahta Hai (2001), followed by eclectic movies like Hum Tum, Ek Hasina Thi, Being Cyrus, Salam Namastey and Parineeta that tossed him right into the big league. A heart attack scare last year at the premature age of 36 and his brand new relationship with Kareena Kapoor are big news today.
The rest came along. Saif has effortlessly segued into the world of advertising and is inching close to Shah Rukh Khan with 11 endorsements under his belt. This year looks good so far. With his kitty full of big banner films like Tashan, Roadside Romeo, Kunal Kohli's next, Farhan Akhtar's next, Sriram Raghavan's Agent Vinod for his own production company Illuminating Films and a movie by Imtiaz Ali, the hot star is no longer playing it 'Saif '!
How has the transition been? Been luckier than many?
Hey no! I wasn't the chosen lucky one. Life's always been full of surprises, sometime pleasant and sometime f***- all. (laughs) On hindsight, yeah, it's been a rather interesting journey. I have grown up as a person; some bones of mine have become older. I am calmer and friendlier today. I am using all the experiences of my life to try and make a life worth living and achieve something special. And as a professional, I have been investing money the right way.
What's that 'something special' you're trying to find?
Well, lots. I have never been so fit, health-wise. I don't smoke or drink any more. I am heavily into exercise. I have become more patient and honest. I am raising the bar to be the best I can—on the personal as well as professional fronts.
Happier now?
I am happy, yes. I have learnt one thing in life—if you are looking for something wrong, you will find it. So I am trying to find what's right for me.
But apparently you have started smoking again?
I take a drag or two with my wine. And it upsets my daughter and everyone close to me. But no, I will never go back to smoking. It's disgusting. I am so happy to have quit.
Your personal life with Kareena seems settled too?
Yeah, Kareena has been a very positive influence on me. She is a wonderful girl, and my parents who met her sometime ago think the same. I don't want to shout from the rooftops but I'm also not the sort of guy to hide his relationships. It is important to say what needs to be said about the relationship so that people know that I respect it and they respect it too. Yes, we will get married. But right now, our careers are doing well. So we are focusing on them. The rest, insha allah, will follow.
Since you're keeping so busy these days, do you get enough time to spend with your kids Sara and Ibrahim?
I am taking two months off to be with my kids. If I am in town, I go and pick them up from school and spend the whole day woth them. If I am shooting, they drop by sometimes. That's how we manage to be with each other, as much as we can.
Getting back to work, your transition seems to have happened without much planning…
My transition started with Dil Chahta Hai. Farhan (Akhtar) has got a lot to do with my metamorphosis. Earlier, I walked blindfolded through an array of roles. Now I have a wide variety—some feel-good, some frothy, some shady, some uber-cool—with Hum Tum, Salam Namastey, Being Cyrus… I also did Ek Haseena Thi where I played a scheming cad. When I was doing Hum Tum, I was working on Parineeta as well. Then I got the most daunting role of my life, as Langda Tyagi in Omkara. I'd like to believe that I've proved my credentials as an actor.
When big-buck movies are planned, your name is yet to make a mark as a solo bankable hero. Do you feel filmmakers are not ready to take you seriously?
I don't agree. I am quite saleable and a good actor. I feel I'm being taken seriously enough to be signed with lots of money and interesting performances.
Do you feel that you lack ambition?
Sometimes, I feel that I should have been more ambitious. But my priorities keep
changing at every stage. At one point, I struggled to be accepted and did some films that came my way. Then, I became a little choosy as I wanted to be successful. And now, I have this strong urge to be the best in my craft, which I think I am now. And the more I realise that this, too, won't last, the more ambitious I become to achieve that something special.
What has been the most defining turn in your career?
Omkara all the way. Getting my hair cropped and preparing for the role really appealed to the actor in me. I actually felt like a real actor. People initially thought I can only play the urban dude. Then they said he's good for the second lead. Langda Tyagi's role daunted me. But the fact that it was based on Shakespeare's play (Othello) egged me on. Iago, I thought, was not quite my scene but when it came to me, it really excited me. And, I think, I have made something out of it.
What prompted you to get into production just when you are signing for big films?
I wanted some sort of creative control, especially on the marketing side. My production house, Illuminating Films, will focus on making entertaining commercial films though, once in a while, I'd like to do some challenging stuff too. Imtiaz Ali will direct the first film, a romance, for my company. I'm keen to sign others for my production but, right now, I will be in most of our productions. I will also be doing films outside my banner.
In the early days, you played second fiddle to Akshay Kumar in many movies in his Khiladi days. Today, you are in the same league. Feels good?
I believe success comes when it is due. With AK, I have a different rapport. I kicked his ass even then and I do it even today. (laughs) I love AK. He is one of the most disciplined and s e l f - m a d e men. He has become a millionaire through sheer hard work. Earlier, it was more of a silly camaraderie we shared but today he's like an elder brother. I won't say hats off to him; I bow to him. I admire him as much I look up to Shah Rukh, who inspires me. I respect his business brains, focus and drive.
What about Akshaye Khanna, your co-star in D i l C h a h t a H a i? You seemed to have surpassed him as well now...
I don't look at it that way. Anyway, Akshaye is a good co-star and a hard-working guy. I don't know him too well to comment further.
What is your current flick Race all about?
More about thrills, not really action. It's a slick, smart, sexy thriller, with twists and turns. Watch and enjoy your popcorn!
What about Tashan and Roadside Romeo, your two films with Kareena?
Tashan is special in many ways. I met Kareena during its shooting. I'm confident of its success, and I hope that our on-screen chemistry will catch on and break the success records of many love stories. It also has Akshay Kumar, my co-star of so many films. It was so much fun shooting the film. Roadside Romeo is a wonderful concept, a first timer in India. I do the voiceover for the male dog Romeo and Kareena plays the voice of the, well, bitch! Javed Jaffrey speaks for the third dog.
Your penchant for rock concerts is making news. And your interest in playing emcee is here to stay, is it?
I don't see myself as a rock star. It's an unimportant image. Do you know how many talented musicians in the country are languishing right now? Had it been the US or elsewhere, they would have been rock stars there. Playing an emcee is something I just enjoy. Shah Rukh and I make a good pair, I think.
AKSHAY KUMAR, actor
"The world calls him Chhote Nawab. Honestly, he's not the Pope's love child or anything but, to me, he's always been like a kid brother. He does all his stunts except the love scenes of course—he calls me for them! He never takes life too seriously and he's the kinda guy you want around no matter what scene or song or show you're doing! He's got an addictive personality. All I want to say to him is 'Get up and do it if it needs to be done Saif. Even if you have it, it wasn't only our Tashan that got us here!'" want to say to him is ' get up and do it if it needs to be done Saif, even if you have it, it wasn't only our Tashan that got us here.......
SHARMILA TAGORE, actress
"I think Saif's rise in films is phenomenal, considering that he's been in boarding school in England for about 10 years. He's really worked very hard to reach where he is, and he's come a long way. I'm not overly concerned about his career because he has, of late, become very focused, and his choice of movies shows it. But then, Saif is Saif! You know how he is—chilled out and laidback in his own way. We are very very happy and proud that, despite a film lineage, he has proved himself on his own."
KAREENA KAPOOR, actress
"Saif has proved his credentials as a superb actor. Need I say more? I can't because I am biased about him. For me, he is the best. I am looking forward to Tashan. It's special for both of us."forward to Tashan, it's special for both of us.
RAMESH TAURANI, producer
"I have a very old relationship with Saif, starting with my first film Kachche Dhaage and then Kya Kehna. He is my favourite all the way. I have seen this guy work so hard. He deserves every bit of success that's coming his way. Saif is also a very spontaneous actor. Success hasn't affected him at all. He was this sweet, down-to-earth boy I knew and today too, he's the same. He's not just a brilliant actor but a good human being too. I am proud of him and will always be there for him.
KUNAL KOHLI, director
"We both got a huge boost with Hum Tum—me as a director, and he as a solo actor. All of us just looked at him as a metrosexual, cool, urbane dude, a comic actor, whereas he's capable of so much versatility. Not only does he have all the trappings of a super-star but Saif, I believe, is a step further than that. He is a super-actor. Now that he has tasted blood, he should be raring to go. His market has expanded, as has his demand. But he shouldn't repeat himself."
TARAN ADARSH, critic
"Saif deserves every bit of his success. He tried, tested, failed, succeeded. Today he's reckoned as a superb actor, on the lines of Aamir. There's no doubt that Saif is at the top today. He is a very versatile actor, who's shown his expertise in comedy, romance, action and more. He is an all rounder. The best part is that he's evolved as one of most natural actors of our time. His overseas market is getting bigger and better. Once, he was rejected overseas but today his appeal out there is vast, thanks to his choice of films."
Udne Ki Aasha
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Fan Fictions
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