'Bebo's my source of inspiration' - Saif

How did you feel when you, the only son of the Nawab of Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore were sacked from your very first film?
I cared a damn in the beginning. That was the typical attitude of a pampered son of two great personalities. But when I came to my senses I realized that it was the worst way to start. I then and there took a decision to fight back and be a young man who the industry would have to take seriously one day. I would do something that would make me and my parents proud. Saif Ali Khan would be far from any kind of fear and falling.

When did you realize that you were being taken seriously as an actor?
When I did a film like Hamesha which had Kajol who was also the heroine of the film from which I was forced to leave because the director thought I was not fit to be an actor. I then decided to take myself seriously and my decision worked. I was marked out as a good actor in a film like Dil Chahta Hai where I had to compete with actors like Aamir Khan and Akshaye Khanna who are some of the finest actors we have. But if there were two films which gave me all the confidence that I needed, they were Hum Tum for which as you know I won my first national award and many other awards and Omkara which showed me up as a very serious actor. I have now been recognized as a good actor and among the best in the game and I hope you agree with me if you have not, you will have to agree soon.

Which are the other films which you think helped you mature as an actor?
I think I have already mentioned some of the best, but I will be doing a great wrong if I didn't mention Kurbaan which was a very difficult film to make for which I must thank Karan Johar, the producer with the guts to make a film like that and of course the director, Denzil D'silva whose first film it was. Unfortunately, the film did not do well for reasons I have still not been able to understand. It will however we one of the best films for both me and Bebo (Kareena Kapoor) who is now Begam Kareena Kapoor Khan as the whole world knows.

Why did you think of turning a producer at such an early stage of your life?
I was growing confident and had reached a stage when I wanted to do something more challenging. I thought of direction but I gave up because I knew I was not yet prepared. I then took a big step and launched my own production company with Love Aaj Kal. I did everything possible to make a film that would be marked out from the rest and, thank God, I succeeded.

What went wrong with your very ambitious film, ''Agent Vinod''
My director who was also the writer worked on the script for more than a year before we went on the floor. We shot the entire film in Morocco, a location where very few or no Hindi film has been shot. It was as the name suggests a story of an Agent on a mission, but somehow things didn't work out and the film flopped and taught me how to accept success and failure as a part of the life of a producer.

Is it true that you were inspired by Amitabh Bachchan to be an actor?
That was supposed to be a secret! Who let the secret out? You are absolutely right. I first watched the great actor working when I was just 6 or 7. He was shooting at the Film City with my mother. You don't expect me to remember the name, do you? I was so impressed with the man that I told my mother that I wanted to be someone like him when I grew up. My admiration for him only kept growing as I saw him doing the kind of roles no actor anywhere could

How do you feel when you finally faced him in Aarakshan?
Believe me, I felt very excited and also very nervous. I must also confess that I felt like a school boy about to learn his first serious lessons in a subject he loves. It was really a great opportunity for which I have given up a lot of other opportunities.

Have you signed any other major film?
I have now started taking on only those films which make sense to me. It may seem that I have a very few films on hand but that is all because I am following a certain plan which will last me a long time and let me play a very interesting innings in the years to come.

What is your opinion about your wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan? Will she continue working in films now?
She is a complete woman and a complete actress. She is not what the world knows her as. I have had the privilege of knowing her the best in every way and that is why I made her my Begum. As for working in films after marriage, I have left it to her. I have full faith in her and I know she will take the best decisions that will keep us both happy.

When will you think of directing a film?
It is too early to talk about it, but one thing is certain, I will direct a film and when I do that, it will not be just another film, but the work of a man who has gone through the whole gamut of this business of filmmaking and yes whenever I direct a film, Bebo (Kareena Kapoor) will be a part of it because she is my source of inspiration and a woman who has encouraged me to reach where I have.

"Saif and I have matured together" - Kareena Kapoor Khan

If you love someone, you want to spend your life with him. I don't understand why it is such a big deal. I'll never carry the vibe. People take it in the wrong way like oh she's married!' But I don't care. In fact, I am having more fun after being married. I am enjoying the shoots more, I am going out more. I am partying and having more holidays. And I love it. Ultimately, for an actress, it's all about timing. You have to do everything at the right time. Timing is important for success and marriage. That's my advice to actresses. It's the right decision at the right time. You have to decide what you want. That's why I've always been open about love.

It's not just he who pampers. People have this image about Saif Ali Khan. I pamper him more. I have made him grounded, responsible, emotional and calm. Saif had a childlike thing to him, which has suddenly disappeared in the last few years. We have matured together.