Saif Ali Khan was amongst the first superstars to have the sensibilities multiplex India is now coming to. And yet, he wandered off-track in the hope of hedging his bets, trying out new things, hoping that it would appeal to other people, even though he knew that it was not appealing to him. But he has now understood that while directors like Sajid Khan are his friends, who he is fond of and has therefore made up with, he needs to stick to his own sensibilities when it comes to choice of scripts and films. He seems to have returned to his home turf in Happy Ending and is visibly excited about its release. Over an hourlong conversation, a charming and super bright Saif spoke to Bombay Times about his decision to be disciplined with his body, his relationship status with his partner Dinoo Vijan and why he now sends his scripts to his mother. Excerpts:

Happy Ending seems to be your home turf. Talk about it versus your recent choices that didn't do well.
I wanted to do this film for a long time. It's a space that I think I enjoy and I identify with. I have had an interesting time over the last few years and I have made some money and done some things in my personal life, like Sara is in Columbia, Pataudi is being renovated, but artistically, there was a dimension to my career that was missing. An intellectual angle was missing, which is what actors are meant to be apart from showmen. Having an academic side of sitting with scripts, polishing them, discussing them with directors in making something great out of something average. Some of us stars do that. But I can't remember the last time I did that. I think I have been inconsistent. And rather than following an artistic drive, I did other things like make money, which is fine, and is not a bad thing and it's certainly not too late, as I am aware of that. Also there was a hedging of bets in my mind, where I thought I would do Bullett Raja and if it did well, would be great, but it didn't.

Humshakals was an idea of trying to do something that might appeal to other people that I myself was not totally convinced about. It could have been viewed as a gamble on comedy, but let's just say, unfortunately, it didn't work out on any level. I always knew that there was a Happy Ending and knew that this is a film that was home turf. I have learnt my lessons and understand that people try and take away your exclusivity. Instead of understanding who you are, they try and make you something else.

Did it have an impact emotionally?
It was a learning experience. I have had ups and downs throughout my career and you always see people run away and run back. It doesn't harden you, but can certainly give you an attitude. You stop taking people seriously and then, you know the people you should take seriously who are there constantly or people who tell you the truth. The main point is that I feel lucky that I have woken up to it late, but I feel that I have the same sensibility as my audience. So I really had no business to wander off-track. I was perhaps the only actor who could have taken it forward. My own sensibilities echo with the audience and I will stick to that in the future. I have learnt my lesson.

Given a whole new set of young actors who are already stars, can you afford to make mistakes at this stage in your career?
They should not be terrible mistakes. Also, other things are important. The 40s is a time that is good to you, if you are good to them. Things like alcohol won't be forgiven now. You can't afford to drink a night before your shoot. So now, during a schedule, I don't drink unless I have the next two days off. And that is a recent change. Most stars have some personality that they are selling and we all have that, as long as we nurture it and look after it and put it in the right movie. I would rather do films like Happy Ending, where I feel confident and know that it's not just fun, but years of experience and I am doing something which no one else can quite do the same way, rather than do films where I put myself in a situation which other people can do much better.

What is the personality you represent?
That of an urban, vulnerable and usually fun person, who is trying to figure things out. There are demons in his own mind, but no real villains in his movie, except for his own lack of commitment. Having said that, this is just this film and that can't go on. I was talking to my mom recently. Some silly people can imagine that older people are less relevant. My mother is a product of the 60s, but her mind is very sharp and very liberal. I love talking to her about movies, which I never did before. She tells me that characters should be likeable. It's that simple. She asks me, 'Why are you doing a scene that is making you look like a bad person?' For scripts that I am now offered, I send them to her. I have never done this in the past. She would earlier call me and say, 'You have turned into such a nice actor.' That would happen for films like Parineeta and Omkara. Maybe recently, she felt that I could do with some advice. She critiques the scripts and tells me a couple of them that she loves. The point is that experience comes into play and I am lucky that I have the benefit of her wisdom.

Talk about your mother?
Both my parents have been very strong characters, particularly her. She is so driven by a lot of issues she is passionate about and what has always amazed me is her liberal mind. It's a forward-thinking mind. It's a hip, yet culturally very grounded mind. She is the kind of mind who was totally okay with frontal nudity of Nandana Sen in Rang Rasiya when she was heading the Censor Board. What surprises me is why I didn't ask my mother before. I think it's just silly that when you are younger, you just don't ask your mummy. As in, my wrong mind, I thought they just don't get our movies. Of course, that is a different matter that their movies are still much better than what we now make. And their script sense is very good and that is why they were top stars. So, it was just stupid of me. But it's something that I have learnt. Maybe there was a sense of doing one's own thing and now, there is a sense of wanting her involvement. After my father passed away, I worry more about her and this is something that connects us. Some actors are not relevant mentally, so it's not good to take their advice, but her advice is contemporary. Amma is not stuck, she is very open. The TV and the movies she watches is the same as me. One should not have a preconception that senior people are out of touch or don't know what they are talking about. I send her the script, she will make notes and then when I see her, she will tell me. We talk actor to actor. She once told me, 'If the same script had been offered to Aamir Khan, he would have polished it till it became a gem.' And then she said, 'Are you going to do that or go on holiday and forget about it?' That is good advice and I understand and plan to do that with my films now.

While you are this fun guy, who is a bit relaxed on screen, how much of that are you in your real life?
Post my father passing away, I think I have grown up quite a lot, be it the responsibility of my mom or the renovation in Pataudi or educating Sara and Ibrahim or worrying about Kareena. I am a multitude of personalities and I do have mood swings and do have a calm side, which I love, that has built a home, where I can enjoy a glass of wine at the balcony with jazz playing in the background with a lot of patience and peace. But there is also an edgy, hyper side that is irritable, which drives me at times. My personality is exactly like that of my mother. On a good day, Kareena says that I have the best of both of them, but my darkest fear is that I am sometimes the worst of both of them.

Is there a plan that you have for yourself ahead?
My thing now is just to be disciplined enough to live up to my potential. I want the money to be invested and not blown up. There is a certain class in not buying another watch. I have enough of these material things, but would now like to spend on nice things like education funds for kids. It's a different kind of wealth you want to accumulate. I want to be well off, but I don't think I want things any more. There is a certain elegance in living within a budget even if you are rich. To eat simply, drink simple wine. That balance we were brought up in and I think I am turning back to it.

Talk about your relationship with your partner Dinesh Vijan?
We became friends through our respect for each other's work and our partnership is based on work. Our differences were magnified out of proportion. But let me say that we are healthy and hearty and we are very much looking forward to our next release Happy Ending and look forward to making films together under Illuminati. He wants to make films on his own and he should and that will be under his banner and likewise, there are films that I want to do with other people, for which I will have a separate production, where I will make films without him. This allows us both to do things that we are passionate about. We balance each other in a healthy way. I like the fact that he has an understanding of people and things and the advice he gives you is usually spot on.