Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; January 29, 2020)

In less than a month’s time, Saif Ali Khan gives us two dramatically different characters to dig into. He impressed as the lethal Udaybhan in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, and now, with the upcoming romcom Jawaani Jaaneman, he’s all set to bring out his swag and sass, once again. In his true-blue, innate style. The actor is in a good zone — from playing a Naga sadhu with dreadlocks, to a deadly warrior to the 40-year-old uber-cool dude who likes his women and wine — he’s experimenting like never before. All this, while he’s sitting back and quietly enjoying the other good things in life. Excerpts from a conversation...

From the menacing Udhaybhan in Tanhaji…, to this urban, cool guy sprawled on the bed with two ladies (as seen in the film’s poster), that is a drastic change. When you are doing a character like this one, as compared to Udaybhan, there must be a huge mind shift, especially when the romcom character seems more relatable…
I am trying to think what the difference is, I think with the costume and the vibe, you go into a different mental space in a film like Tanhaji... Yes, a film like Jawaani... is more relatable, closer to my personality. It is also extreme, and honestly, I wouldn’t be able to live like this character. There is no such prep for a film like this one, the mental space and energy is familiar to me. In Jawaani..., we have this guy who is supposed to have grown up from all the romcoms, but hasn’t. The difference here is that he has a daughter (played Alaya F), which changes the dynamics of the story. For roles like this, you can’t prep much, you need spontaneity. Films is a director’s medium, but some films more than the other. Some films are more theatrical, but in a film like this, the director (Nitin Kakkar) has to tell us what to do, that too, on set. You need to know your lines, and then let the small moments unfold on set that will eventually create magic.

You’ve always been a perfect fit for films that needed, what we call, the sophisticated metrosexual man (Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste, Ta Ra Rum Pum, Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail), but in the last few years, one has seen you do several experimental roles. Like playing a Naga sadhu with dreadlocks in Laal Kaptaan (2019),which was an “out-there” kind of character. Then, of course the web series and recently, Tanhaji... As an actor, do you pick the kind of content that you want to watch?
For Laal Kaptaan, I had some minor disagreements with the treatment, as I thought it should have been a superhero kind of movie and there are certain things that could have been more commercial about it. The treatment of the action should have been different, maybe like Tanhaji... I guess, some directors feel the importance of that, and some do not. Yes, I would like to see a film like Laal Kaptaan and something like Jawaani Janemaan, too. It’s a great relief to come back to this (Jawaani…) space, it is a good, fun and light zone. It is also age-appropriate. The soul of the romcoms I have done in the past is of a young guy who is confused about whether he should commit or not, marry or not... mostly figuring out some first-world issues. It is not earth-shattering, and after a while, it can seem a bit frivolous, but in this story, with the daughter coming in, it pitches it in another emotional space. That’s what drew me to it.

Most of the people you work with, the directors especially, say that you push the envelope and take risks that others would be wary of. Does the fact that you don’t conform to a certain image trapping, or that you view stardom differently, give you more room and free space to experiment?
When I talk to other actors, I realise that we are all victims of the bracket that we have been put into. There is a certain framework we can’t operate out of, only that some of our brackets are wider than the others. My choices are driven by what I have been exposed to, the way I see my profession and art, rather than the notion of what can take my stardom forward. For instance, maybe, what I want is to have this conversation with you as an expression of my success, and to be able to have a chat about what this is all about. So, it is about the way I view things as an actor. Of course, films need to work at the box office and people should make money. It is important that your film is budgeted sensibly, and works well, commercially. Beyond that, my idea of entertainment is something that you want to enjoy yourself, it’s not too indulgent and it’s pretty mainstream.

A lot of actors and filmmakers are aware of their audience, in the sense that they know that ‘this is my audience’. Or ‘I make films for this audience’. Have you thought about this?
I would like to think that ‘this is my audience’, but I don’t know what that is. There are some people I speak to, like yourself, and I feel this is my kind of conversation and I know how to speak to this person. There are some people I don’t know how to speak to. Likewise, with movies, there are all kinds of audience and I don’t exactly know who my audience is. I know that whenever I am offered a movie by a producer or director, if I like it, I will take it on, and maybe, in the process create a new audience (if that happens).

Generally, do you get deeply affected by the failure of any of your movies? And, does it stop you from doing the kind of roles you want to, the risky ones, too?
There are different levels of belief. You feel disappointed when a film like Laal Kaptaan does not work because you have worked really hard on it. So, I was not heartbroken, but yes, I was sad. You are heartbroken when you believe that a film will really run, and eventually, that does not happen. Then, it means that you have got everything, including your judgement, wrong. A film like Laal Kaptaan is something you are hoping people will like, as you know that it is in a different zone. If you get it right, then great. If you don’t, then you have to tell yourself that it was a good attempt and move on. I read that when Al Pacino made Scarface (1983), and it didn’t run, he wanted to quit the movies. He thought that his judgement went wrong with what he believed was great. So, that would be heartbreaking. I loved Tanhaji... and everyone loved it, too, so I am in sync. It is not like I loved a certain performance of mine and people said, ‘Oh, it was awful’.

A lot of actors who have done comedy and even flourished in the genre, say that it’s really tough to pull off comedy on screen. You have done quite a few romcoms in your career, your thoughts?
I think comedy is the hardest form of acting. It is about perfect timing, and you can’t do it if you are not gifted. I am not talking about myself; I am talking about someone like Akshay Kumar, who has done so many comedies. We generally need to take comedy parts that actors do, more seriously.

All that suave, sass that is needed for the romcoms that you do, is inherently a part of you. You must have heard people say things like, ‘Saif is playing himself because it is an urban, cool role.’ While their reaction is positive, the so-called relatable, closer-to-home roles are also not as easy to play as they seem, right?
It is still “playing”, and it is not really yourself. It is like a version of yourself. There is a difference between realism and reality, and we all want realism, but we don’t want reality. There is a difference.

Alaya says that the two of you shared a great comfort level and even during her solo shots, you were there on set to give her cues. What do you have to say about her potential as an actor?
The camera loves Alaya and she is so good in front of it. She is natural, sharp and a good actor. If the film does well, she is the reason for it. The story is about the girl, and Alaya has carried the film through. If she wouldn’t be magical, there would be no story here.

When you see young new talents, including your daughter Sara, do you think that their work culture, style is different from what yours was when you started out?
It is different because the industry is changing, and back in the 90s, it was not as professional as it is today. In some ways it is good and in some ways, it is not. I see so much of this management, or mismanagement happening today, where people are trying to create this personality for actors by making them do this, go there and say that. It is too choreographed. I think you have to be yourself. The good thing is that, I feel we are a mature industry. There are certain films that young actors can do and there are films that 50-year-old guys can do. We are quite youth-obsessed in our country, but luckily, now there are good roles for everyone. It is fascinating to play the part of a young father.

Kareena (Kapoor Khan) says that the one thing she has learnt from you is that there is more to life than just movies...
I am very lucky to have her in my life because she also encourages friendships and relationships away from this business. Whether it is cooking, hanging out with friends at home, renting a cottage in whichever country or doing simple things together — it is about valuing the quality time we spend together. We have our similarities and differences, but this is one huge thing we have in common. We work here, we love and respect it, but it is not an obsession. There is another side to life that is as important, like traveling, meeting people, and being with simple friends. A lot of our friends wonder why we like going to Gstaad (Switzerland), as it is full of older people. But we like it because Kareena and I are old souls in a way. We like to chill, and chat over a bottle of wine for hours. Some people probably need to be in a more happening place, we don’t.

Are your learnings as a father to Sara and Ibrahim, helping you with raising Taimur?
Yes, and no. Sara was my first child, we were so excited about it, and we did so much together. But your heart really separates into three pieces when you have three children. I know it sounds filmi, but one child can’t replace the other. Like, if I am upset with Sara or Ibrahim, I know that Taimur can’t make it better. Somehow, the more kids you have, the more you keep dividing yourself. Learning-wise, I am more patient now as a person, so I get on to Taimur’s frequency more than I did with Sara and Ibrahim, hopefully. I can have a more serious chat with Sara and have a drink with her, I can talk to Ibrahim about different things, and enjoy the infancy of Taimur. They are all great feelings.