Three decades into Bollywood, Saif Ali Khan believes longevity in the industry is a mix of hard work, timing and a fair bit of luck. The actor, recently seen in the cop drama Kartavya, admits his early years were far from smooth, despite perceptions that he was handed opportunities

“I survived because there was a massive patch where nobody wanted to do those movies that I was doing. It wasn’t that I was getting the best films in the world repeatedly despite not being good,” says Khan, adding, “There was a strong downward movement but then there was luck.”

Reflecting on his initial years in the industry, the actor says, “It was a simpler time, people were much more forgiving.”

Khan recalls that after landing a major opportunity with a Yash Chopra film that failed to perform, his career hit a slump before Yeh Dillagi (1994), co-starring Akshay Kumar and Kajol, helped put him back in the spotlight: “People liked me and it was a two-hero film... I got a little bit of reward for working quite hard and putting everything into it. Films like Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) slowly helped me make my way into things.”

“The industry was definitely a more forgiving place when I came. Today you need to be much more prepared. The whole concept of preparation has changed and the whole world of movies has changed. I’ve said this to them [Sara and Ibrahim] also that you have to prepare. But our field has become extremely extreme. It’s always been competitive, but people are less forgiving now certainly than they were.”