A day after we reported that Saif Ali Khan and filmmaker Ritesh Batra were set to collaborate on a yet-untitled period drama (Making way for period drama, Oct 20), a casting change has emerged in the project. Sources close to the production have told mid-day that Priyanka Chopra, who was originally expected to play the female lead, is no longer part of the film.

This development comes as the movie rolls today, October 21, at a museum in Byculla, Mumbai. A source close to the project revealed, “Priyanka was expected to join the Mumbai shoot. However, she had to bow out of the film. She was keen to headline it, and work with both Saif and Ritesh. Her existing professional commitments, however, led to a scheduling conflict. The team explored the possibility of working the dates around, but it just didn’t work out.”

From what we’ve heard, the makers are now in talks with two leading actors for the role. Considering the shoot has begun, they will lock one soon. For now, Batra and the unit are moving ahead with Khan, filming his portions for the first few days. The movie will apparently be shot in a start-to-finish schedule in different parts of South Mumbai. 

mid-day reached out to Batra and Chopra’s team. Both didn’t respond till press time.

More than a month after audiences saw him in the intense thriller ‘Haiwaan’, Saif Ali Khan is stepping into the world of a period drama. mid-day has learnt that the actor is collaborating with filmmaker Ritesh Batra of ‘The Lunchbox’ (2013) fame for his next film.

“The film has been in pre-production for some time. Both Saif and Ritesh are huge admirers of each other’s work. And Saif is the perfect fit for Ritesh’s soft, subtle stories,” reveals a source.

The project is set to go on floors later this week in Mumbai. Sources say the team plans to shoot on a tight schedule and “wrap up the intimate period drama in one go”.

Apart from the yet-untitled drama, Batra is also putting the finishing touches to the first two episodes of the upcoming Netflix series ‘Unaccustomed Earth’, starring Freida Pinto and Siddharth.

Batra was previously set to helm a cross-country romance starring Anil Kapoor, which was later put on hold. While details of his film with Khan remain under wraps, it is unclear whether the period drama is the same project.

From trusting her instincts to choosing the filmmakers she wanted to work with, Preity Zinta has rarely been one to follow the rulebook. On the Bombay Times Lounge, she looks back at the choices, lessons and experiences that have shaped her journey — from Dil Se and Veer-Zaara to the films she picks today. Here’s a glimpse into her candid reflections, some cherished memories and a little PZ wisdom.

TaIking about trusting her instincts over industry expectations, Preity says, “I was choosy from the start. Now there are so many more stories to tell, and OTT has a big role to play. I started with Kya Kehna and then I did Dil Se, where I had a 15-minute role. Everyone told me, ‘Your career is over. Pehle toh aap pregnant teenager ka role kar rahe ho and now this small part’. People will always want you to come across a certain way, hence, it’s very important that you cut the noise out and do what you want to do. I wanted to work with Mani Ratnam sir, Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, so I did Dil Se. I’ve never followed what should be done, I have always done my own thing. I believe that if you find success, then it’s great. If you face failure, then you only learn from it.”

If you’re really feeling something, then it translates. If you’re trying too hard to do a scene or manufacture an emotion, even that will show. In commercial Hindi movies especially, you are shooting something, and suddenly, you have to break into a song. And because I never went to a formal acting school, I wanted to understand the reason behind certain things. The directors used to tell me, ‘It’s not how you look when you do a scene, it’s how you feel when you do a scene’. If you feel it, it’s there. Film is a director’s medium, so over the years I have learned that when in doubt, just follow the director blindly.

Now I’m more instinctive when it comes to my career choices. I try to live in the present. They say, ‘Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is the future, today is a gift’. That’s why we call it the present. For me, it is about what I’m feeling currently. I recently did a film called Batwara 1947, which was very intense, and Vibe was a huge contrast. Also, whatever work I do, has to be worth my time. You have different expectations at different times in your life. When I started out, it was about survival. I had to earn that respect. Now, it is not about survival, but about how I am creatively feeling about a role. I have to leave my kids behind when I come to shoot here, so it has to be worth my time.

Veer-Zaara, any day. I remember when I first met Yash Chopra, I said, ‘Good evening, Mr. Chopra’. And he said, ‘Mr. Chopra? Where have you come from?’ He was so wonderful and he went on to treat me like his daughter. He would feed me such good food on set when we were shooting in Punjab and other locations. After that movie, he never called me Preity, he always called me Zaara.

Madam H from Vibe.

Sonia from Armaan. She’s so politically incorrect that she’d be totally cancelled.

That’s a tough one. Shah Rukh in the first half and Saif after the break. They both would be very good.

Saif Ali Khan has a refreshingly grounded take on fame, work and the life that comes with it. From staying present and valuing his work to being open to criticism, he speaks with the perspective of someone who has learnt to focus on what truly matters. He reflects on the privileges of stardom, staying grounded and the value of hearing different perspectives. With Haiwaan now in theatres, the full JBL Live Headphones presents Bombay Times Lounge episode featuring Saif is live. Here are some candid takeaways from our conversation with the actor.

Well, it’s a little tricky in that sense. He’s got these special abilities where he can do certain things, and he doesn’t come across as a handicapped person at all because of that. So, it had to be quite subtle, and it wasn’t very easy to find that balance. Also, I grew up watching a lot of Japanese samurai movies, and a lot of these films have blind swordsmen for some reason, who can hear so well that they can fight. So, I had already bought into that. When that happens, it makes it much easier for you to put it across what you need to with conviction.

They all have traits that I learn from. Sometimes we get a little corrupted in our thoughts, so the simplicity and innocence of children is hugely refreshing. It really makes you think…why am I looking at things like this? They open your eyes. Then the older kids, Ibrahim and Sara, there are things to learn from them, too. Of course, there’s wisdom and experience on our side, and we want to also tell them that, you know, I’ve been there. Also, I think it’s important to spend a little bit of time alone with each child, because they’re all different when they’re alone and you also get to know them in a slightly different way when you do that. Children function differently in groups and alone. So that’s something I try to do.

A famous actor, who is a huge star, once told me, “If you look back and you have a handful of good films that you feel happy about, it’s good.” Because not everything you do will be right and register the way you want it to.

I want to balance my life well. I want to enjoy life. It is a real honour for me to be here in front of you all and to have this conversation with you. Everything’s a privilege now. I just want to do good work and create moments on screen that are remembered. I want to be a little more present, as they say.

There are many places I go to where people don’t care about you being a movie star. Like when I am travelling in many parts of Europe, you get a break from not being recognized. I wish I could get paid a lot to do what I love to do and enjoy certain things the way I would want to. But I understand it is a part of what we do, so we can’t complain about it. And maybe because I’ve seen my parents handle it, be respectful towards it and, at the same time, not take it seriously at home, it has helped. You shouldn’t think you are someone super special all the time, as that can be damaging.

It’s been three decades of Saif Ali Khan — from the charming young star of the ’90s to one of Hindi cinema’s most instinctive and versatile actors. This year, the actor has much to celebrate — Dil Chahta Hai turns 25, Omkara completes 20, and Saif reunites with Akshay Kumar after more than two decades in Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan, which releases on September 11. At 56, there’s plenty to look back on — and Saif has plenty to say. Our guest on the JBL Live Headphones presents Bombay Times Lounge brings his trademark wit, candour and perspective to a conversation spanning films, fame, family and everything in between. Excerpts from the conversation.

I think I’ve always felt very comfortable here and felt that these are my people. I had a very academic kind of exposure when I was young. My parents sent me to a brilliant school, and they had a very academic career in mind for me. But I felt a little bit strangled by the idea of sitting behind the desk for so long, even though now I love it and I love reading, and I’m trying to reconnect. But deep down, I also realized I belong to a world like this and feel at home here. I don’t know exactly when I started enjoying it so much. I used to hear international actors talk about things like craft, technique and form and I had no idea about it. So, I read a few books, and they spoke to me. I understood what they were saying, and I tried to apply some of it. And some of it worked out quite well. This is such a remarkable profession; the learning is endless. Every now and then, you break a little door open and enter a room. And you’re like, wow, this is possible.

I was very young when I started out. I was about 21 and slightly effeminate with long hair. I wasn’t really an alpha male, macho kind of guy. So, it took a while for me to find a place, but the obvious place was a kind of sweet, chocolatey kind of guy. I enjoyed it very much…it’s nice to make people smile and have a happy energy around me. And you shouldn’t take that for granted, because ultimately, people talk about acting and all that, but the audience has to like you. It’s luck and their acceptance. When I see those old films of mine, I feel happy because I believe I was really honest in them. I think I became a bit grumpy later.

Well, it was great working with him again, though the intention of the movie was not to bring us back together. It was a role that Priyan sir (Priyadarshan) was finding hard to cast. He had asked a couple of people. I had confirmed my part, but they needed this dangerous villain. When he narrated it to Akshay, he asked, “Can I do it? I really want to have fun and play a bad guy.” Both Priyan sir and I couldn’t believe it. So, Haiwaan wasn’t designed for Akshay and me. It’s a bonus that we share good chemistry, but the film doesn’t rely on that. In fact, we have very few scenes together.

Yes, I was cute and funny, and I think that worked then. Mahesh Bhatt in those days would say, “Together you two make a super person.” I think that is how different body types and different energies mix together. So, there’s a reason why Akshay and I delivered successful films together. I am kicked about finally getting a chance to play a hero in a film with him.

That’s a coincidence and quite interesting. I don’t know how honest I can be. I can give you an anodyne answer and tell you all films should do well, and everyone is so talented. But the actual truth is…everyone’s film should do well, but mine should do slightly better. You know, blood is thicker than water and films are thicker than blood (laughs). All the films are a little different, so let’s hope all of them do well. Kunal is very talented; I loved his trailer. Actually, I only want my wife’s films to run and be super successful. She’s such an amazing actress. A happy wife is the best situation for me, always (laughs). And I believe, in the past two films have run at the same time and done well.

We’ve dealt with it remarkably well. I think the person who got most affected was my wife, who is a very sensitive person. It was insane, and I’m still not 100% over it. Even now, if I see a knife, I react. I start thinking about the incident and then, I feel incredibly lucky to have survived it. I can’t believe how lucky I was, because the knife broke. It was the worst knife in the history of knife attacks (laughs!). We’re laughing now, but if he really had a proper Rambo knife, I’d be dead. I was cut everywhere and it didn’t kill me, which is why I can’t get over how lucky I got. But there’s another side to this, which I understand, and I’m not just saying this because I am on camera. I mean, these things happen because of inequality, right? And because someone is looking for money and looking out for himself. I would happily forgive this person also. I don’t think he knew where he was or what he was doing. And if he had known, then it wouldn’t have happened. It was a very unfortunate incident, where I got very lucky and he got unlucky because I think he’s in a lot of trouble.

I remember lying in hospital thinking, what I really want to do is have a glass of very good wine with some of my good friends. And that is actually all that matters. Of course, good work matters and these things feel great. But I want to be present and enjoy my life. It would be okay if my life had ended because there was also that feeling. There’s a lot of adrenaline rush at that moment which can, in a way, make you happy. There was a feeling when I was covered in blood… that it’s been a great life and I have had a blast. I just remember thinking that.

Yes, yes. I thought about how making Hum Tum was a blast. Travelling to America and doing those shows was the best career I could have. It’s all been great. My kids are amazing. I just want to hold someone’s hand and go. I was okay with that. But what I wasn’t okay with, I think, was to be paralysed. So yes, what has changed about my outlook is that I want to be more present.

Well, I would like to say what other people think. But I think I’d say, I would like to care less about competing. I think you’re always a little bit competitive, even though you try not to be or project that you’re not, but you end up being a little of that.

Filmmaker Priyadarshan reunites with actor Akshay Kumar for their upcoming film Haiwaan, also starring Saif Ali Khan, but the genre marks a shift for the duo known for their iconic comedies.

Talking about taking the different route, Priyadarshan says, “Films should not become repetitive. I believe that when you see films like Pad Man, Rustom, and all those films, you see Akshay Kumar is capable of doing other kinds of movies also, not only comedy and those films are successful. I was not planning to do this film with Akshay, but Akshay himself insisted that he has never played a psycho. I thought he was kidding, but he said I'm serious about it,” he says.

Having two actors of such stature together is a casting coup in today’s time and the filmmaker agrees it couldn’t have been possible in the actors of today’s generation.

“Yes, that is true. I have worked with Akshay and Govinda, Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna, but there were never any issues because there were no ego problems between them. They both knew that they have a lead role and they have enough meat for themselves. But the new generation is very insecure. They always want to know what the other person is doing. They don't want to know what they are doing,” he says.

Haiwaan marks Priyadarshan and Akshay’s ninth film together. Ask him about how their equation has evolved over the course of these films, and the filmmaker says, “It is about our trust in each other. He never questions me. He will just come to the shot and ask what you want me to do and just do it. I am also very careful about what I am doing with him. I think this is what has worked for both of us. He has got a blind belief in me, and it gives me the responsibility that I should not let him down.”

The film also becomes poignant for Priyadarshan to break an image as his name has become synonymous to the comedy genre.

“I started my career with serious films like Virasat (1997), after Hera Pheri (2000), this comedy brand came on my head. But at the same time, fortunately, I have been making serious movies too in the South. Something unusual is always attractive, so I thought, this time let me try something different. Haiwaan is not a dark film and there's enough for you to laugh in between too. But it is a very emotional film. I always prefer films for family, so a family can watch Haiwaan together too,” he ends.

No matter how big a star one is, almost everyone becomes a fanboy in front of Amitabh Bachchan. Something similar happened when Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, and their Haiwaan director Priyadarshan recently shot a special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 with the megastar. 

On the hot seat, Khan recalled shooting Eklavya: The Royal Guard (2007) with Bachchan. Stating that he was nervous about sharing screen space with the icon for the first time, he recalled, “I had long dialogues, so I was learning them. The next day, when it was Amit ji’s scene, he said, ‘Saif, just give me the cue.’ Then he asked me to say the entire dialogue, and I thought, ‘Thank God I had prepared!’” 

Dramatically different was Kumar’s first interaction with Bachchan. Turns out, as a child, he visited the set of Bemisal (1982).

The actor recounted, “I had come to the set with my parents, and my father was a big fan of yours. So, my mother told me to get your autograph. I came to you, but my eyes were on the grapes you were eating. When you were giving the autograph, I stole a small bunch, and you saw me. When I was leaving, you called me back and gave me an even bigger bunch of grapes.”

The truth is I rarely get a script before I walk into a dubbing studio. There may be a phone call a few days earlier asking whether I am available, and that is about it. I enter, glance at the script, watch the first scene and begin to understand the character as I perform. You have to adapt immediately.

If you are new, you will probably test for every part. After years in the business, studios know what your voice can do. Sometimes they call because they can already hear you as that character. I never expected any of this. I always knew I would become an actor. Voice work happened by accident after I returned from Drama Studio London. Commercials and corporate narrations kept coming, the money became substantial, and it became a parallel profession — as important as acting.

Unlike sets, a dubbing room is surprisingly solitary. It is usually me with the mic, while the dubbing director and two audio engineers sit in the engineering room. We discuss interpretations and sometimes disagree. Ultimately, the director has the final say for good reason. As voice actors, we rarely watch the film or series. We see our sections. The director has the full picture.

What many get wrong about dubbing is that a voice actor must imitate the actors. Not true. When I voiced Adam Sandler, Michael Fassbender or The Professor in Money Heist, my voice remains mine. What matters is whether it belongs convincingly to the face on screen.

I have to match emotion, rhythm, breath and, crucially, time. A line has only so many seconds available. Yet I can add an inflection, a sigh or a small sound that strengthens the performance.

Voice actors have one freedom screen actors often lack. Our faces do not restrict us. I can use a deeper or higher voice, and animation expands that range further.

I once got called to voice a Spider-Man trailer for Doctor Strange because Mohan Kapur, the actor who usually voiced him was abroad. I messaged him to explain that I was only doing the trailer and hoped he would return for the film. I did not want to take his character. Then there is The Professor. After 48 episodes of Money Heist, I felt I knew him inside out. I suspect Indian audiences would find another voice on him strange.

Streaming transformed the business. Shows now appear in several languages, which has created work for established artists and opened doors for new ones. Sacred Games, for which I dubbed Saif Ali Khan’s character in English, was an early example. There is also far more training available. Most of the big dubbing studios run programmes, there are excellent independent voice coaches, and much of it is accessible online. When I started, none of that existed. I learnt on the job, session by session. Today, I’m a voice and body language coach myself and run a programme called Million Dollar Presence.

AI poses a different question. Early synthetic voices were easy to identify. They are becoming alarmingly good. A lot of the middle-tier voice work we once did has already disappeared because some brands ask why they should pay an artist when they can generate a voice themselves. Emotion does not always matter to them. They simply need a voiceover.

Dubbing will take longer, but I can see AI entering that space. I suspect human voices will be licensed because the technology still needs them. The crucial question is whether performers will be paid and protected. In India, adequate safeguards for actors’ voices remain a concern. Someone does not need my face or even my presence to reproduce what I do.

After more than 20 years, the profession has also ruined television for me. After years behind a mic, you can hear what has been done well, and what hasn’t. In the studio, if a breath hits wrongly, there is a click or an odd sound — I will take the line again. Because the audience may never spot the difference. But I will.

This year has been nothing short of a victory lap for Akshay Kumar. After back to back hits with Bhooth Bangla and Welcome To the Jungle , the actor, far from resting on his laurels, is diving into uncharted territory in Priyadarshan’s next, Haiwaan. In a chat with HT City, Akshay talks about his transformation for the role, reuniting with Saif Ali Khan and why taking risks is the only way he knows how to operate. Excerpts:

To be honest it was a huge relief, I find playing villains so fascinating, I always have. I feel they get to play way more interesting characters than Heroes do. Heroes most of the time have to be perfect, they can only be good, do good & come across as influential role models. Me, I like to be challenged, easy is nice but it’s also boring (sometimes,) shooting with Priyadarshan for the last 2 years has given me so much new found love for my work, he is like medicine for the working side of my soul.

Saif and I have shared the screen quite a few times over the years, and I think we’ve been fortunate that audiences have enjoyed us together whether it was Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Yeh Dillagi, Keemat etc. There has always been a certain familiarity between us, we were often on the same side, playing off each other’s energy, humour and camaraderie. But Haiwaan is definitely a role reversal for us. This time, we’re on opposite sides, and that changes the dynamic completely. Saif is the hero, I’m the villain, so instead of trying to help each other get out of trouble, we’re trying to create as much trouble for each other as possible! We know each other well enough to push each other in a scene, and Priyan sir has used that familiarity in a very different way this time. I think audiences who have enjoyed our earlier films will have fun seeing us together in this completely new equation.

NEVER... I find Priyadarshan a film making genius, he is a very rare director who can wear more than one hat, he has a talent in the dark side of the lens too, we are all witness to that in the original Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Which is why I felt this was a perfect combo between me, Saif and Priyan Sir, I personally couldn’t wait to jump on his idea. Rather than throwing fans off, it gives them a chance to enjoy us back to back in the same year without anything being repetitive.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. For instance, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha’s script was circulating for a couple of years and had been rejected by many actors before it came to me. I don’t really look at a role and think about who has said no to it. For me, the more interesting question is whether the character takes me out of my comfort zone as an actor, because that usually means there is something worth exploring.

In fact, Haiwaan came to me more by chance than by choice. I was shooting with Priyan sir for Bhooth Bangla when we happened to discuss what he was making next. I was the one who coaxed him into telling me more about the story, and that conversation eventually led to me being part of the film. What drew me to the character was the idea of making the audience uncomfortable with me. They’ve spent so many years watching me as the good guy, so this time, hopefully, they’ll find themselves wondering what I’m going to do next.

Honestly, my fan clubs have a lot more imagination than I give them credit for! Maybe they know something… or maybe they just don’t trust me to stay negative for two and a half hours! I think they’re so used to seeing me save the day that old habits die hard. But this time, with Haiwaan, Priyan sir has given me the opportunity to surprise people and explore a completely different side of myself. All I can say is that Haiwaan has been designed to keep the audience guessing. Saif is the hero and I’m playing the villain, but with Priyan sir, you should never assume you know where the story is going. You’ll get your answer on 11th September.

I love making multi-starrers, always have, there is no need to have insecurities, the more the merrier. Unless one wants to be a stand up comedian of course. I feel sharing space with fellow Heroes and Character Artists is what makes a scene complete. I don’t enjoy being funny on my own as much, it’s why I love a Garam Masala, a Housefull, a Welcome movie, it takes a village to make an audience laugh. Regarding Haiwaan, for me, I get to work every day with my dear old friend Saif, I would choose that opportunity over a solo hero film any day.

Saif Ali Khan teams up with Priyadarshan for the first time in Haiwaan, and the actor finds an interesting similarity between the director and his late father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. “Priyadarshan reminds me of my dad. Both were cricketers, and both lost one eye but have been great in their professional space,” he says.

Pataudi played for India (1961-1975) and lost sight in one eye after a car crash in 1961. Meanwhile, Priyadarshan played competitive cricket in school and college before suffering an eye injury in the 1980s.

In the Akshay Kumar co-starrer, Saif plays a visually impaired musician and martial arts coach. All praise for Priyadarshan, Saif adds, “He is like Clint Eastwood, senior and calm. He gives you just one take, so you have to make quick decisions as an actor.”'

Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan found herself at the centre of pregnancy rumours after being spotted in Mumbai on Friday. As the speculation snowballed, her sister-in-law, fashion designer Saba Pataudi, stepped in to set the record straight. She took to Instagram Stories to share a long note (inset above), blaming the rumours on “a bad angle”. She added, “Some things are left private. No speculation needed.”

Something old, something new — that’s what Haiwaan represents to Priyadarshan. If the thriller is the filmmaker’s eighth outing with Akshay Kumar, it also marks his maiden collaboration with Saif Ali Khan. And the more the filmmaker is seeing Haiwaan’s rushes as he cuts the trailer, the more he is convinced that he couldn’t have asked for better performers to bring his cat-and-mouse game to life.

Playing a blind man couldn’t have been easy for Khan. Talking to mid-day, Priyadarshan said that he was impressed by how seamlessly the actor slipped into the role with no training. “No training, nothing,” emphasized the director before adding, “While we were discussing his character, Saif asked me how he should play the role. I told him that the day we start shooting, I’d tell him. On the first day on set when he came to me, I told him to open his eyes, and without blinking, to think that he cannot see. Saif told me that he had never heard such a simple explanation before.”

In Khan, the filmmaker found a curious child, ever ready with questions. “Like my granddaughter, Saif has questions every moment,” laughed Priyadarshan. “Saif is wonderful to work with because he is so transparent. I’ve handled easy-going actors like Suniel Shetty, Shah Rukh Khan, and Akshay, and the most difficult ones like Govinda, Salman Khan, and Akshaye Khanna, but I never had any problem. Once a director shows his actors that he knows what he is doing, they trust him completely.”

Working with Kumar came easy to Priyadarshan after seven movies. However, unlike their past comedies, Haiwaan sees the superstar as a ruthless villain. Priyadarshan elaborated, “Akshay’s character is not grey; he is a psycho in Haiwaan. Akshay and I trust each other so much that he never asked me any questions. He just did what I asked him to do.”

Actor-producer Saif Ali Khan has said he would be open to forgiving the attacker involved in the burglary attempt at his Mumbai residence in Bandra last year on January 16, during which he was stabbed multiple times.

Admitting that he genuinely thought he “might die” during the scuffle, Saif said he has considered forgiveness despite the trauma. “I even wanted to forgive this guy because I think he made a huge mistake, and I think he was not looking for a fight. I would be happy to forgive him, but that part where he tried to kill me is something that I am finding hard to let go of. It’s a question of haves and have-nots and it is the inequality that has led to this,” he told Mojo Story.

Recounting the incident, the 55-year-old added that though the situation escalated, he believes it could have been handled differently. “This burglar broke in through the bathroom window, he had cut the baby too… I could have made him talk it out but something took over me and I jumped on him, and we had a fist fight.. I thought I might die,” he said.

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.”

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Saif Ali Khan has explored genres across films and OTT, from intense dramas like recently released Kartavya to beloved romcoms such as Hum Tum (2004) and Salaam Namaste (2005). But the actor now feels Bollywood-style rom-coms may no longer connect with audiences the way they once did. “I loved doing romcoms, but I feel they were like an anomaly in Indian cinema, which might have even started and finished with me in a sense,” Saif says, adding, “Romcoms are a failed experiment, although a beautiful one.”

According to the actor, audiences today struggle to relate to the genre’s classic “confused privileged guy” archetype. “People wonder what his problem is,” he says, adding that such characters no longer feel relevant after a certain age. Laughing, the 55-year-old shares that actor-wife Kareena Kapoor Khan once told him he could no longer convincingly play a confused young man, and joked that actor-son Ibrahim Ali Khan should now take over “the family business”.

Still, Saif says he remains open to returning to romance on screen: “I loved those movies and they mean a lot to me. I’d love to do a love story, or even a comedy that ends in romance. There’s still one romcom left in me.”

The actor also reflected on the growing intensity and violence in modern storytelling, calling it a reflection of the times. “It’s not enough anymore to just tell a story. It has to shake you up, punch you a bit and sometimes even put you off,” he says. Saif believes violence in cinema works only when it serves an emotional purpose. “Even violence is an art form and it has to connect. If it’s just gratuitous, you want to shut your eyes,” he says, adding that audiences today respond to deeper and more intense portrayals than they did a decade ago.

Sometimes, the most frightening villains are not the ones written into a script, but the ones quietly accepted by society. As debate continues around Kartavya’s antagonist, the film’s director, Pulkit, insists audiences may be looking in the wrong direction altogether.

“Talk about the story and not just one person. There is some kind of chatter about him and I don’t know why. Saurabh [Dwivedi] has precisely three scenes in the film. I have not treated him as my villain or antagonist. The father is the villain of Kartavya and in a larger sense, it is society too is, and maybe we all are too. I have spoken about honour killing and the crimes that adults use children to commit — those are my villains. Society has fallen to such a level that we call children cancer. I cast Saurabh when he was hosting a show, because of the way he talks and delivered his podcast and I wanted that in my movie. If you want to hate someone I cannot stop you.”

Pulkit also addressed the online backlash against Dwivedi’s performance, saying the criticism may have stemmed from the latter’s recent controversy involving actor Rajpal Yadav. “When I was making Kartavya he was doing very well at Lallantop and I am grateful that at one call he agreed to do my film. He is not an actor and I have cast him knowing that.”

The filmmaker further opened up about casting Saif Ali Khan in the rooted small-town role despite the actor’s polished public image. “Saif has two sides to him — one is quite urban, educated and cool and the other is his desi, rustic one,” he said, adding that the actor immersed himself deeply in the dialect, look, and emotional world of Kartavya.

Pulkit maintained that Kartavya was never conceived as a thriller, but as “a human drama about a man with his conscience in the correct place.”

The daughter of legendary actress Sharmila Tagore and cricket icon Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Soha Ali Khan grew up in a household where discipline, culture and creativity coexisted seamlessly. Today, she is a hands-on mother to her eight-year-old daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu, whom she shares with actor Kunal Kemmu. This Mother’s Day, Soha reflects on parenting, inherited values, working-mom guilt, and the deepening appreciation she now has for her own mother.

For Soha, motherhood is not defined by one dramatic revelation, but by the constant emotional responsibility that comes with raising a child. “Motherhood for me has been the most transformative experience of my entire life. It’s exhausting, it’s joyful, it’s chaotic, it’s repetitive, it’s deeply profound. When I look at my daughter growing up, there’s not one moment that does not make me feel – this is what Amma did for me. The fact is that there’s never a day off from being a mother emotionally. Your brain is on duty forever,” she reflects, adding, “Even today, my mother worries about us. She asks me, ‘Will Saif be okay? Will Saba and you be okay?’ I feel 30 years from now, I’m going to be the same.”

A large part of Soha’s parenting style today comes directly from the values she inherited from Sharmila Tagore. She speaks fondly about a childhood shaped by books, conversations and structure rather than screens and distractions.

“The values from my mother that I try to pass on are kindness, curiosity and good manners. She taught us not to be bored, to be really comfortable in our own company. We were not allowed to use the word ‘bored’ at home especially because we grew up with books and that is what I am trying to do with Inaaya.”

She elaborates, “I have taught her reading, how to have a good conversation, how to be polite and the importance of being on time which my mother was very particular about. Some of these things are a little old fashioned but also, they are very underrated qualities. Growing up, we had very boring and normal rules: we had to do our homework, read books and behave well. Just because our surname was recognisable didn’t mean any of these things could change. Fame was never treated as an achievement in itself at home.”

In recent years, Soha has also consciously chosen to give her daughter more privacy online, especially amid growing concerns around AI and digital safety.

She says, “The terrifying things that people are now doing with AI definitely played a role, but also consent. I think as parents, we increasingly realise that childhood is precious and private, and social media creates a sort of permanent digital footprint before children are old enough to even understand that. We still share moments occasionally, but I’m really trying to give my child the space to choose for herself how visible she wants to be when she’s older. I don’t want to have taken that away from her before she even had that opportunity to decide for herself.”

The actress shares, “I think one life lesson that motherhood has taught me is that perfection is overrated. What matters more is just being there, showing up and being present. Children don’t need flawless parents; they just need parents who are emotionally available. Motherhood has taught me patience, although that’s definitely still a work in progress. There are many times when I fall short of being an example of patience, but I’m doing my best.”

To Saiyami Kher, Haiwaan stands as a symbol of unexpected coincidences. In 2014, before foraying into Bollywood, the actor had featured in an eyewear brand campaign with Saif Ali Khan. Today, she has reunited with the actor for Priyadarshan’s action thriller. “Reuniting with him after 12 years feels like life has come around in the most beautiful way,” marvelled Kher.

 

The campaign is still fresh in her memory. Asserting that one’s early collaborations are important in shaping their career, she said, “I cherish that memory. I had shot for one of my very first campaigns for an eyewear brand, and Saif sir was its ambassador. Even back then, he was so funny. I have greatly admired his work, and it felt surreal to share the screen with him in Priyan sir’s film all these years later. It’s incredible how he looks exactly the same. Saif has been warm and gracious. Working with him now, as an equal collaborator, has been comforting.”

Nostalgia isn’t the only reason Haiwaan, also starring Akshay Kumar, is an important project to Kher. She elaborated, “It’s about how far you’ve come. Experiences like this make you look back and feel grateful for the opportunities, learning, and people who have been part of your journey, even in small ways.”

At 69, Priyadarshan shows no signs of slowing down. After the release of Bhooth Bangla on April 17, the filmmaker will train his focus on the post production of the Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Haiwaan.

The official Hindi remake of the Malayalam blockbuster Oppam (2016) marks his second collaboration with Kumar after 16 years, and his first with Khan. “The producers told me Saif was available. When we went to him, he was excited, so that’s how [he came aboard],” he says.

Working with Khan has been an interesting experience, he adds with a smile. “Every morning, he comes with 10 questions. Once that one doubt is cleared, he forgets the other nine, and says, ‘Okay, I’m ready.’ He’s like a very cute [but] mature child.”

That openness and curiosity on set that define Priyadarshan’s own filmmaking approach is something that has deeply influenced writer Rohan Shankar, who collaborates with him for the first time with Haiwaan. A self-confessed admirer, Shankar says his own films — Luka Chuppi (2019), Mimi (2021), Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari (2020), and Helmet (2021) — carry traces of the veteran’s signature “chaotic structures”.

“I’ve always followed Priyan sir’s work, especially his comedies. The biggest lesson [I learnt from him] was humility. Even after 97 films, he says he doesn’t know anything. He approaches every film as if it’s his first — curious, eager to innovate whether it’s a new shot, dialogue, or visual. Despite his legacy, he listens, stays humble, and lets the work speak.”

Shankar adds that Haiwaan marks a tonal shift from his earlier work. “It’s a slow-burn thriller, atmospheric, something like Drishyam. It’s got mystery, drama, great actors, and brilliant locations. The movie pushes me into a whole new creative zone.”

“I’m doing two films with him. For me, there’s no difference between then [Khatta Meetha, 2010] and now. He believes in me. Hence, I feel a huge responsibility to deliver for him. With me, he doesn’t ask many questions. He just says, ‘What do you want me to do?’ I explain what I expect, and he immediately does it.”