It’s difficult to imagine the charismatic Saif Ali Khan as a flabby, pot-bellied man. But doesn’t the joy of acting lie in becoming a character far removed from you? “It was quite a bit of flab,” laughs Khan, who piled on the kilos to play the complacent railway ticket collector Rakesh Trivedi aka Bunty in Bunty Aur Babli 2. “That was the point of the role — a middle-aged, slightly unhappy guy who has let himself go. Then, the character progresses to becoming fit, happy and adventurous. So, while prepping for the role, I let myself go in real-life too. Becoming overweight wasn’t difficult. I took it easy on the exercises and ate what I loved, but when it was time to knock off the excess weight, I became more serious about hitting the gym.”

His excitement to breathe life into Bunty aided his transformation. Unlike co-star Rani Mukerji who is all too familiar with Babli, having played the role in the 2005 hit that spawned the franchise, Khan had to acquaint himself with the character and make it his own. “I was keen on playing a small-town hero. Earlier, romantic comedies with NRI, urban-centric characters were the trend. Today, heartland stories are [dominant].”

The small-town setting wasn’t the only factor that drew him to the Varun V Sharma directorial venture. In the recent past, the actor has had more than his fill of grey, edgy roles. A lethargic former con artist was a perfect change of pace. “Rakesh is positive and nice, loyal to his wife, and a hero for the working man. Then, he gets a chance to have some fun again and gets renewed energy to lose weight, and have an adventure.”

The physical transformation aside, Khan says he also started prepping for the character at home, weeks before reporting to the set. “If you have the luxury, you can become that character at home without upsetting your family. You can slip into that zone physically and mentally. But before that, you have to figure out the layers to your role. For me though, the best homework is when I am in my costume.”

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 30, 2020)

He was in Jaipur for the shooting of the 2007 action-thriller Eklavya: The Royal Guard. Producer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra had put him up at the Trident Hotel, but Saif Ali Khan slipped off to the Rambagh Palace and was sitting on the lawn, feeling like a movie star, when his mother, Sharmila Tagore, called. In the course of the conversation, she told him that he should do Shakespeare. “Maybe Othello,” she suggested.

By a happy coincidence, the next day, Vishal Bhardwaj approached him for Omkara, his Indianised adaptation of Othello. “I jumped at the chance, telling him my mother wanted me to play Othello,” the actor reminisces 14 years later, adding that the filmmaker admitted then that he actually wanted him for Iago aka Ishwar ‘Langda’ Tyagi. In response to Saif’s “Why not Othello?” Vishal pointed out that he was handsome while the Moor had been complexed about his looks, so he wouldn’t suit the part. “He was bluffing, but he did it well,” laughs Saif. The film opened on July 28, 2006, and made Langda Tyagi iconic.

Saif acknowledges that he had studied Shakespeare in school, but since he wasn’t thinking of becoming an actor then, it was more academic rather than artistic material. “But as Al Pacino says, the best practice for a western actor is to read Shakespeare. His language, meter, and the expression with which the words are delivered, all make for a great study. And Othello is the only play where the villain has more lines, great lines at that,” he avers.

The idea of playing a villager from the UP belt was challenging because, as the actor points out, despite his anglicised, English school background, he had a very Indian upbringing, with exposure to small towns like Shimla, Mussoorie, and Dehradun. “The Haryanvi Jat Hindi I spoke in the film was what I had heard all my life in Pataudi. So, I picked it up in a month. I was always good with accents and I can still speak it today,” he asserts, musing that when he sees his interviews from the time he was promoting the film, he finds himself explaining the dynamics of the role and the language in a strong angrezi accent. “I am comfortable with my education and background and so, don’t feel the need to live the role of the UP gangster.”

And what did his mother think of his performance? Saif can’t remember, but he recalls his father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, telling him that while he’d done a good job, he hadn’t understood a word of what he was saying. The performance got him plenty of accolades and awards in the Best Villain category. There were rave reviews and letters of appreciation, from Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan. “People were saying Omkara is the highpoint of my career and I was thinking the high couldn’t come this early. Still, it was encouraging when seasoned actors called me Khan saab on the sets and accepted me as one of their own, instead of dismissing me as a boy from a privileged background who had got lucky, or a star from mainstream Bollywood,” he admits.

Saif was almost unrecognisable as Langda Tyagi, with yellowed teeth, an overgrown nail on little finger and a buzz cut. “I was shocked when Vishal told me that I’d have to cut my hair really short. Many, including my mother, tried to dissuade me, but he would say, ‘Bal qurbaan kar do’ and I did,” he recounts.

There was also the limp that gave him the name Langda. Vishal had suggested a loping limp, but Saif informs that he didn’t want to get into the disabled space. “Langda was not the kind of guy who’d get beaten up; he would do some damage himself even if it was through his scheming, rather than physically,” he reasons. So he opted for a slight limp, wearing one shoe with an extra heel to make his gait uneven and reminding himself to limp when he was on camera.

Would he play the role any differently today, you wonder, now that he is a more mature and accomplished actor? After a reflective pause, Saif says, “Maybe I would work on one or two bits which, in retrospect, seem not so good. But, for the most part, I’d do pretty much the same.”

And is there any other Shakespearean play he’d want to adapt? “Well, I always did find a parallel between the Bard’s characters and Mughal rulers. So, if I got a chance, I’d play Richard III like Aurangzeb, Hamlet as Dara Shikoh and King Lear as Shah Jahan,” signs off the history buff.

Saif Ali Khan explains why he’s been papped so often, his take on the nepotism debate and what he will remember 2020 by
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 21, 2020)

Two weeks into the Coronavirus lockdown, Saif Ali Khan likened it to being on a long voyage on a 19th century ship. At that point, no one thought that over a 100 days later, this would still be the new normal. But, while many others are getting restless, the actor is surprisingly stoic. “I did get a little edgy in the middle, but then, decided to focus on the things we can do, like reading, learning the guitar, cooking and planning for the future.”

So, he’s been struggling with the voluminous War and Peace while reading the Ramayana aloud to Taimur. Several evenings in the week, he dishes out appetising dinners—Asian fish, roast chicken and Chinese—from recipes picked out by wife Kareena. “It’s ironical that when I was playing a chef on screen, I didn’t cook much. Now, I enjoy it and everyone enjoys my meals,” he says in a voice ringing with pride.

He’s also been working on mastering a difficult guitar piece, Bruno Mars’ bestselling “The Lazy Song”. And despite his choice of song, Saif has been anything but lazy. Since the unlocking, he’s often been papped entering or exiting his apartment house. He reveals that the family is gearing up to move into a slightly larger apartment located right opposite to where they are presently staying and are putting their current one on rent.

“Our new home is being renovated, which is why I hop across to see how things are coming along and not because I feel cooped in. I’m enjoying this time with my family. My sister Soha and her husband Kunal (Kemmu) come over sometimes, as do my kids Sara and Ibrahim. My other sister, Saba, too, has moved to Mumbai. Only my mother (Sharmila Tagore) is in a rented apartment in Delhi because the lockdown happened while she was doing up her place. So now, even she is overseeing the renovation work there. She is a real trooper and never complains,” he applauds long distance.

A few days after Sara visited him, her chauffeur tested positive. As a parent, Coronavirus must be a major cause for concern? “It is,” he admits, but points out that there’s only so much one can do. “Anyone can get infected, so the stigma that has come to be attached to it doesn’t make sense. Medical costs are astronomical, so it’s important to stay home and safe,” avers the actor, who has been investing wisely on government stocks and bonds, and going forward, plans to curtail expenses on non-essentials. “I have never been a maniac shopper and while vacations are important to one’s well-being, some extravaganzas we can do without. That’s a lesson the lockdown has taught me.”

Recently, Sara shared a throwback picture with her abba with the caption, “The one person that has always been the definition of peace, the epitome of love and the personification of Mickey Mouse.” What’s with the Mouse, you wonder, and he reveals his favourite Tee has peaceloving Mickey on it.

At 49, Saif is a chilled-out dad who can enjoy this unexpected downtime with his youngest child without getting overly attached to him. “In most families today, both parents go out to work, so it’s okay for children to be a little independent. It’s important to make time for them, but too much time is also not normal. Children adjust quickly; Taimur may not understand what a pandemic is, but he knows you have to wear a mask when you go out,” he points out, saying, “When I look back at 2020, I will remember it as a solid year that we got to spend with our three-year-old son.”

Talking about Taimur and outings, Kareena and he came in for a lot of trolling when they were snapped strolling down Marine Drive without masks with their son in tow. “That was the only time we went out and took Tim along because he’d been locked in for around three months. We had our masks on, but the promenade looked so deserted, so we took them off. But as soon as we saw that there were people around and were told children were not allowed out, we put on our masks and drove away. That was not reported, but it’s a fact that we have been responsible, law-abiding citizens and stayed home all through the lockdown and even now, only interact with a few family members,” Saif asserts.

He’s also been ruffling feathers with his take on nepotism. Elaborating on his stand, Saif says that all actors have their own struggle. “All of us who have managed some success have mutual respect for each other. It’s an amazingly democratic profession and to compare one’s struggle to another and say one is more important is not fair,” he reasons.

He adds that it is also the audience which has shown an interest in star kids and this is further exploited by producers. “It’s not a sinister conspiracy in my view. It’s business. This is a marketplace—nonjudgmental and democratic. But this debate will and should go on,” he asserts, pointing out that as a producer, if he saw a talented, good-looking, fresh face, he’d be happiest to cast them. “They make economic sense. Most producers, I think, think this way.”

Bring up the subject of Sushant Singh Rajput, whose unfortunate death by suicide has brought the issue into the spotlight again, and Saif remembers the late actor as a very good-looking, decent and talented guy. “He had lots of potential and I saw in him one of our future stars. I’m deeply saddened by what happened,” he says quietly.

So, when does he plan to get back to work? “I have no idea, the world has been trying to open up for months now, but then the cases escalate and we have to shut shop again. It’s a scary time. I have a couple of weeks’ work left on the Bunty Aur Babli sequel. Then, Bhoot Police. There are plans to take it on the floors towards August-end but as of now, no one knows,” he sighs. And is the Vikram Vedha remake with Aamir Khan happening? “I hope, now everything is uncertain. But history has shown that life does go back to normal. The question is when?” he signs off, shifting focus back to family matters.

“We were never allowed to change the step to make it easier. That was not her work ethic.” Saif pays tribute to the legendary choreographer in a heartfelt note
Saif Ali Khan (BOMBAY TIMES; July 5, 2020)

Saroj ji was the greatest and most artistic choreographer in the film industry I joined in 1990. Her name involved with a project was always a huge advantage to producers, and her style of choreography had the top talents of the film industry make music come alive with grace and sensuality.

I did my first film and first song ever with her in Parampara, which was soon followed by Aashiq Awaara, the title song of which was a big hit and stabilised my floundering career. She had me doing some trademark moves on my knees on a sweaty, incredibly hot and crowded set with no air conditioners and lots of chemical ‘smoke’. I think only my colleagues from the ’90s and before will understand the conditions I mean. I finished the step and realised I had torn the knees of my trousers, and blood was trickling down my leg. I told Saroj ji, or Masterji as I called her, and she said, “Oh, don’t worry about blood. See where this blood takes you in life.”

She taught me to work hard. I would turn off the set’s lights, wrap a malmal cloth around my head and rehearse her steps for hours, often without lunch, to get it right; but we were never allowed to change the step to make it easier — that was not her work ethic. She knew what ‘style’ suited each of us actors best, and would create that for us. She made me rehearse for a week for a song I was to do with her, and when I reached the set, she made me perform it in one go in front of the unit.

When I finished panting, she said, “Okay, now forget all that, now that you’re at ease with the song let’s try something better!” That song was Ole Ole from Yeh Dillagi, and she took a hit song to another level. I must have performed this song a few hundred times on stage on international tours, often three times in a row, to ‘encores’! I will always owe her (and Jojo and Ahmed Khan who at the time were her young assistants, and later became big names in their own right) for this song and turning me into a dancing star — an incredible feat as I have two left feet!

I was shooting a lovely romantic song late at night in Hyderabad and the heroine was having some trouble with the expressions. Saroj ji yelled on the microphone – “Sex! It’s sex! Have you never had sex?” She could shame us into performing! A song with her often became real art, with every beat and step requiring an emotion and expression. Like she told Kareena once — “If you can’t move your feet, move your face at least!”

That era is gone and that music is over, but for all of us who have had the privilege of being instructed on set by that great lady, we will never be able to hear a Hindi film song without thinking of how she has made the greatest names in Bollywood, from Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi to Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit Nene, dance to her tunes.

Rest in peace Masterji, and thank you for everything you gave us.