Saif Ali Khan, hopes there is a “happy ending” around the corner
Saif Ali Khan
Mumbai: He’s Bollywood royalty, quite literally. Over the years Saif Ali Khan has done a variety of cinema, some mainstream, some not so much, some that he is proud of and some that he regrets. As a producer, Saif is clear that Illuminati Films, which he founded in 2009, won’t churn out any “leave your brains behind” kind of cinema. He made a few brave choices with Love Aaj Kal, Agent Vinod, Go Goa Gone and Cocktail. Now, his next release, Happy Ending, is round the corner and it seems to be getting a positive pre-release buzz. In a candid chat, the Bollywood Nawab gets talking about life after his father’s demise and straddling the two worlds of Pataudi and Bollywood. Excerpts:
What are the added responsibilities in your life today?
After my father passed away, I kind of inherited his life. It’s a big area that was separate and now it should be one. It takes some time and yes there will be more trips to Pataudi. We want to continue with the charity work he had started there. There are emotional responsibilities to be with my mother, to make sure she is all right and taking care of my sisters.
Is your dream pad in Mumbai fully renovated?
It’s taking some time. The guy who owns the building won’t let us work for more than certain hours, so it takes forever. We are careful about the residence and so we are very English about these things. Our neighbours are foreigners and they will leave if we make too much noise.
What does Illuminati Films stand for?
I don’t believe in movies that tell you to leave your brains behind. Pretty much every film we decided to make has somewhere and so far, aside from Lekar Hum Deewana Dil, (I wasn’t involved in the decision making for that), been my idea. Sorry, Cocktail wasn’t my idea, we were planning to cast Imran Khan in it but he didn’t call back. Suddenly, I read the script and I was like why not me. I was kind of a last minute-addition. I stepped in because there was nobody else. I think it was also offered to Ranbir Kapoor and a few others who turned it down. But we are happy we made it.
When a film like Happy Ending generates good pre-release buzz, what kind of films you feel brand Saif Ali Khan should actually be doing?
I think ideally we should be doing a box office super smash like Race 3, which has a very clever script, or a Go Goa Gone 2 with perhaps less zombies for the stable-minded audience and at the same time do something like a Rabindranath Tagore play to pour a little bit of art in our lives. Brand Saif Ali Khan should reflect his own personality in the correct way and that means having slightly an eclectic taste in movies, playing some musical instrument, doing charity, coming across as the young Renaissance man you should be, rather than not doing that.
But clearly sometimes that doesn’t reflect in certain choices you have made in films…
(Cuts in) Of course, in-built into my personality is also a huge self-destruct switch which is part of me and it just happens. (Laughs)
So, why do you do them? Is money the driving point?
(Laughs) It’s okay, I have learnt. Maybe it was lack of focus. One should take the audience seriously and reflect on oneself a little more.
Go on…
Well it’s actually really stupid because when you have to do a masala entertainer, you have to do it with the right person and you should be projected in the right way. I remember a time when Rohit Shetty offered me a film and I said in my head ‘I am not sure if I belong in this world’. I thought it would be too difficult for me to pull off that style of acting which is then inexplicable why I would do other things.
Do you have a 10-year plan for yourself?
I think a five-year plan makes sense. Making certain kind of films, acting in certain types of roles, making money, investing that money... Our homes are being renovated, hopefully a certain income irrespective of the movies will be sorted out.
( Source : dc )
Next Story
