‘Cocktail Was Never Really Accepted’

The spiritual sequel to Cocktail has released to mixed reviews. Saif Ali Khan looks back at the 2012 film and talks about nostalgia, his father, Tiger Pataudi and his upcoming thriller Haiwaan.

You’ve spoken about Cocktail recently. When it released in 2012, was it as much fun to make as it seemed?

Cocktail was fun… I don’t think the film was really accepted when it came out. It opened really well. I remember producer Dinesh Vijan storming into my suite at the Imperial Hotel in Delhi, very excited with the numbers. But the numbers slowly declined… never went up!

You enjoyed making it?

It was a fun film, but with a dodgy second half and an unconvincing ending. The funny thing is, it’s being remembered as a classic now. This is nostalgia and a general lowering of standards these days, I feel. I said yes to it because it was a good set-up and a fun film. I thought there was enough of a role to make it worth doing. I also thought I was producing it… but that was a mistake on my part. I wasn’t.

Would you like to play your father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi?

I could play Tiger, as I have a deep understanding of the vibe. But only an older version, because I’m older now. When I did Parineeta, that had Tiger’s vibe in many places. I could have done a biopic on him then.

You’re currently in London for your kids’ annual vacation. Karan Johar is also heading there. Do you like running into the film fraternity when you’re vacationing?

Of course, it’s always a pleasure to see colleagues and friends, especially away from the Maximum City. Kjo and Kareena are like family and our children are very good friends too. Kjo is one of the warmest and most caring people in the industry. A lovely man.

So fun times with friends while vacationing?

Well, I don’t end up seeing many of my colleagues on holiday. Or for that matter, when not on holiday. I keep to myself and my immediate family quite a lot now and some old school friends!