Saif Ali Khan is easily one of the most charming and intelligent actors of our times. He is also very polite as he patiently answers all the questions you put forth.
We spoke to the good-looking and well-spoken producer and actor of the highly anticipated Love Aaj Kal, talks about his first baby, chemistry with co-star Deepika Padukone and the meaning of love, working with Imtiaz Ali, playing a sardar, among many other things.How difficult was the job of producing a film?
It is difficult because you are never a 100% satisfied. You always want to make a few changes. If you want a glass of water, someone has to get it. That way, every detail has to be organized. I have had a fantastic team. My partner Dinesh Vijan has been amazing. I didn’t shoulder the responsibility of everything. Imtiaz Ali told me at the beginning of the film that he wanted me to be only an actor and not look into the nitty-gritties of production. I have been involved creatively, in terms of promos and posters as I am most interested in that. Dinesh has handled the other aspects.
This is your first baby as a producer. How do you feel?
I think when a film releases, you are always nervous. As a producer, you feel different because it is your product. Everything you have designed is a result of your decision, so that is frightening and exciting at the same time. I am feeling very positive though.
A lot of your colleagues are well-established producers. Have you sought or do you plan to seek advice from them?
I think I have been fortunate enough to work with big banners and my successful films have been with big banners. I think more than the banner and the director, success also has to do with the star cast. We always learn from people around us. I have friends in the industry: not just colleagues who are producers but also producers who are my friends. Farhan Akhtar and Karan Johar would be more than happy to help me. I haven’t called anyone to ask for help as yet. We tried our best with the team we had. We have managed to make a film somehow and it has been a learning process.
Why did it take you so long to turn producer?
My interest isn't in production. After working for eighteen years, one feels it would be nice to own a little bit of what you are working for, to be a little more involved creatively and work a little more for yourself. It is okay to have opinions as actors. Everyone has feelings and opinions for their films but when your own money is involved, those inputs mean something else. That level of involvement in the business that has given me so much is something I wanted to try. Also, right now the market is very different. I was not ready earlier, today I feel ready. Now, we have so many studios and very few independent producers. I want to be an independent producer.
You have worked with many producers. Have you learnt any do's or don'ts from them?
I thought that the food should be good and people should get paid on time. (Laughs)
Your son Ibrahim had a cameo in Tashan. Now that you are a producer, will he be part of your films?
He is still depressed that Tashan flopped at the box office. (Laughs)
Why did you decide to work with Imtiaz Ali?
One always gets a vibe when you hear a script and meet somebody. A great actor once said that the clever thing an actor does is not acting but the listening and choosing of the right script in the drawing room. I loved the script when Imtiaz Ali narrated it to me and that is how we began working together.
The story of the films looks like it is based in two different eras: the present era and the 60's. So does it show how love has changed over time?
It is very difficult to compare love stories because the experience of love is the same. A lot of cinematic and real life love stories have certain obstacles that can change. In today’s times, it is career, distance, etc but in our parents time it was something else. So the process of falling in love can change with the times but the feeling is the same. That is what the film is about. The 60's portion is a part of the story. It isn’t really a comparison. It isn’t a double role as such.
The story is primarily about a guy called Jai who doesn’t believe in love. He thinks Romeo and Juliet, Heer-Ranjha are romantic stories that have ruined our lives because they tell people how love should be. He feels people should be more practical in today’s times. If you are working in India and your girl is in India, they should break up and just be friends and not have a relationship. He wants to follow his head, not heart and see what happens in life. He comes across a person who tells him a love story that has an impact on him. The story seems confusing but isn’t when you see the film.
Are you practical or a romantic? What does love mean to you?
I think I am a mixture of all these things. I am not lovey-dovey to the point of only doing that. I am practical also. I take a lot of decisions from my heart.
I think everyone has the same definition of love. I have a lot of love in my life and it feels nice.
How has your perception of love changed as you have grown older?
First of all, I am not that old. The feeling is the same. I could write a small book on that. You live, learn and grow as every decade passes. I think the expression changes in some ways. The essence of love is to feel good and happy.
What do you think of your pairing with Deepika?
I think Deepika and I look very nice and refreshing together. She is a new face and we haven’t worked together before. She has a very Indian, grounded and mature quality. Her personality grounds my personality on screen, like Rani Mukerji did in Hum Tum, Ta Ra Rum Pum and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. I have a more western appeal and Deepika is earthy and Indian. That mixture translates into an interesting chemistry on screen.
Was it difficult to play a sardar?
It wasn’t difficult but it also carried a certain amount of responsibility. We met members of Sikh organizations and they were all very happy. Dolly aunty has done my Sardar clothes. The sardars were proud of the honourable representation that the character has been given. I worked on my accent too. My character speaks Punjabi. It is all genuine: the hair, the turban and the clothes.
How did you’ll decide on the title?
Imtiaz Ali came up with it. It is a love story about the difference between people in love today and people in love in earlier times. It means love, these days and also means love, today and yesterday.
Why aren’t you promoting the film at IIFA?
IIFA is a great platform as long as it suits everybody. The main performance slot is the opening slot and the last performance slot and they have already been booked. The Bachchans are doing the finale. We didn’t want to dissolve our film in the middle slots. We are tied up with T20 and have to be at Lords in London in a couple of days to promote the film.
Are there any intimate scenes in the movie? What does Kareena think about the film?
Intimate scenes need to be handled with a little care, whether it is seeing one or doing one because they make Indian family audiences uncomfortable.
Kareena has seen the film and she liked it.
Why did you choose to call your production house Illuminati Films?
I have been fascinated with secret societies since I was a boy. I knew of the Illuminati before Angels and Demons, the book came out which made it famous. I was going to call it Lucifer Productions, which means ‘giver of life’ but we chose Illuminati. It means enlightened.
