"I Enjoyed the Lover Boy Role of a Forty-plus Man in Jawaani Jaaneman!" - Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is in his best elements these days. The actor is currently enjoying the super success of TANHAJI wherein he has played the role of the dreadful Uday Bhan Singh. He will be next seen in JAWAANI JAANEMAN, which is due for release on 31st January all over.
While the trailer and music of the film has already garnered the attention of audiences, everyone is eagerly awaiting to see Saif in a comic role in JAWAANI JAANEMAN, after some of the serious ones that Saif choose in the recent past.
Apeksha News Network had an exclusive interview with Nawab Saif Ali Khan and here are the excerpts from a brief chat.
Tell us something about your character in the film JAWAANI JAANEMAN.
In this film, I play a forty something bohemian man who lives life on his terms. He simply refuses to age and discovers suddenly that he has a daughter from one of his long-forgotten affairs. Pooja Bedi's daughter Alaya F plays my daughter in the film while Tabu plays her mother.
Are you afraid of losing your Jawaani as you are nearing fifty now?
I am 49-year-old now. I am not afraid of getting old. In fact, I don't have these issues. I never thought about it either. I think if you are young at heart, you feel good. I don't even really want to be very young. I mean, I don't want to be old, but I am happy. I am very clear about things in life.
Do you follow any strict diet to remain young?
Oh yes! I do follow a certain diet so that I can remain healthy and fit. People often tell me to dress a certain way or get a particular haircut to look younger. But I am at ease, till the time I get work. When the time is right, I will retire. I really like this Hindu idea or philosophy where your life is divided into these segments and you should do things appropriate in that segment. There is a time when you should make money. There is a time when you should relax. There is a time for everything in life. When I get older, I will find new things to do. I have no issue when it comes getting old. I look forward to it.
We have watched the trailer and it reminds of your two earlier films DIL CHAHTA HAI and COCKTAIL.
Oh yes! I am something similar to the character I had played in these two films, and now in JAWAANI JAANEMAN I am enjoying the lovey-dovey life, which normally a happy-go-lucky- man will try to enjoy. The film has a funny and an upbeat vibe.
How was the experience working with Alaya F.?
The best part of this film is the introduction of Alaya F. She is simply charming and will be a huge surprise packet. I have a six-minute scene with her, and she did it in one take after a few rehearsals. She is too dedicated and very sincere, and I found her focused just like I saw Shah Rukh Khan in KAL HO NA HO. She remembers her lines and is always trying hard to give her best. This quality of work will surely be noticed by the audiences too. She is too spontaneous and that is what I like the best in her. Also, her positive attitude is another major plus-point for her. People are going to enjoy the father-daughter camaraderie in this film. My scenes with Alaya F. is something like a whiff of fresh air.
What about your scenes with Tabu in the film?
As everybody knows Tabu is one of the finest actors we have, it was indeed a great pleasure to have her. I have some brilliant scenes with her too in the film.
It is believed that you had refused to act in this film when it was first offered to you.
I did not refuse the film at all. I got to hear from producer Jay Shewakramani about this North American film. I told him to hold on as I was doing films like TANHAJI, where I had completely focused myself playing the role of Uday Bhan Singh. One fine day, Jay came to me and I asked him about some other film which was not happening. Then he asked me to see the North American film. I wasn’t too happy with the original. But then, there was the Hindi adaptation of the film with him. Director Nitin Kakkar narrated my role in his distinctive style. I got this feeling that Nitin had a daringly different vision of the film and he had done a better version from the original. While I had great confidence in Nitin, I was proved right when the film was on the floors and he was doing an outstanding work as the director. Whatever results have been achieved in this film, it is entirely Nitin's vision and he has made a far better version than the original. Besides the acting, he has managed to take it out from myself, Tabu, Alaya F., Chunky Pandey, Kumud Mishra, and others. It is also the great visuals of London, which are beautifully captured, and are a treat to watch.
To what extent Hits or Flops matter to you?
I don’t think anyone is beyond hits or flops. People are ultimately going to make films and there are very few dependable stars or actors in Bollywood. So, work will surely come to the actors who know to deliver. People should have faith in you and that faith should remain permanent. Hits or flops matter a lot to the producers, investors and financiers. But the actor inside me is searching for work and that work should be interesting. The roles which can suit me should come to me. Moreover, now-a-days there are very genuine writers who are doing great work too. Films are now focusing more on the content and if you observe closely, only content driven films are doing great at the box-office. So, it is good news for we actors too!
Web series are in trend these days and audience are enjoying them.
There is some great talent these days working on the web-series front and it is a big challenge for we actors to accept them as I did in SACRED GAMES. There is now an intelligent audience too who are watching web-series. The success of SACRED GAMES is an indication that people all over the world are dying to see great content which is different.
Tell us about your experience so far, doing web-series.
Doing SACRED GAMES was a bold move, and NETFLIX being an entertainment giant publicized the web-series in a very big way. I found an entirely new environment when I was doing SACRED GAMES and I also found that the Indian audiences are now changing for the better. They want to watch we actors in a different avatar all the time. My role of the brooding police officer Sartaj Singh has become a memorable one in SACRED GAMES.
Of late, you were seen doing some very serious roles in films like BAZAAR, LAAL KAPTAAN, CHEF etc. came your way.
The film BAZAAR had lengthy lines for me to speak. I learnt a lot from the character of a stockbroker who wanted quick money. The audiences who watched me in this film liked my approach and although it looked negative, I was enjoying my work in BAZAAR. LAAL KAPTAAN was rejected from Day 1, although my role was very interesting. The film was too western, I felt. The Indian audiences could not accept the film. CHEF also had many interesting things and I enjoyed doing the role of a cook whose family life was a disturbed one. It was shot in Kerala locales which were simply great, and I enjoyed each and every moment of my shoot.
Coming back to JAWAANI JAANEMAN, what can your fans expect from you in this film.
The film does have many hilarious moments, and everything is hunky dory for me until I meet my daughter Alaya F. How life changes for me in the film is then depicted, and the film takes a serious turn. But I must admit the outstanding manner in which Nitin Kakkar has directed it. Also, the music of the film is gaining lot of popularity. The film is a great musical family drama and I am sure audience will enjoy it.
