“I might not have the biggest films but I am happy!”
Shubarna Mukerji Shu
Saif Ali Khan has become one of the most unexpected assets for Bollywood. When the going gets tough this Khan gets tougher - not always a hit but certainly appreciated, Saif did a turnabout when no one was even looking. As a result, his movies are always the unexpected. His latest Laal Kaptaan is the kind of film that Bollywood has never experienced. As Naga Sadhu, Saif Ali Khan is not himself. How did the Pataudi manage to pull it off, Bollywood Insider.
We at Bollywood Insider are slowly and steadily giving Saif Ali Khan our full attention. If his Laal Kaptaan isn’t worth the hype it has already created, his next is a film called Bhoot Police which is supposed to be a hilariously spooky film and it is already trending on social media. If that’s not crazy enough, he will be also featured in Jawani Jaaneman where he plays a father to Aalia Furniturewalla (Pooja Bedi’s daughter). The apprehension towards change seems to elude Saif completely. He is the only actor today who isn’t waiting for the next Friday to change the game. He is one of the first to give webseries its due attention. Saif has his hand in many pies. The audience is relishing this new man, but is the old Saif lost forever?
What has happened to the old Saif Ali Khan who made movies like HUM TUM and SALAAM NAMASTE?
The two films you mentioned are amongst my favourite works but I cannot forget the fact that I was choosing from the limited options I had then. I would like to think the times have changed for actors today. If you see closely, it is becoming difficult to slot a film in a fixed genre. Today we are writing stories and making stories; we are not making an action film, a comedy film or a drama. We are telling you a story which might have a bit of everything, the end game has to be entertaining that’s all.
‘Entertaining’ does the term summarize LAAL KAPTAAN?
When I first heard the script of the film, I thought it was completely crazy. I just couldn’t get myself to contemplate, ponder and then sit on it for a while before I agreed to do it. I just had to be onboard instantly. I don’t think we have ever had a ‘western’ in Hindi films. It is everything I have grown up seeing in films like THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE etc… LAAL KAPTAAN is like that except it is more us than them. It is placed at the time when the Mughal Empire was falling apart and the English were taking over. If you see the red coat, you will know we are speaking about the beginning of the colonial times. When you see my character specifically you cannot be certain he is a good guy or bad. He is almost animalistic, which is something that’s never been seen in our cinema. I just couldn’t wrap my head around my good fortune that I happened to find work with a man who is actually saying such stories!
Truly it is a once in a lifetime kind of film…
And yet when I will look back, I will just wonder if I ever actually went through all that. It was not the easiest shoot. Given our budget was not as high as a film of this calibre could warrant, we had to look for ways to cost cut and make do with whatever resources we had. As a result the crew was holed up in tents during the shoot, we managed to find just one decent hotel but that too was a good distance away so we had to travel every day for 3-4hours to reach the shooting spot etc, but it was an experience I would never forget.
Just looking at the trailer one can tell it might not have been the easiest film to shoot!
It is by far the most difficult shoot I have had the experience of, we were shooting on location as much as possible because we wanted it to look like India of that era. We went to some rather remote villages of Rajasthan. Though, we had decided that we will be shooting from Oct to Dec, our shoot went onto April almost. I needn’t tell you just how hot the sand gets during that time. We would start early but by 11am or so the sand would be burning hot and we couldn’t really extend the shoot for too long so we did our scenes with blisters on the sole of our feet and our real blood trickling down our legs. When I will sit alone and see this film, I will always remember what went into making it.
You mentioned somewhere that it upset you to be compared to Jack Sparrow… Being compared to Johnny Depp is never a hardship but the fact is the Naga Sadhu is nothing like Jack Sparrow. Dreadlocks are more Indian than anything else. Sadhus all over India sport it. The ash, the bandana are all a part of our culture. I didn’t really think of Jack Sparrow while donning that 4 kilos’ headgear and yet, from my nephew to Ibrahim all started saying the look reminded them of Jack Sparrow. I guess when people see the film, they will realise it is a baseless comparison. Till such time I will grit my teeth and bear it.
At the end the hard work would surely pay off!
Without sounding immodest, I would like to confess that this film has taken more out of me than any of my previous works. Times have changed for sure, look at the kind of films that we are making today. We (my league of actors) all learnt on job, but the stuff happening today you need to train yourself and prepare yourself for it. Initially it was staggering to hold onto Naga Sadhu and yet with time I suddenly became more comfortable in his skin. It is a heady feeling. You feel better as an actor but pretty lost as a person.
It is obvious that snapping out of this would have been tough, did Kareena have issues seeing you home as Laal Kaptaan?
Thankfully, she didn’t have to. We were staying on location so I was by myself which worked I think. Not just for the film but also for my marriage (laughs)
The conditions you described seem hardly suitable for a kid of Taimur’s age. When you are acting you tend to forget it all, and just be there in that moment. It would have been difficult not only for Taimur or Ibrahim, Sara and Kareena too.
Your three children are each in a different yet demanding phase of their lives, they each need their father to advice and more, plus this is one of the best phases of your career thus far. How are you juggling so much?
I am not doing anything alone. Both Kareena and Amrita are too efficient to even need me around! Jokes apart, it is not a 24hour job, I get ample of time with them, especially when they need me. Times are changing all over, as a parent one does not have to sit the kids down and lecture them about becoming a doctor or lawyer. You just have to support their dreams and help them make a space for themselves, it is going to be their life all through, you don’t have the reigns anymore.
But Ibrahim seems to be planning his Bollywood debut. Post Sara (Ali Khan) does Ibrahim’s debut leave you more confident or more worried?
Well, he certainly is keen on it, but I don’t know if he is ready yet. It will take some time for him to get there. However, if he jumps the wagon already, I won’t be upset.
As a dad, how does it feel to see your children following your footsteps?
Well, they sure aren’t following my footsteps. Sara for one, is far more sorted, and successful than I was at that age.
Talking about success, your choice of cinema tells us you are no longer making decisions based on commercial success, is that true?
I don’t want to worry. I don’t think it’s very good to worry about anything. Who cares, let’s see what happens. Hopefully, if you know your job, things pan out in a certain way. It’s been panning out in some way or the other for the past 30 years. I may not have the biggest film or the most successful film, but I’m quite happy.
