Both of them are reclusive, well-mannered and non-judgemental. And while Humshakals for Saif is a way of experimenting with a different genre of comedy, for Sajid it's a film that must do well at the box office post Himmatwala that has taught him a lot. We speak to the director-actor duo of their experience of working and coming to know each other during the making of this mad comedy that will see Saif in not just one, but three avatars.
Excerpts
Conversation with Sajid Khan:
Perceptually, Saif and you seem very different people and yet you are doing another film together.
We both discovered that we are very similar in a lot of ways as people and realised that we were very different from what we had heard about each other. We trip on film trivia. He loves his TV time and when he is not working, he is watching TV and seeing movies. I too love my movie watching time. He has this mad streak about himself which you can misunderstand if you don't know him.
READ: Thank god 'Himmatwala' flopped: Sajid Khan
But I call him Memento as he forgets and forgives in five minutes. If we have an argument, after five minutes he would have forgotten whereas I will still be pissed off. And he will say, 'You are pissed off. Really! Forget it. I was joking.' There is a certain kind of charm that he brings with him specially when it comes to girls, as he is polite and formal, which is rare. If a woman enters a room, he will offer his chair or ask her for a beverage. I like that about him and that is why women like him so much. Also, that is why women who work with him don't just get attracted to him due to the good-looking guy he is, but because every woman likes courteous decent men. He is also a lot of fun to talk to. Saif loves to talk. I remember it was our last day of shooting in Mauritius. And Saif said to all of us, 'Let's have dinner in my hotel.' We were staying one hotel away from his and we all went, but we were all dead tired, so Riteish and Genelia left by 11.30 and by 1.30 am, everyone had left, except for him and me. And Saif is telling me, 'Sit. Talk. See the beauty of Mauritius.' I said, 'Saifu, we have been up since 7 am'. I left and he insisted on dropping me till outside. When I met him the next day, he tells me, 'My villa was at the other side of the hotel and so the reception sent a security guard with me to drop me to the villa. I sat with the security guard and spoke to him for half-an-hour about his life.' That's the element of surprise he brings. He had no business of tipping 150 people on the last day of shooting in UK that too, in pounds. I like the way he conducts himself and how he plays the role of a son, husband, father, professional and a good person for people to work with. I also like the fact that he takes up a challenge and does not back out from it. Humshakals is the hardest film that he has worked in as an actor. Every take was a learning experience, moving from a mentally challenged person to being funny at the same time and still not being offensive and remaining cute. To be in this place for over 20 years, each day fighting and competing, is incredible. I was in awe of him when I started. Ajay Devgn and Akshay Kumar with whom I have worked a lot with were okay in two or three things, but with Saif he is like a car with manual gears, which catches speed after fourth gear. In his case, it's after the 15th take. From the 15th to 20th are his best takes. He gave me a lot of variations, which is a great thing in comedy. He is one of the most intellectual people that I have met in my entire life and I can have a conversation with him on anything. Both of us are non-judgemental. And I genuinely feel that he is destined for even bigger stardom.
How did you motivate yourself post Himmatwala?
Even though he never once spoke about it, Saif helped me. After Himmatwala, there were rumours floating in the market that Saif is not doing my film. They were making everybody edgy, but out of the blue, he gave an interview that he was doing the film and that made me respect him so much more and I realised that I must work harder to make Humshakals work.
Shortly after the release of Himmatwala, you also had a break-up with your girlfriend Jacqueline Fernandez. Did that affect you while making your film?
While we broke up in May 2013, in reality right from December 2012, it started becoming sour. So you are already preparing your mind in those five months. Also, when you don't have a woman in your life, you don't have someone constantly nagging you, so you end up working better and are more focused. I went for a holiday with her for five days in the middle of making Himmatwala and felt so bad when the film didn't do well. For Humshakals, I have not taken a single holiday.
Conversation with Saif Ali Khan:
What makes you enjoy doing comedy as a genre?
I think at the core of it is realising that life is a bit absurd. And we are all pretending to cling to some cover of dignity. And you realise that you have no control, that we are so lucky and that life is so unfair and one of the ways to come to terms with it is that you laugh and comedy helps you do that. Also, I find truth in the process of a dignified person falling on his face as ultimately we will all fall on our faces and I find that amusing and don't feel an ego of making an ass of myself.
ALSO READ: Saif Ali Khan mimics his father-in-law in 'Humshakals'
Your experience of working with Sajid Khan?
I have known him for a very long time, but it was surprising to know him the way I did. I had met him when I had first come back from England for a TV interview and had realised then that he knew everything about everything I knew and more, actually. His knowledge of films goes from Hindi to American to European. Mine is just American movies and TV, but there is sense of humour in common between us. Sometimes, when you see Sajid you feel that he might be a certain kind of person who probably would be hard-drinking, womanising and slandering. And probably one of those hard-core commercially successful film people who will chew you out and spit you out when he wants, but that could not be further from the case here. He is actually someone who thinks being monogamous is good, who appreciates nice conversations, finds being well-cultured good and is actually very knowledgeable. I think it is admirable to be knowledgeable about anything. Sometimes I miss talking to him, like the other day I was playing pool at Kunal Kemmu's house (Soha's house) with a guy who called himself a filmmaker and I asked him, 'Have you seen A Shot In The Dark?' And he said, 'What is that?' And I thought of Sajid as he would have known. Also, I found that I was more myself when I was with him and he brought out the best in me and I was naturally saying things, in fact, ridiculously to a point where I tend to misbehave. He has become like a protective kind of father figure as much as a friend who won't let me get into trouble. I am very much emotionally attached to him now as he has been really kind. It's not an equation you can have with everybody. You don't have to like everything about each other, as there will be differences but a certain amount of respect has to be there. I also like the way he really works hard. I actually even like the fact that he might be unpopular with some people as we have that in common, which is unfortunate as being a people's person is perhaps an art. But I think with him and me, if we don't like you, then it will be very difficult for you to like us. And it doesn't matter really as long as people whom we love like us. And may be that is something we should work on. I think I am more reclusive than him. What I like about Sajid's mind is the way he crafts his film and his orchestration apart from the fact that I enjoyed being on his set laughing, having ridiculous conversations over lunch. I like imperfection. I was surprised as I didn't expect him to be the person he is. He has an expression in his eyes of extreme kindness and intelligence and they say your eyes are a window to your soul, so he is great. He is also very observant and like me, he, too, has a streak of madness. Actually, we are both unpredictably mad. He has made a huge effort to entertain in Humshakals and it's a very funny movie.
Did Sajid and you fight during the making of the film?
At one point I was being so naughty that I thought he is going to explode. I was thinking this is rubbish, 'I don't know how to do this.' And I'd be looking at him to see what he is going to do but he would just say, 'I am not going to fight with you' and then, I would be like, 'Okay let's do it.' He is very mature, is a leader and is most importantly responsible to himself as he wants to be a successful filmmaker. His last film didn't work. He analysed himself and understands that he has been brash and arrogant and that doesn't work. I have other things in my life and he doesn't. He would stay there and that impressed me. I thought having broken up with his girlfriend he would be emotional, but he did not say a word except that, 'I have a film to make right now and I will speak when I am ready' which I found to be the coolest thing to say. I would have started talking about it day three had I been in his situation and would have spoken to just about anybody I met.
Listen to songs of Humshakals on Gaana.com
Do you feel any change in the way you think about yourself versus earlier?
I like the way I am and find the way I am wired, interesting. I have challenges, but I have decided that I would like to be graceful under pressure. I can sometimes snap at you if I am under pressure, especially if someone is being foolish, but I have decided that I will try to change on that count. Today, when I look at for instance Shah Rukh dancing to Yeh Kali Kali Aankhein in Baazigar, I realise that he actually knew what he was doing and that reflected in his success whereas I really didn't know what I was doing and what I wanted when I started. There was a lot of insecurity to be honest and that reflected in my success. Now in a film, I not only understand what I am doing, but also have something to say.
WATCH: "Caller Tune" Humshakals Official HD Video song ft. Saif, Tamannaah ,Bipasha, Riteish
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