Editor’s Take: Saif Ali Khan, the Quiet Maverick of Bollywood

On Saif Ali Khan’s birthday, Filmfare’s Editor-in-Chief Jitesh Pillaai revisits the many shades of an actor who has never been afraid to reinvent himself. From the romantic hero of the 90s to the nuanced, unconventional roles that followed, Saif’s journey has been one of curiosity, risk and quiet reinvention.

In his words:

Just a fortnight before we met, he had a runaway marriage to Amrita Singh. Understandably, his parents were upset. Saif Ali Khan was 22 or thereabouts. So I met him as a rookie reporter. He was shooting for an awful film at an even more awful place which stank to high heavens of fish.

He sized me up, made a couple of snarky comments and then chatted away happily. It was a good interview, I remember.

Saif always appeared sussegaad to me. Not for him, the crazy swirl of hectic movie business. He chose to be far from the madding crowd, shining deliciously in films like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Ek Hasina Thi (2004), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Being Cyrus (2005), Omkara (2006).

His most recent turn in Sacred Games has won him hosannas. He plays the weary, anxious, somewhat defeated police officer to plenary perfection.

I suspect marriage to Kareena has made him easier and more amenable to people. Saif’s a good guy, everyone will tell you that. And can talk about everything under the sun. And he’s happy not playing the quintessential movie star when he drops his guard.

There is art and technique. When he’s good, he’s terrific. The artlessness that you see on screen has hours of understanding and processing. And he travels light so it’s easy for him not to make heavy weather about the process of acting. And he’s also deliciously ironic. Every encounter with Saif leaves me hysterical; his off-the-cuff remarks are a hoot! I think he would be perfect at making up memes. If sarcasm and easy wit had a soulmate, that would be Mr Khan.