‘I don’t like watching movies’

Saif Ali Khan opens up about working with new directors and his production house

Saif Ali Khan always manages to make it in the news, be it his controversial affair or his temper tantrums at press conferences. Recently the actor walked in late for a promotional event of ‘Bullett Raja’, but far from apologising, the actor lost his cool at the jour nalists. Just like all the other controversies, this one too will die soon. On a much lighter note, the actor here talks about his professional life as a producer and his hobbies. On production As a producer we make films, but not always to make money. Every filmmaker tries to make only a good film. The same people try to bring something different in order to prove themselves successful. Our production house has lost money at times. ‘Agent Vinod’ bombed at the box office, while ‘Love Aaj Kal’ and ‘Cocktail’ fetched critical and commercial success at the box office. I feel if we get the right proposal and the right people at the right time then no filmmaker will ever face any loses. Doing patriotic films Whenever one talks about a patriotic film, Manoj Kumar comes to my mind. I may think twice before doing any such film. I feel if a patriotic film is presented with a pinch of entertainment then it may work for me. Debuting directors Soha and Kunal Kapoor keep meeting exciting people, I always keep telling them to look for some young and good directors. This way I can enhance my production house as well. I think it was Soha who introduced me to Tigmanshu Dhulia. On direction I would not like to name anyone, but when I work with bad directors I feel that I can do a better job instead of them. Direction is a tough job, I would always prefer acting. On his choice of cinema I have grown up watching Nirupa Roy’s films. We always ended up crying after watching her do so. My mom’s films too make me cry as I do not want to watch her cry. Amongst my favourite are ‘Madhumati’ and Bimal Roy’s and Guru Dutt’s films. But most of the times I do not like to watch movies or serials as we are always dealing with it professionally. In my free time I love to watch some American comedy. Not a voracious reader I mostly read Western writers. I have read Salman Rushdie and Umberto Eco’s books. I am very slow in reading a book and yet to finish reading one which I started at the beginning of this year. On an average I can read for about half an hour. Kareena mocks at me for not completing any book for many days, but that’s fine with me.