The lives of Bollywood actors are always under constant scrutiny by the media and tabloids. As much as they would like to hide their significant others from the limelight, relationships still end up making headlines. Hence, actors remain prepared to give the ‘most appropriate’ of answers in the face of rampant speculation about their personal lives. At the same time, when they have a film about to release, they go all out in an effort to connect with their fans on a one-on-one basis. However, it appears Saif Ali Khan is different in this regard — he never wants any attention or to answer anyone’s intruding questions.
“I don’t want to be easily accessible. I’m aware of who’s trying to get in touch, but sometimes I don’t want to be in touch with half of them… I like my life; I like to watch some television after shooting, and I like silence in my apartment,” he said in an interview with the Times of India. “I don’t want people around me always. I don’t want to be on Twitter and I don’t want to talk to my fans all the time.”
Considering the superstar recently married popular B-town diva Kareena Kapoor, how does he manage to keep their relationship out of the spotlight? “It does take some time, so you should just say you don’t wish to talk about it. The most efficient way of doing it is, if there’s a question you don’t like, you just say what you want. You just give a different answer,” he said, adding, “You have to be careful, and the simplest way to do it is to not answer questions. In the early stages of your relationship, you get confused about whether you should talk about it or not. After you’re married, there’s no need to talk at all.”
Saif did not receive much recognition for his film work until Dil Chahta Hai, when he bagged a couple of awards for his unintentionally comic role. Ever since then, the actor’s career graph has risen significantly, and he has even launched his own production house, Illuminati Films. He will soon return to the cinema screen in film-maker Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullett Raja.
“Tigmanshu is a Northerner, and he makes films that are ‘man-style’, with characters from the Western Uttar Pradesh mafia. India is divided into many colourful sections, with people who speak in different languages and accents. Hardly anyone speaks pure Hindi like Mr Bachchan [Amitabh Bachchan] does. I’m happy that I’ve reached a level of maturity where I have a chance to play this role,” he asserts.
While actor Sonakshi Sinha has worked in a string of similar action movies, Bullett Raja is the first time that she will be seen alongside Saif, and it appears she made quite the impression on Chote Nawab. “It was really nice [to work with her]. She’s sweet and grounded. Refreshingly, there’s no drama and she’s not in a rush to get somewhere. It’s good to work with someone so calm and accommodating and sweet in nature,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2013.
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