Saif Ali Khan, known for choosing diverse and unconventional roles throughout his career, has opened up about two films he now looks back on with mixed feelings — Imtiaz Ali‘s ‘Cocktail’ and Sajid Khan‘s ‘Humshakals’. The actor admitted that his decision to feature in the two projects was influenced by factors beyond his creative conviction.
Saif Ali Khan says ‘Cocktail’ was a ‘mistake’
Speaking to Gulf News, Saif Ali Khan reflected on playing Gautam in the 2012 romantic comedy ‘Cocktail’. The actor revealed that his decision to take on the role was largely driven by his involvement as a producer on the film, which also starred Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty.Explaining why he agreed to play the lead despite not being particularly drawn to the character, Saif said, “I did the part because we were producing it; it was an inevitable mistake, 100 per cent that was a mistake, and that was a slightly regressive script choice. Otherwise, it was a breezy, fun entertainer.”Saif clarified that he was more invested in ensuring that the film got made than in playing Gautam himself. He said, “I didn’t do it for the role; I did it so the film could get made. You do things for various reasons. I knew fully well that the exciting role is the Veronica part but it’s one of those things you do anyway.”
Saif calls himself a ‘miscast’ in ‘Humshakals’
Saif also looked back at his experience of working on ‘Humshakals’, the 2014 comedy directed by Sajid Khan. Unlike ‘Cocktail’, where he questioned the choice of his character, Saif believes the bigger problem with ‘Humshakals’ was that he was not the right actor for the material.“I personally think that I was a miscast in Humshakals because it’s not my thing. Certain actors could really pull that off, and you need a kind of commitment and the ability to make people laugh on a very slightly different level, which perhaps I wasn’t able to convince myself to do or wasn’t just basically good enough in it,” he said.Saif further suggested that the role may have been better suited to an actor such as Akshay Kumar. However, despite his reservations about his own performance, he maintained that he stands by the film and its director.“I think Sajid expected me to do that stuff…perhaps….like Akshay Kumar could have done it; that was the mistake, but I stand by the movie, and I stand by him (Sajid), and of course, we have to all stand by our movies,” Saif said.
Saif Ali Khan’s work front
Saif Ali Khan is currently gearing up for the release of his upcoming crime thriller ‘Haiwaan’, which also stars Akshay Kumar. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film features Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher in key roles and is scheduled to release in theatres on September 11.
