FILM INTERVIEW: SAIF ALI KHAN
Says Prakash Jha’s Film Tackles Sensitive Issues in a Fair Manner
Bollywood’s fourth Khan was not sure what to expect at first when approached by Prakash Jha for Aarakshan, but Saif Ali Khan was definitely glad he decided to pair up with the director and connect with fellow thesps Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Prateik, and Manoj Bajpayee. After all, Mr. Khan not only pushed himself to the limits but also feels he made a significant contribution in using Aarakshan as a vehicle for potential social change in India.
Anxiously tiptoeing the line in broaching the subject of the caste system – a rigid system of social hierarchy that has yet to dissipate from many aspects of India’s everyday life – Aarakshan puts out there that “Reservation” may just be one possible solution to close the wide and inequitable divide separating the haves from the have-nots.
“Most of this country is very backward and has no chance at all of any form of education or improving themselves. So they need a lot of support,” Mr. Khan said of the socio-economic ills that still exist in India, despite its much-publicized progress as a nation. “This is a very unique country, and I don’t think anybody knows for sure how to address these issues. The film takes a look at these things, and it’s quite evenly presented.”
Mr. Khan himself was convinced of the value of the presented issues in Aarakshan almost as soon as he was approached by Mr. Jha to star in the film. At first, Mr. Khan was unsure what “Aarakshan” even meant, let alone that it would be a film he would headline.
“It would be a movie starring Prakashji and Ajay Devgn -- that was my first thought,” he candidly said. “I thought it was a film that was made already. (Mr. Jha and I) come from different worlds, so I thought to act in the same world would be interesting.
“And what does that mean, 'Aarakshan'? Does it mean “kidnapped”? These are all the things I thought.”
Once Mr. Khan was enlightened, taking on the role of math instructor Deepak Kumar appeared to be an easy choice, despite the significant hurdles he had to overcome to properly essay his character.
For starters, Mr. Khan admitted he was not very studious as a student and was especially weak in math and sciences. Yet, here he is portraying a rather intelligent instructor guiding students in – wait for it – mathematics.
“Playing a math teacher...it’s funny,” he joked.
Joking aside, Mr. Khan went on to explain just how different he really is from Deepak Kumar and how that made it rather challenging to take on the role.
“I don’t think it could get any more different to me than what Deepak Kumar is,” Mr. Khan said. “He is someone from a very underprivileged background. He is also a brilliant student, which is very far from me in reality.”
Alas, he said the gulf between his reality and the character he personifies on screen actually made his interest in Aarakshan even more appealing.
“I think it’s good fun to choose roles that you don’t normally associate with yourself. It’s what makes acting exciting and fun. It’s something I’d like to try to do more of,” he confessed. “You read the script and you see him saying things like he is the product of thousands of years of pain, so that’s challenging to be that.”
Also challenging was the language barrier. Earlier saying how his mother rightfully warned him to practice the more formalized version of Hindi instead of relying on the tongues used in most Bollywood films, Mr. Khan spoke of how the tone and meter was different since the language focused more on Sanksrit than on “Anglicized” Hindi that is commonly used in most films where he is cast.
Through it all, Mr. Khan ultimately fell back on finding that common ground with the film (shot in his home state of Bhopal) and character.
“The important thing is to connect mentally and to feel. It’s probably the hardest role I’ve had to do,” he candidly said.
Of course, if the film propagates positive change through its controversial yet enlightening message, the challenges and difficulties would be well worth it (though expanding his acting repertoire is not a bad consolation prize).
