FILM INTERVIEW: SAIF ALI KHAN

The world may be falling in love with Bollywood, but Hindi film star and the other half of Kareena “Bebo” Kapoor says India’s largest film industry is doing just fine on its own, and impressing foreign audiences does not really blow air up anyone’s skirt in India’s version of Hollywood.

 

The actor turned filmmaker, who is the son of Bollywood legend Sharmila Tagore, runs Illuminati Films and starred in films such as Dil Chatha Hai, Tashan, and Yeh Dillagi. Mr. Khan has not found it necessary to jump on the big Hollywood-Bollywood bandwagon, claiming there are plenty of Hindi film fans to keep the industry afloat on its own and without additional foreign support.

 

“The population of Indians is so massive worldwide, as well as in India, that we don’t need to cater to foreigners. We are self-sufficient,” the 40-year-old actor-filmmaker told the Indian media. 

 

Currently in Delhi for principal photography of his latest production, Sriram Raghavan’s Agent Vinod, Mr. Khan spoke to the Indian domestic press of his latest production and the place of Hindi cinema in the world.

 

“It’s great we are doing different kinds of movies,” he stated to the media. “We are very different from the West in our likes. We can make their form of presentation too, but we as an audience will find it dry. If we want to make a film for the West, we should make it for the West nicely.”

 

To that end, Mr. Khan is doing all he can to ensure his Illuminati Films establishes itself as the gold standard of Bollywood production which Hindi film fans can be proud of, whether or not they live in India.

 

“I think, at Illuminati, we are talking to Indians globally. Although (Agent Vinod, director) Sriram feels that a foreigner can also enjoy this film, my target really is India and Indians overseas,” Mr. Khan stated.

 

Mr. Khan believes, accordingly, that Bollywood has yet to peak.

 

“I think the best is really yet to come. I would like to contribute in terms of doing different kinds of films and add whatever value I can in whichever department I can, whether as a production house trying to make some good movies, or as an actor trying to be involved in stories that entertain and, hopefully, maybe make you think sometimes,” he announced to the media.

 

Just the same, Mr. Khan believes his career, which started in 1992 and took off one year later when he won the Filmfare’s Best Male Debut for Aashiq Awara, is still on the up-and-up. While some people may disagree, especially in light of his recent Padma Shri Award, Mr. Khan believes people will eventually come around after they have factored in the totality of his contributions to Indian cinema.

 

“I’m aware that I was given the Padma Shri for contribution to Indian cinema, and I know a lot of people feel it is too premature, if not undeserved. So I would aim, in the next ten years, to prove all those people wrong,” he claimed in his talk with the press.

 

One way he hopes to prove dissenters wrong and demonstrate his valuable contributions is with Agent Vinod, which some have claimed is Bollywood’s response to Hollywood’s James Bond franchise.

 

“Everyone will expect a Bond rip-off out of Agent Vinod,” Mr. Khan candidly stated, “and that is something we are being wary of. First of all, James Bond is very debonair and, you know, impeccably dressed and unruffled in situations. Vinod is not like that! Vinod is a little bit Bond and a little bit Tintin! The situations that he finds himself in are quite unique, interesting, and larger than life.”

 

Mr. Khan hopes to continue being interesting and larger than life himself, as he forges ahead with Illuminati Films and focuses on entertaining the tried and truest of Bollywood fans.