Saif Ali Khan has been on an experimental mode ever since he did Omkara in 2006. The 49-year-old actor has tried different roles—be it in Chef, Kaalakaandi, Bazaar or Sacred Games—even though some of the films were not box office hits. Once again he’s set to play a different avatar in Navdeep Singh’s upcoming film Laal Kaptaan where he dons a grungy desi look of a Naga sadhu and sports dreadlocks.
“I’m having a good time as an actor. Box office is not the only thing. I’m not bothered about it. I like playing different characters and I want to do different things in my career. I would like to do a radio show. Recently, I was on Kareena’s radio show which was more like a TV show. As a producer, I’ve done Jawaani Jaaneman. I’m excited about that also as I am playing a father. I could relate more to the role than playing a Naga sadhu. I’m also doing Tandav, which is a new web series for Amazon Prime directed by Ali Abbas. It’s based on politics," says Saif.
Saif seems to be content with working on web platforms for the moment. “They pay very well and the atmosphere is creative. Everything is handled very well. I enjoyed working on Sacred Games even though the second season was not much appreciated.”
Laal Kaptaan, he says, is a revenge saga. “These guys are making different films and I loved this part of history. It deals with the era when the Mughal empire was collapsing and Britishers coming in. It is a Bounty Hunter and Assassin type character that I’m playing. It’s an action film with a touch of the supernatural.” Saif, who is known to be a voracious reader, says that he read this part of history when he took up the film.
“I read William Dalrymple’s book The Anarchy: The Rise and Fall of the East India Company which is set during this time when all the crazy things that we show in the movie were happening. It was wilder than the west,” he says.
The movie also took a toll on the actor since it was shot in the scorching heat of Rajasthan. It was reported that at times his feet bled in the heat of the sun. “The shoot was difficult as there was so much makeup and hair, and carrying swords and guns. Sitting on the horse with all of this was difficult. For the character to come alive and find power was difficult. I had to learn on the job. At first, I wasn’t able to get into the skin of the character. I was focusing on my costume and dialogues. There were times when I wanted to take the makeup off. I had to get into it and enjoy it. I had to come early on the location and it took two hours to put on makeup and then we would head to shoot in the desert. It was very strenuous. I would return home half-dead every day,” he adds.
At 49, the actor says, fitness is of utmost importance. “You need energy and also look good at the same time. I lost weight for Jawaani Jaaneman as I’m playing a father. For Laal Kaptaan, I had to bulk up. Gaining and losing weight is not difficult. You have to burn more calories than you eat and to put on weight you eat more calories than you burn. It’s as simple as that.”
After turning producer, is Saif set to direct a film next? The actor vehemently denies. “I don’t want to direct a movie since it’s too much work. I need time for my family. A director’s job is too much of a commitment and there’s not enough money in it. They go on with a project for almost two years. It takes away too much of your time and I can’t do that right now.”