Saif Ali Khan: I try not to repeat myself with respect with performances

With a straight faced humour that was tongue-in-cheek and with many punches to pull,Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan bristled with enthusiasm while in Ahmedabad on a whirldwind promotional tour for his upcoming film ‘Agent Vinod’. Being politically correct seems not to be one of the actor’s strong traits, but thinking off the top of his hat seems to come naturally to the Nawab Khan.The actor, who is currently mired in the controversy for having allegedly assaulted a man at a Japanese restaurant in Mumbai still fielded a volley of questions with wit and none of that famed ‘cinematic diplomacy’ that most Bollywood actors in the Hindi film industry thrive on.The actor gives his take on politeness, his new projects and more…

On the eve of the ‘International Women’s Day’;what is the message you would like to give to your female fans?
I would say if you are a woman with brains then it’s a woman’s day everyday. I live by that dictat that every man must treat the women in his life with respect.The best Woman’s Day gift, a man can give to thewomen in his life, is by being polite to them. Although I would reveal that my character in ‘Agent Vinod’ is not always respectful to women all the time!

Agent Vinod is a remake of the 1977 action film of the same name, but your film has nothing in common with it apart from the name?
Yes, I really loved the name and decided to keep it. But I also feel that when onemakes a remake, it should have your sensibilities and I feel that a lot of things relevant in that era cannot be relevant in the current context. Hence we went ahead with the title and decided to attempt something unique and contemporary with the storyline.

Also I was working with director Sriram Raghvan, with whom I have worked earlier in Ek Hasina Thi, so it was just a matter of trusting his instincts as a director. Looking back, I feel it was more like a dress rehearsal for Agent Vinod.

As a producer if you had to pick any other actor to do a spy’s role from among the current Bollywood actors, who would be your pick?
I think most of the actors today can carry off a thriller with ease. Aamir and Shahrukh come easily to mind. But even the newcrop of actors are equally talented to play such roles. I enjoyed my role as a producer and it has been intensely satisfying experience.

Your song ‘Pyaar ki Pungi’ seems to have garnered a lot of attention. Do you believe in viral marketing of a film’s music like the recent phenomenon of ‘KolaveriD’?
I have not heard KolaveriD more than once and I don’t think it is that great.The song had me do things that as an actor people would not generally associate with me, so I had fun doing the song. It has its own appeal.

You seem to be on a one-film-a-year spree much like Aamir Khan?
I think the most interesting thing about being an actor is that you can be different people and do things that you would never get to do in real life. I try and do roles that pull me out of my comfort zone and I do roles that are not associated with my personality. I try and do three good films every year. Be it Aarakshan or Omkara, I try not to repeat myself with respect to my performances.

What future films will we see you starring?
I am going to be working on a film directed by Homi Adajania called ‘Cocktail’ with Deeepika Padukone and a zom com which is a zombie film called ‘Go,Goa,Gone’ directed by the talented duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK who directed the movie ‘Shor in the City’. Homi is not a very filmy guy in the Bollywood sense but he has a great cinematic sense with unusual topics.