Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan starred together in one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved films, Kal Ho Naa Ho. Recently, Saif recalled an important lesson about acting that he learned from Shah Rukh during the making of the film.
Saif on SRK’s acting lesson
Speaking to Variety India, Saif shared an early lesson on acting that he received from Shah Rukh Khan. He said, “Shah Rukh once asked me, ‘Who’s your first audience that you act for?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, just the camera.’ He said, ‘It’s the director. You act for him. People watch his movies because he’s the storyteller.’”
Saif on directing a project
Saif has been receiving considerable praise for his performances in recent years. When asked whether he would like to channel his love for acting into directing a project, the actor dismissed the idea.
He said, “No, no, no. But I can create atmosphere at home. And I think atmosphere is a really important thing in movies. I like to have it at a dinner table, in a living room and in the spaces I create for myself. That’s not far off from doing it professionally.”
About Kal Ho Naa Ho
The 2003 film Kal Ho Naa Ho was directed by Nikkhil Advani in his directorial debut. The film was written by Karan Johar and Niranjan Iyengar and produced by Yash Johar under Dharma Productions, the film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Preity Zinta in lead roles. The supporting cast included Jaya Bachchan, Sushma Seth, Reema Lagoo, Lillete Dubey, and Delnaaz Irani.
Set in New York City, the film follows Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity), who gradually falls in love with her neighbour Aman Mathur (Shah Rukh Khan). However, Aman’s sickness prevents him from reciprocating her feelings, leading him to encourage a romance between Naina and her best friend Rohit Patel (Saif Ali Khan). The film went on to become a major critical and commercial success and won two National Film Awards.
Saif Ali Khan’s films
Saif was last seen in Kartavya, a crime drama written and directed by Pulkit. The film was produced by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s banner, Red Chillies Entertainment, and also starred Rasika Dugal, Sanjay Mishra, and Saurabh Dwivedi in pivotal roles.
On the upcoming projects front, Saif will next be seen in Haiwaan, which reunites him with director Priyadarshan. He will star alongside Akshay Kumar in the film.
Saif will also feature in Hum Hindustani, a Netflix period drama directed by Rahul Dholakia. The film also stars Pratik Gandhi and is inspired by true events. It follows a team of officials battling impossible odds to successfully conduct India’s first general election in 1951–52.