Before he became a critically acclaimed actor by choice, Saif Ali Khan endured an early Bollywood journey that was anything but regal. In a candid conversation with Esquire India, the actor peeled back the layers of stardom to reveal a time when he was paid just ₹1,000 a week, but with a bizarre catch.
Saif talks about his early years in Bollywood
At just 21, Saif married Amrita Singh, and by 25, he was a father. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he had real financial responsibilities from the start.
He recounts a time he was paid one thousand rupees a week by a producer who demanded he kiss her cheek ten times each time she handed him the money.
Though born into privilege, son of cricket legend Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and veteran star Sharmila Tagore, Saif admits his entry into films was far from smooth. People assumed his path was easy, he says, but the reality was full of second roles and forgettable films.
“I’d done second lead, third lead… There were a couple of films that were decent, that kept one afloat. But then there came a time when, you know, one after another, they were very bad,” Saif said.
Saif describes the 1990s as his “net practice” era, a decade of trial, error, and learning on the job. He recently rewatched every film from the first two decades of his career, one a night on YouTube, in an effort to reflect on how far he’s come. The exercise was both humbling and therapeutic, forcing him to confront the unevenness of his early filmography.
“People would say, you’re lucky you’ve got so many chances. But it wasn’t that I was getting the best movies in town and being cast as the main lead,” Saif said.
The early 2000s marked a turning point. Films like Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega and Dil Chahta Hai helped Saif break out of the generic romantic-hero mould. His dark, award-winning role in Omkara (2006) showed audiences, and perhaps himself, that he could dive into complex, layered characters.
Saif’s latest work
Saif Ali Khan was last seen alongside Jaideep Ahlawat in Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, a high-octane action thriller that premiered on Netflix, directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal. Up next, he’s set to star in Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan, which also marks a reunion with Akshay Kumar.
