Nothing gets the audience’s interest more than an off-screen couple romancing each other on celluloid. While curiosity is at its optimum about the on-screen chemistry of Saifeena, the hero on the contrary ratifies that the couple’s personal equation cannot be the sole reason for the prying eyes to watch a movie.
Saif says, “Well then, that seems quite a shallow excuse for the film buffs to go to the theatres and see how things pan out between two artistes who are involved off-screen,” he asserts. Adding further, he firmly notes, “Okay, we are in a relationship but that’s besides the point. It has nothing to do with the way a film should fare at the box-office. Period. In the past, we’ve witnessed many real-life actor couples becoming a damp squib when being romantically paired opposite each other in the movies.”
Saif’s come a long way from his early Yeh Dillagi and Parampara days when he was panned for his angrezi accent. Though Dil Chahta Hai was a turning point in his career, the actor has picked up acting lessons from several people along the way.
“Years ago when I was working with Shah Rukh Khan in Kal Ho Naa Ho, he asked me who do I act for or where I keep my focus while facing the camera. I told him that my priorities lie with the audiences. As an entertainer, I keep their demands and tastes in mind and try to please them accordingly. He in turn suggested that I should deliver my goods for the director who is the captain of the ship,” he says.
The recent fireworks spelt for Paan Singh Tomar and Kahaani is testimony to the fact that a good script is indicative of a film’s box office success. While Saif’s Agent Vinod didn’t have a spectacular opening on Friday, he believes the film will still work with the audiences. “The execution level in every other department has been excellent to the tee — right from laying down its spadework to the last check-point of the post-production stage. We have never compromised on the quality,” he says.
Endorsing the fact that people lap up quality over quantity, Saif feels that “maximum audiences are sold on good movies. “Content is certainly the key to a film’s success and nothing tastes as sweet as one,” he adds. We hope the weekend is kinder on this Khan than Friday was.