In a heartwarming trip down memory lane, Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan has candidly opened up about the profound impact Shah Rukh Khan had on his early career. Reflecting on their decades-long brotherhood, the ‘Hum Tum’ actor hailed the ‘King’ actor as an absolute visionary who accurately predicted the massive visual effects (VFX) revolution in Indian cinema 25 years before it actually happened.
Saif Ali Khan opens up on Shah Rukh Khan
Speaking to News18, Saif recalled an old interview from ‘King Uncle’ in which Shah Rukh spoke candidly about his aspirations.“There was an interview he did for King Uncle where they asked him what he wants to do. He said that he wants to be the number one star and the biggest thing that India has ever seen. That was the first time I heard something like that because we weren’t used to that kind of confidence,” he tells.
Saif Ali Khan on working with Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Pehla Nasha’
Saif said Shah Rukh’s self-belief remained constant as their careers progressed. The two actors first shared screen space in ‘Pehla Nasha’, although they were working on separate films at the time.“He has always been like that. I remember meeting him then and then consistently onwards. Thereafter, we did ‘Pehla Nasha’ where we shot one scene together. We were working around the same kind of time when he did ‘Baazigar’ with Venus and I was doing ‘Main Khiladi Tu Anari’ with them,” he adds.“We did all these shows which were the best shows anyone has ever done onstage. During that time, one day, he called me and said that let’s not tell everybody how house full it is. He had his reasons. But I’ve never got a call from someone saying that let’s downplay how successful a show is,” Saif shares.
Shah Rukh Khan’s early faith in VFX
Saif also revealed that Shah Rukh was passionately discussing the future of visual effects nearly 25 years ago, long before it became central to Indian filmmaking.“I can actually write a speech on how special he has been and about his passion for work, but let me just sum it up by saying that he has been a visionary,” Saif remarks.“He was obsessed with VFX at one point of time but it wasn’t happening. He said that it’s going to be the biggest thing. And I kept saying, ‘You’re losing me.’ We were at a bar in London. He told me, ‘No, you don’t understand. VFX is going to the biggest thing.’ This was about 25 years ago,” says Saif.That foresight later materialized through Red Chillies Entertainment and its acclaimed visual effects division.Saif credited Shah Rukh with guiding him at a crucial point in his journey as a leading actor.“We shot films like ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ at a time when New York was different. It was a very different time. It was way, way back and I saw all if it close up. He taught me how to kind of be a main lead in a movie when I got offered ‘Hum Tum’. I learnt a lot from him, I mean a little bit ,” he remarks.The two stars have reunited for Kartavya, with Shah Rukh backing the project as producer and Saif playing a central role.
