Almost two decades after its release, Saif Ali KhanHer performance in ‘Parineeta’ (2005) is still opening doors for her. The actor recently revealed that the role itself got him a spot Priyadarshan‘s ‘Haiwaan’, the project started working last year. In a recent interview, Saif reflected on how some performances have a lasting power, shaping opportunities long after the curtain has come down, touching upon the issues of insecurity in the industry and even touching on landmark films like ‘Omkara’.
Saif Ali Khan’s performance in ‘Parineeta’ succeeded Priyadarshan’s ‘Haiwaan’ almost 20 years later
For Saif, the film industry has a way of rewarding good work when you least expect it. “What happens a lot is that you do something, and years later it rewards you in another way. I ended up working with Priyadarshan and had a great time. He told me he liked me a lot in ‘Parineeta’. It may not be the most commercially successful film I’ve done, but I got this film,” he told India Today.
Saif Ali Khan has called ‘Omkara’ a historic moment in his career
When asked about the films that really changed how he was perceived as an actor, Saif pointed to ‘Omkara’ as a milestone in his career. “It would definitely be a big Omkara, fortunately because we have many types of filmmakers under this umbrella called Bollywood, and Vishal Bhardwaj brought them all together. Omkara was a magical time because there was a lot of positivity, experimentation and confidence,” he said.
Saif Ali Khan remembers ‘Omkara’ as a melting pot of talents from different worlds
Saif fondly recalled how Omkara was a collection of talent drawn from completely different corners of the film world. “You had this mix of NSD actors and lead actors. You had Bipasha Basu doing an item number and playing that role, and then Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi, even Deepak Dobriyal and Konkona Sen Sharma. It was really a coming together of many different worlds,” he said.
Saif Ali Khan on writing: “Omkara was two different ends”
He was honest about the rigid boxes that the industry tends to put actors in, and Omkara served to break that image. “People tend to typecast you and look at you in a certain way. In our line of work, people can be a bit conservative and don’t like to take too many risks with the characters they play. But Omkara was two different extremes: there’s the person who does ‘Hum Tum’, and then there’s someone who does Omkara, which was great for me,” said the actor.
