Saif Ali Khanwho is currently riding high on the success of his crime drama ‘Kartavya’, has spoken about the decline of Hindi romantic comedies. The actress shared her thoughts on the genre that virtually defined the early 2000s and why the era of romance may be over on the big screen.
Saif Ali Khan says rom-coms started and ended with him
Saif Ali Khan’s iconic rom-coms like ‘Hum Tum’ (2004) and ‘Salaam Namaste’ (2005) cemented his place in mainstream Bollywood, and even won him a National Film Award. Despite his personal love for the genre, Saif shared his belief that rom-coms had a limited lifespan in Indian cinema. Talking to HT City, he said, “I loved doing romcoms, but I feel like it was something of an anomaly in Indian cinema, and in a sense it might have started and ended with me.“The actor added, “I think rom-coms are a failed experiment, however beautiful. There is something deeper in Indian society, which is the desire for a love story.”The actor attributed the disconnect to relatability. Saif elaborated, “He’s this confused, privileged guy who technically has everything on his plate but is still confused, so people don’t really connect now. They wonder what his problem is. So, firstly, things aren’t that bad, and secondly, it’s something you don’t have to deal with at a certain age.”
Saif Ali Khan speaks Kareena Kapoor Khan He gives her advice on making romcoms
In the same interview, Saif revealed that his wife and actress Kareena Kapoor Khan also weighed in on the matter. The actor shared, “My wife told me that now things have to be sorted out in your head, you can’t be playing around. [this confused man]. Ibrahim (Ali Khan, actor son) should do more now; it’s our family business (laughs).However, Saif clarified that he has not completely closed the door to the genre. The actor said, “I would love to do a love story, or even a comedy that ends in romance. Now, I feel like I can do another romcom, there’s still one in me (laughs).”
More about ‘Kartavya’
Directed by Pulkit, it stars Saif Ali Khan, Rasika Duggal, Sanjay Mishra, Manish Chaudhari, Saurabh Dwivedi, Zakir Hussain and Yudhvir Ahlawat. Backed by Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan’s production house, the film released on an OTT platform on 15 May 2026.
