Saif Ali Khan on pressure of Pataudi legacy: ‘Don’t want people throwing chappals at you’

Saif Ali Khan opened up about his acting career and the pressure of maintaining his parents’ ‘legacy’. The actor was seen recently in the Disney+ Hotstar film Bhoot Police, and before that in the Amazon Prime Video series Tandav.

In an interview, Saif said that he entered the film industry with a different approach, that perhaps went against what was considered the norm back then.

Talking about his famous parents, actor Sharmila Tagore and legendary cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, he told Indian Express, “My parents were superstars but they didn’t behave like that. And it’s very easy to take yourself too seriously, whether it’s about having a bunch of bodyguards around or that vibe. You can’t blame somebody who doesn’t know any better. You just don’t have to get carried away by success.” 

He further opened up about the Pataudi ‘legacy’ and said that that the fundamental thing any actor wants to do while entering the industry is to sustain and not ‘be laughed at’. 

He explained, “You don’t want people abusing you or throwing chappals at you at Gaiety Galaxy. That’s not why you come into the movie industry. I didn’t have the mental approach like my contemporaries. Some were reigning superstars, some are superstars from their first film till now. My doing well or audience liking me has been a mirror reaction to my mental state. I have a very international perspective on things because of my upbringing and education. And a Westernised anglicised approach is an opposite of a Hindi film hero. They are not very macho. They are soft-spoken. It was a different standard. That was not really settling to me.”

Also read: Saif Ali Khan confirms son Ibrahim Ali Khan is assisting Karan Johar, jokes about Jeh

Saif will also be seen in Bunty Aur Babli 2. His other big project Adipurush, a mythological tale based on the Ramayana will release on August 11, 2022.