while Saif Ali Khan may not guarantee box office success every time, he is widely regarded as a reliable actor whose presence tends to elevate a film. That being said, his latest streaming releases ‘Kartavya’ and ‘Jewel Thief’ have not quite won over the audience, both falling short of what viewers expected. Saif recently addressed this in an interview, admitting his own disappointment with projects like ‘Kartavya’ and ‘Devara’, noting that certain creative choices, the ones that were never implemented, could have made a real difference in how those films turned out.
Saif Ali Khan says every film should count
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor said, “I think I’m lucky to have done films like ‘Omkara’ and ‘Kartavya.’At least you get cast in some of these projects because people think maybe there’s more to you. I think I need to attract more of these types of films and I want to push myself more at this stage of my career. When I look back, in the last two years, you realize that he survives as an actor. Someone pays you, and that’s great. I told Devara. I thought it would take two months because the role and tone sounded exciting, but it ended up taking much longer. All of a sudden, you’ve spent almost a year on a movie. Yes, you got paid, and maybe it covered a child’s education or took care of other responsibilities, but where’s the movie that makes it all worth it? Every movie should count. I keep asking myself, “Why am I doing this?” I’m at a stage where I want every next film to matter.”
Saif Ali Khan talks about Kartavya’s hasty release and the unresolved ending
On the subject of ‘Kartavya’, Saif commented, “Kartavya is lucky that Red Chillies has given it to Netflix because it was actually completed three years ago. If it had been released when it was made, it would have felt much fresher. We had also discussed the changes in the ending. I remember writing about it because we all felt that the villain should have been arrested and faced consequences. If we had tried a little harder, it could have happened. But for some reason, these things happen and we let it go.”
Saif Ali Khan admits that no one insisted on the change
Saif conveyed his regret over the film, saying, “Looking back, everyone saw it, but no one insisted that this change was necessary. Almost all the feedback I got from friends and well-wishers was that they liked the film, but they felt the villain should have been brought to justice. Maybe that’s Pulkit’s point. He’s more realistic.”
Saif Ali Khan’s on-screen villain who got away
Saurabh Dwivedi took on the role of the film’s main villain. Despite this, the ending saw Saif Ali Khan’s character avenging the death of his brother and sister-in-law by killing his own father, the one responsible. Notably, the central antagonist walked away without having to face any consequences when the film ended.