At the trailer launch of Chef, the actor douses all flames and talks about being dad and work-life balance
Saif Ali Khan, who has featured in two instalments of Bollywood franchise Race, is not upset about being replaced and poured cold water over any controversy saying there was no one better than superstar Salman Khan to replace him in the third edition.
Ramesh Taurani has reportedly announced that the franchise will move ahead without Saif, and Salman will play the lead instead.
Saif, who was in Mumbai for the launch of the trailer of Chef, was remarkably calm and prepared. He said, “Actually Ramesh had told me about this last year that he wants to make a new film in the franchise, Race 3, and wanted to take up a new cast. I love Rameshji and who better than Salman Khan for this. I wish them both very good luck. But I have not been approached.”
Meanwhile, Saif is excited about Chef, which is inspired by Jon Favreau’s eponymous film. The makers have made necessary changes to add an Indian touch.
The trailer of the film showcases love between family, specially between father and son. Asked about his relation with his youngest son Taimur and how he maintains his family life despite his busy schedule, Saif said: “In fact, the film is also about giving time to important things in life. While working, I would like to do 7 to 7 shifts if I can. That would be good, so that I can see him early in the morning and when I come home, I get to spend a decent amount of time with Taimur. If we shoot 9-9 or if we have the wrong shifts, then sometimes we don’t get to see our kids at all. In the earlier days, filmmakers used to shoot in many shifts and we couldn’t see our parents for a long time. So I think we are all more conscious about it now and we balance things. I am still lucky I have some help at home. My wife and I try and balance it as much as we can, so one of us is always around.”
In the same breath, he clarified, “But I guess some people can’t do that and I feel bad for them. You have to support your children as well, so you have to work. But this balance is what it is all about and it is the most important thing in life.”
He even did not shy away from talking about the 70 cuts suggested by the censor board for his film Kaalakaandi. “There were a lot of cuts. There is a government body called FCAT. So a lot of films that go there with a lot of cuts come out with no cuts or really fewer cuts. It is a magic place apparently where films go with a lot of cuts and come out with no cuts. It sounds to me like a waste of time but it’s great. So yes, the process is on. Hopefully, it will come out with few cuts because it’s a lovely film. We think the trailer should be released only after we are sure about the number of cuts.”
Asked if he cooks well in real life, the actor said, “Well, I like cooking spaghetti which is easy for me. I learnt chopping vegetables during the shoot. We cooked in an Amritsari kitchen... Some Punjabi khana. Vikas Khanna is one of my favourite chefs.”