Saif Ali Khan: 'Life Has Been Very, Very Good To Me'

'What I want right now in life is more of the same. I just want to do good work and balance it very well with living my life with my family and friends and travel.'

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Saif Ali Khan slips into the morally conflicted world of Kartavya with remarkable ease, portraying a man torn between duty, survival and conscience.

In this candid conversation with Subhash K Jha, the actor opens up about trusting Director Pulkit's vision, revisiting the rustic intensity audiences first saw in Omkara, balancing craft with instinct, and why stories steeped in moral ambiguity excite him the most.

Kartavya gives you that rare opportunity to assume a character completely alien to you. How deep within yourself did you have to delve to reach the core of Pavan?

I suppose this is where the director comes in because it is a character that is a little alien culturally.

When you have experience in life, really understanding certain roles, there are many nuances you can bring to it that are very difficult to pick up or copy unless you know what you are talking about.

But if the director knows the world, he can make it much easier. And my director Pulkit really does.

So all credit to him in that sense. And then, of course, ultimately the character is what you are bringing yourself to.

And, you know, it's you playing it. And that is the most unique thing about it. So you play yourself in those circumstances. So that's kind of how it works. But I'm making it sound like I'm some expert, which only time will tell.

Aren't you an expert performer?

I don't think I am really yet. But it's fun to try and imagine and to get into something that's a little different from who you are.