Yash Chopra saved me from going extinct: Saif Ali Khan

Actor Saif Ali Khan, who cut short his post-wedding celebrations back home in Pataudi to rush to the city in time for the final rites of Yash Chopra, reveals that the veteran filmmaker was the only one he looked up to as a father figure in the industry. “His family is the only family in the industry that I feel I belong to outside of my own. I owe my career to him. He salvaged my career as he was the only one brave enough to sign me on at a time when no one was ready to cast me. And Parampara proved to be a turning point in my life. It was like he saved me from going extinct! It was his constant faith in me as an actor that saw me reach here today,” says Saif, who then gave several superhit films with his production house including the National Award winning Hum Tum.

“I think what set Yashji apart was that his films spoke volumes about grace, honour, poetry, music, culture and everything seemed effortless. But despite the grandeur of his films, he was not a self-obsessed showman. He was never pompous and he let his films do the talking. He was grand when it came to kindness and love. He was a genuine artiste who loved his work passionately, but loved the people around him even more,” adds Saif.

Recalling his experiences of working with him, Saif says that food and happiness went hand in hand all the time. “He pampered his cook, who in turn pampered us tremendously. After shoots, we would play cards, bond over food and it was such a treat especially on outdoor schedules abroad. Pampered would be an understatement when it came to how he treated us all. He was attentive to the minutest detail and our smallest need. For me, he was like a friend, I could talk to him about anything, but always knew that I would get the right advice if I ask for it,” the actor adds. “As a person, he touched so many lives and now the legacy of his films will continue doing the same.”

Reportedly, the actor has put vacation plans with his new bride, actor Kareena Kapoor on hold at present. Tight-lipped about his Begum and his recent wedding, he says, “It was a formality, but I’d rather not talk about it. We had said that when we do get married, we’d let everyone know and we did, so that’s that.”