Meet actor, who was thrown out of first film, had 10 flops in 4 years, one film changed his life, is worth Rs 1200 crore

From Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor's son Ranbir Kapoor to Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan' son Abhishek Bachchan, there have been many star kids in the Hindi film industry, whose debut films flopped but they have went on to star in multiple successful films later. Another addition to this list is Saif Ali Khan, son of star actress Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

Saif made his debut in Yash Chopra's action drama Parampara in 1993. The film, which starred an ensemble cast comprising of  Sunil Dutt, Vinod Khanna, Aamir Khan, Neelam Kothari, Raveena Tandon, Ashwini Bhave, Ramya Krishna and Anupam Kher, didn't work at the box office. But, Parampara wasn't the first film for which Saif was actually cast. The star kid was supposed to make his debut in the 1992 romantic drama Bekhudi opposite Kajol, but the director Rahul Rawal found him unprofessional and threw him out of the film and replaced him with Kamal Sadanah. 

Saif talked about the same in his interview to Mid-Day in 2020 when he said, "I had to tear through fake cobwebs and emerge, singing a line that went, ‘Chaahat Ki Raahon Mein, Kyun Itna Darti Hai’. It was not easy because my expression had to change as I went from ‘Chaahat Ki Raahon Mein’ to ‘Kyun Itna Darti Hai.' I might just about pull it off today, but, back then, straight out of a boarding school in England, I was petrified. I must have performed really badly because soon after, Rahul Rawail threw me out of the film, complaining I wasn’t showing enough interest. That shot, I must admit, was particularly appalling."

After Parampara, Saif found successes in a few films such as Aashik Awara, Yeh Dillagi, and Main Khiladi Tu Anari. But, the actor's career went downhill from 1994 to 1998 when he starred in 10 back-to-back flops -  Yaar Gaddar, Surakshaa, Ek Tha Raja, Bambai Ka Babu, Tu Chor Main Sipahi, Dil Tera Diwana, Hameshaa, Udaan, Keemat: They Are Back, and Humse Badhkar Kaun. In 1999, Saif was seen in the superhit film Hum Saath-Saath Hain, but he was a part of ensemble cast of Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, and Mohnish Bahl.

It was Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai in 2001, which not just changed Saif's career but also paved the way for modern, realistic cinema in the 21st century. Also starring Aamir Khan and Akshaye Khanna, the film became a cult classic in Indian cinema. After Dil Chahta Hai, Saif didn't look back and headlined multiple successful movies such as Kal Ho Naa Ho, Hum Tum, Salaam Namaste, Race, and Love Aaj Kal among others. The actor's unconventional choices in films like Ek Hasina Thi, Omkara, Being Cyrus, and Go Goa Gone also paid off.

Saif Ali Khan is one of the most accomplised actors in Indian cinema, and his net worth is reportedly Rs 1200 crore, which includes the Rs 800-crore palatial Pataudi Palace that he owns. The actor is now married to Kareena Kapoor Khan, whose net worth is around Rs 485 crore and thus, their combined net worth accounts for Rs 1645 crore. Sara Ali Khan and Ibrahim Ali Khan are his children from his first marriage with Amrita Singh, and Taimur Ali Khan and Jehangir Ali Khan are his and Kareena's sons. The actor will be seen next in the pan-India drama Devara: Part 1, which also stars Jr NTR and Janhvi Kapoor.

READ | This Bollywood actor was prisoner of war in World War II, joined Subhash Chandra Bose, was jobless, made first film in..

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