Agent Vinod failed due to interference from Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor, claims co-star

Lalit has had a long association with Sriram as the two have worked together since the 1990s in television. He continued, “Film is a director’s medium, so if the director has vision, people should just follow that. And if the director has cast any actor, they should only take the actor’s suggestions if they are valid. If the actor is suggesting something because they are a star, then it means nothing. These kind of adjustments ruin the film.”

When asked if Sriram Raghavan ever opened up about his ordeal with him, Lalit said, “He didn’t share it but he was talking about the interference. He brought that up.”

Sriram Raghavan on Agent Vinod failure

In an earlier chat with Galatta Plus, Sriram Raghavan had opened up about Agent Vinod’s failure and said, “One mistake I made is to take it for granted that the story is not vital, the sequences are vital.” He admitted that “it wasn’t as good as it should have been.” The Ikkis director said that instead of being a “heady cocktail” it turned out to be a “headache,” and said that the film became “exhausting.” “Otherwise, it has some terrific sequences. I still enjoy watching some of them,” he said.

The 2012 film Agent Vinod starred Saif Ali Khan in the role of RAW agent and Kareena Kapoor playing an ISI agent. At the time of its release, the film was panned by critics but over the years, it has developed a niche fan base.