Saif Ali Khan says doing Cocktail was ‘100% a mistake’: ‘Slightly regressive script’

‘I didn’t do Cocktail for the role’

Saif Ali Khan recently, in an interview with Gulf News, reflected on some of the career choices he made, including playing Gautam in Cocktail. The 2012 film revolved around a complicated relationship between three characters, Gautam, Veronica and Meera. According to Saif, the decision to play Gautam had less to do with the character and more to do with getting the film off the ground.

“I did the part because we were producing it, it was an inevitable mistake, 100 percent that was a mistake, and that was a slightly regressive script choice. Otherwise, it was a breezy fun entertainer,” Saif said.

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“I didn’t do it for the role, I did it so the film could get made. You do things for various reasons. I knew fully well that the exciting role is the Veronica part but it’s one of those things you do anyway,” said the actor, who made it clear that he was aware from the beginning that Veronica’s character was the exciting one.

With the project being produced by him, Dinesh Vijan, and Andrew Heffernan, taking on the role became a practical decision for Saif.

Saif thinks he was miscast in Humshakals

Saif also spoke about Sajid Khan’s Humshakals (2014). The Omkara actor feels that the role didn’t fit his strengths. He shared the screen with Riteish Deshmukh and Ram Kapoor in a story built around mistaken identities and comedy of errors. Looking back, Saif feels the problem was not in the film itself, but his casting.

“I personally think that I was a miscast in Humshakals because it’s not my thing,” he said. According to the actor, the film required a particular kind of comic performance that he was unable to deliver convincingly.

“There were certain actors who could really pull that off and you need a kind of commitment and the ability to make people laugh on a very slightly different level, which perhaps I wasn’t able to convince myself to do or wasn’t just basically good enough in it,” Saif explained.

Akshay Kumar could have done my role in Humshakals

“I think Sajid expected me to do that stuff…perhaps….like Akshay Kumar could have done it; that was the mistake but I stand by the movie, and I stand by him (Sajid), and of course, we have to all stand by our movies,” he said.

Saif’s upcoming film, Haiwaan

On the other hand, Saif’ Ali Khan will be seen in the crime-thriller, Haiwaan, by Priyadarshan, starring Akshay Kumar, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher, is hitting the theatres on September 11. Haiwaan is an official remake of the Malayalam film, Oppam (2016), by Priyadarshan, featuring Mohanlal.