‘I found him a little greedy’: Priyadarshan opens up about directing Saif Ali Khan for the first time in ‘Haiwaan’; calls him a ‘mature child’
Saif Ali Khan is teaming up with veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan for the first time in the psychological thriller ‘Haiwaan’. Ahead of the film’s release, the director has shared some insights about working with the actor. From calling him “obedient” to praising his love for books, Priyadarshan offered a peek into their creative equation on set.
Priyadarshan calls Saif Ali Khan ‘a little greedy’
In an interview with Pinkvilla, Priyadarshan described his experience directing the 55-year-old actor in an unusual way. He said, “I found him a very obedient actor, a little greedy but a very obedient actor, so that is the best part about him. I think he developed a certain kind of confidence in me, which really helped me to take the film forward in a very smooth way,” Priyadarshan said.
Priyadarshan feels Saif Ali Khan is a ‘mature child’
The ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ director also spoke about Saif Ali Khan’s inquisitive nature on set, noting that his curiosity never got in the way of the work. He said, “I found him a very mature child because he has a lot of questions every time, and of course, every actor has the right question, but the moment it is answered, he just obeys you.”Priyadarshan revealed that their collaboration became smoother within days. He added, “After two days, I found that there was no question, so I asked him in the morning, ‘Any questions?’ He said, ‘No sir, now I know what you want to shoot.’ So that actually builds our confidence with each other, and that is the way it went on.”
Priyadarshan talks about Saif Ali Khan’s love for books
The filmmaker also praised Saif’s on-set discipline, noting that he preferred reading during breaks over scrolling on his phone. Priyadarshan, who described himself as a fan of Saif’s royal lineage, said their conversations often went beyond films. He said, “I could discuss a lot of things with him because I am a huge Nawab Pataudi fan, so I spent a lot of time with him.”
More about ‘Haiwaan’
The makers recently released the teaser of ‘Haiwaan’, featuring Saif as a visually challenged protagonist and Akshay Kumar as the antagonist. The film reunites the two actors 18 years after ‘Tashan’ (2008). ‘Haiwaan’ is set to hit theatres on September 11.
