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Saif Ali Khan (; born Sajid Ali Khan Pataudi; 16 August 1970) is an Indian actor and film producer who works in
Hindi films Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
. Part of the Pataudi family, he is the son of actress
Sharmila Tagore Sharmila Tagore (also known as Begum Ayesha Sultana; born 8 December 1944) is a retired Indian actress, primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema, Tagore is the recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award, and the F ...
and cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Khan made his acting debut in '' Parampara'' (1993). He failed to earn hits with solo lead films in the 90s and had rare successes only in the multi-starrers ''
Yeh Dillagi ''Yeh Dillagi'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Naresh Malhotra and produced by Yash Chopra for his production company Yash Raj Films. Based on the 1954 American film '' Sabrina'', its story revolves on ...
'' (1994), ''
Main Khiladi Tu Anari ''Main Khiladi Tu Anari'' () is a 1994 Indian action comedy film directed by Sameer Malkan. The screenplay is written by Sachin Bhowmick. Starring Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Raageshwari in main lead roles, it also included ...
'' (1994), ''
Kachche Dhaage ''Kachche Dhaage'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Milan Luthria and starring Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan and Manisha Koirala. The film features Devgan as a smuggler, delivering goods across the Rajasthan-Pak ...
'' (1999) and ''
Hum Saath-Saath Hain ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya under the production and distribution of Rajshri Productions. The film stars Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Tab ...
'' (1999). It was the 2000s when Khan proved his potential as an established actor starting with the sleeper hit ''
Kya Kehna ''Kya Kehna'' ( en, So well said) is a 2000 Indian Hindi romantic drama film. Written by Honey Irani, it was directed by Kundan Shah and released on 19 May 2000 at a budget of . ''Kya Kehna'' dealt with the taboo issue of pre-marital pregnancy ...
'' (2000) and won many accolades for the ensemble comedy-dramas '' Dil Chahta Hai'' (2001) and ''
Kal Ho Naa Ho ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
'' (2003). Further critical and commercial success came with ''
Hum Tum Hum Tum may refer to the following: * Hum Tum (film), 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film * Hum Tum (album), 1995 album by Pakistani band Vital Signs * Hum Tum (2010 TV series), 2010 Pakistani television serial * Hum Tum (2022 TV seri ...
'' (2004), '' Parineeta'' (2005), ''
Salaam Namaste ''Salaam Namaste'' () is a 2005 Indian romantic comedy film, directed by first-time director Siddharth Anand and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in their ...
'' (2005) and ''
Ta Ra Rum Pum ''Ta Ra Rum Pum'' is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film directed by Siddharth Anand from a screenplay penned by Habib Faisal. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Angelina Idnani, Ali Haji and Javed Jaffrey in lead roles. In the ...
'' (2007). Khan also earned critical acclaim for playing a manipulative businessman in '' Ek Hasina Thi'' (2004), an apprentice in the English film ''
Being Cyrus ''Being Cyrus'' is a 2005 Indian English-language thriller film directed by Homi Adajania. The film revolves around a dysfunctional Parsi family. The film was originally titled '' Akoori'', a reference to a traditional Parsi scrambled-eggs-like ...
'' (2006) and an antagonist in '' Omkara'' (2006). His biggest hits as lead include ''
Race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
'' (2008), ''
Love Aaj Kal Love Aaj Kal may refer to: * Love Aaj Kal (2009 film) ''Love Aaj Kal'' () is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Imtiaz Ali starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone with Rishi Kapoor and Giselli Monteiro in ...
'' (2009), '' Cocktail'' (2012) and '' Race 2'' (2013). After another string of under-performing ventures, Khan was appreciated for headlining Netflix's first original Indian series '' Sacred Games'' (2018) and the main antagonist in ''
Tanhaji ''Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior'' is a 2020 Indian historical action film, co-written and directed by Om Raut and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Ajay Devgn under T-Series Films and Ajay Devgn FFilms. Tracing the life of Maratha ...
'' (2020), which ranks as his highest grossing release. Khan has won several accolades, including a
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate ...
and seven Filmfare Awards, and received the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award in 2010. He has been noted for his performances in a range of film genres—from crime dramas to action thrillers and comic romances. In addition to film acting, Khan is a frequent television presenter, stage show performer, and the owner of the production companies Illuminati Films and Black Knight Films.


Early life and family

Khan was born on 16 August 1970 in New Delhi, India to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, a former captain of the Indian national cricket team, and his wife
Sharmila Tagore Sharmila Tagore (also known as Begum Ayesha Sultana; born 8 December 1944) is a retired Indian actress, primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema, Tagore is the recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award, and the F ...
, a film actress. Khan's father, who was the son of the last ruling Nawab of the princely state of Pataudi during the
British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
, received a privy purse from the Government of India under terms worked out in the Political integration of India and was allowed to use the title Nawab of Pataudi until 1971 when the title was abolished. Following Mansur Ali Khan's death in 2011, a symbolic pagri ceremony was held in the village of Pataudi,
Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
to "crown" Khan as the "tenth Nawab of Pataudi," which Khan attended to please the sentiments of the villagers, who wanted him to continue a family tradition. Khan has two younger sisters, jewelry designer
Saba Ali Khan Saba Ali Khan Pataudi is an Indian jewelry designer and mutawalli (Chief Trustee) of the Auqaf-e-Shahi (Royal Trust), established by the-then ‘Princely State’ of the Kingdom of Bhopal as a royal charitable endowment. Background Khan, a me ...
and actress
Soha Ali Khan Soha Ali Khan Pataudi Khemu (born 4 October 1978) is an Indian actress who has worked in Hindi, Bengali and English films. She is the daughter of veteran actress Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and ...
, and is the paternal grandson of
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi Nawab Mohammad Iftikhar Ali Khan Siddiqui Pataudi, sometimes I. A. K. Pataudi (16 March 1910 – 5 January 1952), was an Indian prince and cricket player. He was the captain of the India's national cricket team during its tour of England in 19 ...
who played for the Indian cricket team in England in 1946, and
Sajida Sultan Nawab Begum Sajida Sultan Ali Khan Pataudi (4 August 1915 – 5 September 1995) was the daughter of the Nawab of Bhopal, Hamidullah Khan, and the wife and Begum Consort of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, the 8th Nawab of Pataudi, and in her own r ...
, the
Nawab Begum of Bhopal The Nawabs of Bhopal were the Muslim rulers of Bhopal, now part of Madhya Pradesh, India. The nawabs first ruled under the Mughal Empire from 1707 to 1737, under the Maratha Empire from 1737 to 1818, then under British rule from 1818 to 1947, an ...
.
Hamidullah Khan Hajji Nawab Hafiz Sir Hamidullah Khan (9 September 1894 – 4 February 1960) was the last ruling Nawab of the princely salute state of Bhopal. He ruled from 1926 when his mother, Begum Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum, abdicated in his favor, until 19 ...
, the last ruling
Nawab of Bhopal The Nawabs of Bhopal were the Muslim rulers of Bhopal, now part of Madhya Pradesh, India. The nawabs first ruled under the Mughal Empire from 1707 to 1737, under the Maratha Empire from 1737 to 1818, then under British rule from 1818 to 1947, an ...
was his great-grandfather, and the cricketer Saad Bin Jung is his first cousin. Speaking about his childhood, Khan said that he was exposed to a "life beyond movies", and his mother described him as someone who was "not an easy child ..He was impulsive ndspontaneous." Saif grew up a Muslim. As a child, he recalls fond memories of watching his father playing cricket in the garden, and has emphasised his father's education and background as having a lasting impression on how family life was conducted. Khan studied at
The Lawrence School, Sanawar The Lawrence School, Sanawar, is the oldest Co-Ed boarding school in the world near Solan city. Established in 1847, its history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious and oldest schools in Asia. It is located in the ...
in Himachal Pradesh and was later sent to
Lockers Park School Lockers Park School is a day and boarding preparatory and pre-preparatory school for boys, situated in 23 acres of countryside in Boxmoor, Hertfordshire. Its headmaster is Gavin Taylor. History Lockers Park was founded in 1874 by Henry Montagu ...
in Hertfordshire at the age of nine. He next enrolled at Winchester College and explained that "I did not take advantage of my tenure here My classmates went on to Oxford and
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge becam ...
, but I was not academically inclined. When I applied myself, which was not often, I stood first. I should have studied harder." After graduating from the boarding school, Khan returned to India and worked for an advertising firm in Delhi for two months. He later appeared in the television commercial for ''Gwalior Suiting'' on the insistence of a family friend, and was subsequently cast by director Anand Mahindroo. The project eventually got cancelled but Khan relocated to Mumbai to pursue a career in film; he recalls, "Finally I had some direction and focus. I remember ..feeling so excited that I could go to Mumbai, stay in my own place and enjoy the adventure of starting my own career."


Personal life and career


First marriage, early roles and career struggles (1991–2000)

In 1991, Khan was cast as the male lead in
Rahul Rawail Rahul Rawail is an Indian film director and editor in Bollywood known for his films like '' Love Story'' (1981), '' Betaab'' (1983), '' Arjun'' (1985), '' Dacait'' (1987), ''Anjaam'' (1994), '' Arjun Pandit'' (1999) and the recent one '' Jo Bole ...
's romantic drama '' Bekhudi'' (1992) alongside debutante
Kajol Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six ...
, but after completing the first shooting schedule of the film, he was considered to be unprofessional by Rawail and was replaced by Kamal Sadanah. While filming ''Bekhudi'', Khan met actress
Amrita Singh Amrita Singh (born 9 February 1958) is an Indian actress. Through her films such as '' Betaab'' and '' Mard'', she gained popularity and became a well-known and popular actress in the 1980s. She took a break from acting in the early 1990s for ...
whom he married in October 1991. Singh gave birth to their daughter,
Sara Ali Khan Sara Ali Khan Pataudi (; born 12 August 1995) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Born into the Pataudi family, she is the daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan. After graduating with a degree in history and political ...
(b.1995) and a son (b. 2001). The couple separated in 2004. In 1993, Khan made his acting debut with Yash Chopra’s '' Parampara''. The film, which tells the story of two estranged brothers (played by
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...
and Khan), failed to find a wide audience. In 1993, he appeared opposite
Mamta Kulkarni Mamta Kulkarni is a former Indian actress and model known for her work in Hindi cinema. She has appeared in commercial successful Hindi films such as '' Aashiq Awara'' (1993), ''Waqt Hamara Hai'' (1993), '' Krantiveer'' (1994), ''Karan Arjun'' ( ...
and
Shilpa Shirodkar Shilpa Shirodkar (born 20 November 1969) is an Indian actress and former photo model who worked primarily in Hindi-language films from 1989 to 2000. After a 13-year hiatus from acting, she made her comeback to acting, this time on television in ...
in the box office flops ''
Aashiq Awara ''Aashik Awara'' is a 1993 Bollywood romantic drama film directed by Umesh Mehra. It stars débutante actors Saif Ali Khan and Mamta Kulkarni in pivotal roles. The film brought Khan and Kulkarni the Filmfare Award for best Filmfare Award for B ...
'' and '' Pehchaan''. For his performance in the former, Khan earned the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut at the
39th Filmfare Awards The 39th Filmfare Awards were held in 1994. ''Khalnayak'' led the ceremony with 11 nominations, followed by '' Baazigar'' and ''Darr'' with 10 nominations each. ''Baazigar'' and '' Damini'' were the most awarded films with 4 awards each, with ...
. Following an appearance in the moderately successful ''
Imtihaan ''Imtihan'' (translation: ''Examination'') is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action romance film directed by Harry Baweja, starring Sunny Deol, Saif Ali Khan and Raveena Tandon. Plot Vicky (Saif Ali Khan) is a popular singer, who meets and fa ...
'' (1994), Khan paired up with
Akshay Kumar Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian Quote: "(Former prime minister Stephen) Harper campaigned in 2011 alongside one of Modi's biggest celebrity backer ...
for next two releases— Yash Raj Films' hit romantic drama ''
Yeh Dillagi ''Yeh Dillagi'' () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Naresh Malhotra and produced by Yash Chopra for his production company Yash Raj Films. Based on the 1954 American film '' Sabrina'', its story revolves on ...
'' and the action film ''
Main Khiladi Tu Anari ''Main Khiladi Tu Anari'' () is a 1994 Indian action comedy film directed by Sameer Malkan. The screenplay is written by Sachin Bhowmick. Starring Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty and Raageshwari in main lead roles, it also included ...
''. The former was an unofficial remake of the 1954
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
film '' Sabrina'', and depicted a love triangle between a chauffeur's daughter (played by
Kajol Kajol Devgan (née Mukherjee; born 5 August 1974), known mononymously as Kajol, is an Indian actress. Described in the media as one of the most successful actresses of Hindi cinema, she is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six ...
) and the two sons of her father's employers (played by Kumar and Khan). ''Main Khiladi Tu Anari'' (the second film in the ''Khiladi'' series) featured Khan as an aspiring actor, and emerged as the fifth highest-grossing film of the year.
Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides ...
reported that the success of both films proved a breakthrough for Khan, and his performance in ''Main Khiladi Tu Anari'' fetched him his first nomination for the Best Supporting Actor at the annual Filmfare Awards. '' The Indian Express'' singled out his performances in both films, noting his comic timing in the latter as keeping the audience "in splits whenever he appears on screen". Khan’s next two releases of the year, the dramas ''
Yaar Gaddar ''Yaar Gaddar'' is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Umesh Mehra, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Saif Ali Khan, Somy Ali and Prem Chopra. Plot Mithun is an honest police officer of the department and he is in love wit ...
'' and ''
Aao Pyaar Karen Aao Pyaar Karen () is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Ravindra Peepat, starring Saif Ali Khan Somy Ali and Shilpa Shetty. It is a remake of the 1992 Tamil film ''Chembaruthi''. Plot Anjali Devi ( Bharati) is a ri ...
'', were unsuccessful. His career observed a steady decline through the 1990s; all nine films he starred'' Surakshaa'' (1995), '' Ek Tha Raja'' (1996), '' Bambai Ka Babu'' (1996), '' Tu Chor Main Sipahi'' (1996), '' Dil Tera Diwana'' (1996), '' Hameshaa'' (1997), '' Udaan'' (1997), '' Keemat: They Are Back'' (1998) and '' Humse Badhkar Kaun'' (1998)were commercially unsuccessful. During this time, the critics perceived his career to be over. After four consecutive years of poorly received films, Khan's career prospects began to improve in 1999; he appeared in four films: '' Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan'', ''
Kachche Dhaage ''Kachche Dhaage'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Milan Luthria and starring Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan and Manisha Koirala. The film features Devgan as a smuggler, delivering goods across the Rajasthan-Pak ...
'', ''
Aarzoo Aarzoo (transl. ''Desire'') is a 1999 Indian Hindi romance film directed by Lawrence D'Souza stars Madhuri Dixit, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal and Reema Lagoo. The film was primarily filmed in Mumbai, but some scenes ...
'' and ''
Hum Saath-Saath Hain ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya under the production and distribution of Rajshri Productions. The film stars Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Tab ...
''. The romantic comedy ''Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan'' (alongside
Twinkle Khanna Twinkle Khanna (also known as Tina Jatin Khanna; born on 29 December) is an Indian author, columnist, interior designer, film producer and a former film actress. In 2015, she released her first non-fiction book, " Mrs Funnybones" which was decl ...
) and the romance ''Aarzoo'' (alongside
Madhuri Dixit Madhuri Dixit Nene (née Dixit; born 15 May 1967) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. A leading actress of Indian cinema, she has appeared in over 70 films. Noted by critics for her beauty, dancing skills, and characters ...
and Akshay Kumar) earned little at the box office, but the action-thriller ''Kachche Dhaage'' (a story about two estranged brothers becoming the target of a terrorist conspiracy) was Khan's first commercial success since ''Main Khiladi Tu Anari''. Directed by
Milan Luthria Milan Luthria is an Indian film director who works in Hindi films. He is best known as the director of Ajay Devgan ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'' (2010). He is the nephew of producer and director Mahesh Bhatt. Personal life Milan is the son o ...
, the film was generally well received but critics noted that Khan was overshadowed by co-actor
Ajay Devgn Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi cinema. Devgn has appeared in over a hundred films and has won numerous accolades, including four ...
. The feature, however, earned Khan a Best Supporting Actor nomination at Filmfare. Khan described his final release of the year, the
Sooraj Barjatya Sooraj R. Barjatya (born 22 February 1964) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and distributor, predominantly working in Hindi cinema. Barjatya has directed and produced some of the most commercially successful Indian films in ...
-directed family drama ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'', as a "morale-booster". The film featured an ensemble cast (
Mohnish Behl Mohnish Bahl (born 14 August 1961) is an Indian actor working in the Indian film industry and on Indian television. Career Mohnish Bahl debuted with the film ''Bekarar'' in a supporting role opposite Padmini Kolhapure and co Starring Sanjay Dutt ...
,
Tabu Tabu may refer to: Cultural and legal concepts *Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society *Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...
, Salman Khan,
Sonali Bendre Sonali Bendre (born 1 January 1975) is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. She did modelling assignments prior to making her acting debut with '' Aag'' (1994), which won her the Filmfare Award for ...
and
Karisma Kapoor Karisma Kapoor (born 25 June 1974) is an Indian actress, who works in Hindi films. A member of the Kapoor family, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards. Kapoor made her acting d ...
) and emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year, earning over worldwide. During the filming of ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'', Khan was charged with
poaching Poaching has been defined as the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set a ...
two
blackbuck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the shoulder. Male ...
s in Kankani along with co-stars Salman, Tabu, Bendre and
Neelam Kothari Neelam Kothari Soni is an Indian actress and jewellery designer from Mumbai, known mononymously as Neelam. She made her acting debut with '' Jawaani'' (1984) opposite debutant Karan Shah. Since then she starred in various films alongside Govind ...
. That year, he also appeared briefly in the David Dhawan-directed comedy '' Biwi No.1'', a box office hit. The drama ''
Kya Kehna ''Kya Kehna'' ( en, So well said) is a 2000 Indian Hindi romantic drama film. Written by Honey Irani, it was directed by Kundan Shah and released on 19 May 2000 at a budget of . ''Kya Kehna'' dealt with the taboo issue of pre-marital pregnancy ...
'' from director
Kundan Shah Kundan Shah (19 October 1947 – 7 October 2017), was an Indian film director and writer. He is known for his comedy classic ''Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'' (1983) and his 1986–1987, TV series ''Nukkad'' with Saeed Akhtar Mirza. Biography Kundan Shah ...
was Khan's only release of 2000, in which he played the casanova Rahul Modi. Co-starring alongside
Preity Zinta Preity G Zinta (pronounced ; born 31 January 1975) is an Indian actress and entrepreneur primarily known for her work in Hindi films. After graduating with degrees in English honours and criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in '' ...
and
Chandrachur Singh Chandrachur Singh (born 11 October 1968) is an Indian actor, who mainly works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of a Filmfare Award, in addition to receiving nomination for an IIFA Award and a Screen Award. Early life and career Singh att ...
, Khan compared the portrayal of his character with his own evolving maturity as a father. The film addressed themes of single parenthood and teenage pregnancy and emerged a sleeper hit. '' The Indian Express'' believed that Khan "looks debauched enough to be the rogue he plays. He is the only dark aspect in a film that is sunny and bright even at its most tragic."


Rise to prominence (2001–2004)

In 2001, Khan appeared in
Eeshwar Nivas Eshwar Niwas born on April 11th 1974 is an Indian film director, known for his works predominantly in Bollywood and Tollywood. In 1999, he won the National Film Award for directing '' Shool''. Early life and career He was born in Hyderabad. H ...
' box office flop ''
Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega ''Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film directed by Eeshwar Nivas and produced by Ram Gopal Varma and Nitin Manmohan. The film stars Saif Ali Khan, Fardeen Khan, Sonali Bendre, Twinkle Khanna, Af ...
'', (a film loosely inspired by the 1996
black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
'' Fargo'') following which he featured alongside
Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...
and
Akshaye Khanna Akshaye Khanna (born 28 March 1975) is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He is the son of actor Vinod Khanna. He has won numerous awards in his career including two Filmfare Awards, three Screen Awards and two IIFA Awards in varied a ...
in Farhan Akhtar's
coming-of-age Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can be ...
comedy drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
'' Dil Chahta Hai''. Depicting the contemporary routine life of Indian affluent youth, it is set in modern-day urban Mumbai and focuses on a major period of transition in the lives of three young friends. Khan played Sameer Mulchandani, a "hopeless romantic", and was particularly drawn to the qualities of his character. ''Dil Chahta Hai'' was highly popular with critics and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi; it performed well in the big cities, but failed in the rural areas, which was attributed by critics to the urban-oriented lifestyle it presented. The feature marked a significant turning point in Khan's career, earning him the
Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role The Filmfare Best Comedian Award was given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise an actor who had delivered an outstanding performance in a comic role. Although the awards started in 1954, awards fo ...
and awards for Best Supporting Actor at the
Screen Screen or Screens may refer to: Arts * Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing * Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry * Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which mu ...
, Zee Cine and International Indian Academy (IIFA) ceremonies. Rediff.com wrote that Khan was able to rise above his "under-sketched character", and the critic
Taran Adarsh Taran Adarsh (born 13 June 1965) is an Indian film critic and trade analyst. He is best known for giving trade figures and box office updates on social media. Career Taran Adarsh started his journalism career at the age of 15 with ''Trade Gui ...
described him as "excellent", arguing that it was his "career-best performance". Following an appearance in two poorly received films: ''
Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein ''Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein'' () also known by the initialism RHTDM is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, starring R. Madhavan, Dia Mirza and Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles. The f ...
'' (2001) and ''
Na Tum Jaano Na Hum ''Na Tum Jaano Na Hum'' () is a 2002 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film starring Saif Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Esha Deol. This is the first film where Roshan and Khan act together. The film was directed by Arjun Sablok and produced ...
'' (2002), Khan played a photographer in the second chapter ("No Smoking") of Prawaal Raman's
anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...
ensemble thriller ''
Darna Mana Hai ''Darna Mana Hai'' (English: ''Fear is Forbidden'') is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language anthology Horror film. The film consists of six different short stories. It stars Nana Patekar, Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani, Shilpa Shetty, Sameera Reddy, Ish ...
'' (2003). The film failed to find a wide audience and earned little at the box office. ''Bollywood Hungama'' described his next film, the Nikhil Advani-directed romantic comedy-drama ''
Kal Ho Naa Ho ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (, ), also abbreviated as ''KHNH'', is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Nikhil Advani, written by Karan Johar with dialogue by Niranjan Iyengar, and produced by Yash Johar. The film stars ...
'' (2003), as a "landmark" in his career. Set in New York City, it was written by
Karan Johar Karan Johar (born Rahul Kumar Johar; 25 May 1972), often informally referred to as KJo in the Hindi Film Industry, is an Indian filmmaker and television personality, who primarily works in Hindi cinema. He has launched the careers of several su ...
and co-starred Jaya Bachchan,
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the " Baadshah of Bollywood", "King of Bollywood ...
and Preity Zinta. With a worldwide revenue of over , the film was received favourably by critics, and became India's biggest hit of the year. It also did well internationally and became the highest-grossing film of the year overseas. Khan was cast in the role of Rohit Patela carefree young man who falls in love with Zinta's characterafter Advani had seen his performance in ''Dil Chahta Hai''. Writing for '' Outlook'',
Komal Nahta Komal Nahta (born 30 April 1964) is an Indian film trade analyst. Nahta is the publisher of "Film Information" and also a television show host. He is an anchor of the trade show ETC Bollywood Business on the Bollywood TV channels ETC and Zee Cinem ...
described Khan as a "natural" and "extremely endearing", and Ram Kamal Mukherjee from '' Stardust'' opined that he was successful in displaying "a gamut of emotions." Khan garnered several awards for his performance, including the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, and expressed gratitude to Shah Rukh for teaching "me so muchmainly the responsibility of the main lead". He explained that the film's success led to Yash Raj Films casting him in the 2004 romantic comedy ''
Hum Tum Hum Tum may refer to the following: * Hum Tum (film), 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film * Hum Tum (album), 1995 album by Pakistani band Vital Signs * Hum Tum (2010 TV series), 2010 Pakistani television serial * Hum Tum (2022 TV seri ...
''. At the end of the year, he appeared briefly as Cpt.
Anuj Nayyar Captain Anuj Nayyar, MVC (August 28, 1975 – July 7, 1999) was an Indian Army officer of 17 Jat who was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second highest gallantry award, for exemplary valour in combat during operations in the Ka ...
in
J. P. Dutta Jyoti Prakash Dutta (born 3 October 1949) is an Indian Bollywood film producer, writer and director, best known for making patriotic action war films. Personal life Dutta is married to the Bollywood film actress Bindiya Goswami with whom he ha ...
's ensemble box office flop ''
LOC Kargil ''LOC Kargil'' is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language historical war film based on the Kargil War fought between India and Pakistan, produced and directed by J. P. Dutta under his banner "J. P. Films". The film features an ensemble cast of Bollywood ...
''. In an attempt to avoid
typecasting In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...
and broaden his range as an actor, Khan starred as Karan Singh Rathod in the thriller '' Ek Hasina Thi'' (2004), a character he described as "a
Charles Sobhraj Charles Sobhraj (born Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj, 6 April 1944) is a French serial killer, fraudster, and thief of Indian-Vietnamese descent, who preyed on Western tourists travelling on the hippie trail of South Asia during the 1970s. ...
-meets- James Bond kind of a guy". The film (which marked the debut of
Sriram Raghavan Sriram Raghavan (born 22 June 1963) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is primarily considered an auteur of neo-noir action thrillers. Raghavan made his directorial debut with '' Ek Hasina Thi'' (2004). ...
) tells the story of a young woman (played by Urmila Matondkar) who meets with Khan's character, and is subsequently arrested for having links with the underworld. When Khan was initially offered the project, he was unable to do it due to his busy schedule. However, he agreed when Raghavan approached him for the second time, and in preparation for the role, exercised extensively for six months to achieve the physical requirements of his character. Upon release, the film was positively received by critics, with Khan's performing earning praise. Film critic
Anupama Chopra Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
wrote that Khan gave "an accomplished performance", whilst'' The
Deccan Herald ''Deccan Herald'' is an Indian English language daily newspaper published from the Indian state of Karnataka. It was founded by K. N. Guruswamy, a liquor businessman from Ballari and was launched on 17 June 1948. It is published by The Prin ...
'' opined that he was successful in "break ngout of the cool dude stereotype" and "hold nghis own in a movie that is completely Matondkar's." For his performance, Khan received nominations at the Screen, Zee Cine and IIFA ceremonies. For his next release, Khan featured in a starring role opposite Rani Mukerji in Kunal Kohli's ''Hum Tum'', a romantic comedy about two headstrong individuals who meet at different stages of their lives. He was cast in the role of Karan Kapoor (a young cartoonist and womanizer) after Aamir Khan was unable to do the film; Kohli said, "I realised that the role needed a younger man ..someone who could present a more youthful picture. Saif has this unique quality, he can play a 21-year old as well as a 29-year old and was ideal for
he film He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
" With a worldwide revenue of , the film proved one of the biggest commercial successes of the year and Khan's first success in which he played the sole male lead. ''Rediff.com'' wrote about his performance: "Saif reprises his urbane self from ''Dil Chahta Hai'' and ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'', peppering it with occasional fits of introspection and angst, and marking himself as an actor whose time has come." He won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role, in addition to his first Filmfare nomination for
Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to the ...
, and was conferred the
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...
at the
52nd National Film Awards The 52nd National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 2004. The selection process of ...
among much controversy. It marked the beginning of his work with Yash Raj Films, one of the largest production houses in Bollywood. In 2004, Khan began dating model Rosa Catalano whom he separated with three years later.


Established actor and film production (2005–2010)

In 2005, Rediff.com published that Khan had established himself as a leading actor of Hindi cinema with starring roles in the romantic drama '' Parineeta'' and the comedy-drama ''
Salaam Namaste ''Salaam Namaste'' () is a 2005 Indian romantic comedy film, directed by first-time director Siddharth Anand and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in their ...
''. An adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's 1914 Bengali novella by the same name, ''Parineeta'' was directed by
Pradeep Sarkar Pradeep Sarkar (born 30 April 1955) is a writer and director who works in Bollywood. He began his career with Vinod Chopra Productions, the production company of director and producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Personal life From a young boy lis ...
, and narrated the love story of an idealist (Lalita, played by Vidya Balan) and a musician (Shekhar, played by Khan), the son of a capitalist businessman. Although the film's producer, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, considered Khan to be too inexperienced for the part, he was persuaded by Sarkar who felt that Khan was perfect for the role. The film garnered critical acclaim upon release and Khan's portrayal earned him his second Filmfare nomination for
Best Actor Best Actor is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actors in a film, television series, television film or play. The term most often refers to the ...
. Derek Elley from '' Variety'' wrote, "Khan, who has gradually been developing away from light comedy, again shows smarts as a substantial actor."
Siddharth Anand Siddharth Anand (born 31 July 1978) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for directing action thriller films like '' Bang Bang!'' (2014), ''War'' (2019) and '' Pathaan'' (2023). Apart from action thriller fi ...
's ''Salaam Namaste'' became the first Indian feature to be filmed entirely in Australia and went on to become the year's highest-grossing Bollywood production outside of India with worldwide ticket sales of . The film tells the story of a contemporary cohabiting Indian couple and their subsequent struggle with an unexpected pregnancy. Khan played the role of Nikhil Arora, a single modern young man who leaves India to make his own life in Melbourne. The critic Taran Adarsh praised Khan for delivering his third successive performance and
Khalid Mohamed Khalid Mohamed is an Indian journalist, editor, film critic, screenwriter and film director. He formerly worked for the ''Hindustan Times'' and was the lead editor for ''Filmfare'' magazine. He is the son of Hindi film actress Zubeida Begum ...
noted that he "rescues several untidily written scenes with his neat wit and that flustered ..facial expression." He next played the protagonist in the English language
art film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily ...
, ''
Being Cyrus ''Being Cyrus'' is a 2005 Indian English-language thriller film directed by Homi Adajania. The film revolves around a dysfunctional Parsi family. The film was originally titled '' Akoori'', a reference to a traditional Parsi scrambled-eggs-like ...
'' (2006), co-starring alongside Naseeruddin Shah and
Dimple Kapadia Dimple Kapadia (born 8 June 1957) is an Indian actress predominantly appearing in Hindi films. Born and raised in Mumbai by wealthy parents, she aspired to become an actress from a young age and received her first opportunity through her fathe ...
. Directed by debutant
Homi Adajania Homi Adajania (born 1972) is an Indian film director and writer. He made his directorial debut with ''Being Cyrus'' (2006), an English-language psychological drama. He followed this with the commercially successful Hindi-language romantic comedy ...
, the psychological drama revolves around a dysfunctional Parsi family with who Khan's character moves into. The film received predominantly positive reviews, and Khan was particularly praised. Later in the year, he portrayed the character of Iago in '' Omkara'', the Indian adaptation of William Shakespeare's '' Othello''. Directed by
Vishal Bhardwaj Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer. He is known for his work in Hindi cinema, and is the recipient of seven National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. Bha ...
, the film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. The film premiered at the
2006 Cannes Film Festival The 59th Cannes Film Festival was held from 17 to 28 May 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official selection Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the ...
and was also selected for screening at the Cairo International Film Festival. ''Omkara'' was received positively by critics, and Khan went on to receive widespread acclaim earning the awards for Best Performance in a Negative Role at the Filmfare, Screen, Zee Cine and IIFA ceremonies; his performance was later included in the 2010 issue of the "Top 80 Iconic Performances" by ''
Filmfare ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, an ...
''. ''Variety'' described it as a "powerhouse performance" and wrote that " is Khan's film through and through, in a performance of rugged, contained malevolence which trades on his previous screen persona as a likable best friend as well as his stint as the manipulative outsider in ''Being Cyrus''. It is smart casting, superbly realized." By 2007, Khan was keen on branching out into
film production Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...
to "explore various genres of commercial and intellectually stimulating cinema". The critical success of ''Being Cyrus'' led him to create Illuminati Films and partner up with producer Dinesh Vijan, someone whom he shared a "like-minded perspective and ideology ..with regard to cinema". Khan next reunited with producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra in the epic drama '' Eklavya: The Royal Guard'' (2007), alongside
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; born as Amitabh Shrivastav; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most success ...
,
Boman Irani Boman Irani (born 2 December 1959) is an Indian actor, photographer and voice artist who works predominantly in Hindi cinema he has also worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. He has acted in more than a 100 films in his career. Ea ...
, Sharmila Tagore and Vidya Balan. Set in the state of Rajasthan during the early years of Indian independence, the movie revolves around a jealous and ungrateful ruler and his ailing wife. Although the film did not succeed at the box office, it was chosen as
India's official entry to the Oscars India has submitted films for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (formerly Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film) since 1957, a year after the incorporation of the category. The award is given annually by the United S ...
.
BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, the childre ...
described the film as a "cinematic experience" and praised Khan's growth as an actor, particular noting his scene with Bachchan's character. Following an appearance in the poorly received action-comedy '' Nehlle Pe Dehlla'' (a production that had been delayed since 2001), Khan featured opposite Rani Mukerji in the family drama, ''
Ta Ra Rum Pum ''Ta Ra Rum Pum'' is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film directed by Siddharth Anand from a screenplay penned by Habib Faisal. It stars Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Angelina Idnani, Ali Haji and Javed Jaffrey in lead roles. In the ...
'' (2007). Directed by Siddharth Anand, it received mixed reactions from the critics, but earned over in India and abroad. Writing for '' Hindustan Times'', Khalid Mohamed praised Khan for displaying a new maturity, but Rajeev Masand thought that neither he nor Mukerji "are able to make much of an impression because their characters are so unidimensional and boring." Khan received further success in 2008, starring in the
Abbas–Mustan Abbas–Mustan is an Indian filmmaking duo consisting of brothers Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla and Mustan Alibhai Burmawalla, known for directing stylish suspense, action and romantic thrillers in Bollywood with dark-lighted themes. The duo directed ...
thriller ''
Race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
'' with an ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna,
Bipasha Basu Bipasha Basu Singh Grover (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian actress and former model. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and English films. Basu is the recipient of numerous accol ...
, Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy. The feature was loosely adapted from the 1998
American film The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Amer ...
''
Goodbye Lover ''Goodbye Lover'' is a 1998 neo-noir comedy film about a murder plot surrounding an alcoholic advertising agency worker and his adulterous wife. The film was directed by Roland Joffé, and stars Patricia Arquette, Dermot Mulroney, Don Johnson, E ...
'', and became one of the biggest box office hits, earning worldwide.
CNN-IBN CNN-News18 (originally CNN-IBN) is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides internationa ...
's Rajeev Masand found Khan to be a standout among the ensemble, adding that he has "the least dialogue, but the one who makes the best impression". This was followed by three projects produced by Yash Raj Films: the action-thriller '' Tashan'', the fantasy-film ''
Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic ''Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic'' (English: ''A Little Love, A Little Magic'') is a 2008 Indian fantasy comedy-drama film with Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji in lead roles, and Rishi Kapoor and Ameesha Patel in supporting roles. The child artists i ...
'', and the animated film ''
Roadside Romeo ''Roadside Romeo'' is a 2008 3D computer animated romantic comedy film written and directed by Jugal Hansraj in his directorial debut., produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra of Yash Raj Films and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pict ...
'', all of which were not successful. In 2009, Khan appeared in the romantic drama '' Sanam Teri Kasam'', a production that had been delayed since 2000. The film garnered negative reviews and poor box office returns. Khan's role was small, and not well received. He next starred in his company's first project: ''
Love Aaj Kal Love Aaj Kal may refer to: * Love Aaj Kal (2009 film) ''Love Aaj Kal'' () is a 2009 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Imtiaz Ali starring Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone with Rishi Kapoor and Giselli Monteiro in ...
'' (2009), a romantic drama from the writer-director Imtiaz Ali. Featured opposite
Deepika Padukone Deepika Padukone ( or ; born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most p ...
, the film documented the changing value of relationships among the youth, and Khan played dual rolesthe younger part of Rishi Kapoor's character (Veer Singh) and Jai Vardhan Singh, an ambitious architect. ''Love Aaj Kal'' received highly positive reviews by critics and became one of the highest-grossing films of the year, earning over worldwide. Gaurav Malani of '' The Economic Times'' described his performance as "refreshing natural" and "outstanding". At the
55th Filmfare Awards The 55th Filmfare Awards were held on 27 February 2010 at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai, India. The awards given for 30 categories, out of which there were 3 special awards, 3 critics awards and 24 main awards for Hindi films released in 2009. ...
, ''Love Aaj Kal'' was nominated for
Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
and Khan received an additional nomination for Best Actor. He then starred in the terrorism thriller '' Kurbaan'', alongside
Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ''née'' Kapoor; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films. She is the daughter of actors Randhir Kapoor and Babita, and the younger sister of actress Karisma Kapoor. Noted for playing a va ...
, Vivek Oberoi and
Dia Mirza Dia Mirza Rekhi (born Dia Handrich; 9 December 1981) is an Indian model, actress, producer, and social worker who predominantly works in Hindi films. Mirza won the title of Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000 after being crowned Femina Mis ...
. Produced by
Dharma Productions Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd., commonly known and doing business as Dharma Productions, is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Yash Johar in 1979. It was taken over in 2004, after his death, by his son, Karan Johar ...
, the film marked the directorial debut of Rensil D'Silva and featured Khan in the role of a terrorist. Upon release, ''Kurbaan'' was received favourably by critics and Khan's performance was critically acclaimed. A review in ''
The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...
'' praised his "easy transition from a charming lover to a heartless man on a deadly mission."


Career fluctuations and second marriage (2011–2015)

In 2011, he appeared in
Prakash Jha Prakash Jha (born 27 February 1952) is an Indian film producer, actor, director and screenwriter, mostly known for his political and socio-political films such as “Hip Hip Hurray” (1984), '' Damul'' (1984), '' Mrityudand'' (1997), '' Ganga ...
's multi-starrer drama ''
Aarakshan ''Aarakshan'' () is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language drama film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Deepika Padukone, and Prateik Babbar. Directed by Prakash Jha, the film is a socio-political drama based on the controversial ...
''. Set in the city of
Bhopal Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It is ...
, Madhya Pradesh, the film deals with the policy of caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. Khan portrayed the character of Deepak Kumar, a rebellious student who joins the mafia. To prepare for the role, Khan was required to take acting workshops along with the rest of the cast. Prior to its release, the film was banned from releasing in select cities across India due to its controversial subject. While the film received a mixed critical reaction, his performance was generally well received. The following year, Khan produced both of his films. For his first release, he collaborated once again with director Sriram Raghavan, as the protagonist in the action thriller '' Agent Vinod''. Khan described it as his "most ambitious project", but the film opened to mixed reviews and eventually under-performed at the box office grossing in India on a budget of . In his following release, Homi Adajania's romantic comedy-drama '' Cocktail'', he featured as the software engineer Gautam Kapoor. Set in London, the film follows the story of Khan's character and his relationship with two temperamentally different womenan impulsive party girl (Veronica, played by Padukone) and a submissive
girl next door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...
(Meera, played by
Diana Penty Diana Penty (; born 2 November 1985) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films. She began her modelling career in 2005 when she was signed up by Elite Models India. Penty made her acting debut with the romantic comedy film ''C ...
). Khan described the project as "a love story with a modern sensibility and treatment", and agreed to produce and feature in the film after his role was declined by Imran Khan. Critics were divided in their opinion of the film, but it emerged a financial success grossing over worldwide. Gaurav Malani of ''The Times of India'' described Khan's performance as "effortless" and noted that he was in his "comfort zone". On 16 October 2012, Khan married actress Kareena Kapoor (after a five-year courtship) in a private ceremony in
Bandra Bandra ( æːɳɖɾa also known as Vandre ( �aːn̪d̪ɾe is an upscale coastal suburb located in Mumbai (Bombay) area of the Konkan division, Maharashtra, India. The suburb is located to the immediate north of River Mithi, which separates Ba ...
, Mumbai, and a reception was later held at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Lutyens Bungalow Zone in Mumbai and Delhi respectively. The couple have two sons born in 2016 and 2021 respectively. The following year, Khan collaborated with Padukone for the fourth time (alongside Anil Kapoor,
John Abraham John Abraham (born 17 December 1972) is an Indian actor, film producer, writer and former model working in Hindi films. He has won a National Film Award and received five Filmfare nominations. After modelling for advertisements and companie ...
, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel) in Abbas–Mustan's '' Race 2'' (2013), an ensemble action thriller that served as a sequel to ''Race'' (2008). The film received predominantly negative reviews from critics, but with a total collection of , it proved to be a commercial success. He was next cast as Boris, a "
Russian mafia Russian organized crime or Russian mafia (, ), otherwise known as Bratva (), is a collective of various organized crime elements originating in the former Soviet Union. The initialism OPG is Organized Criminal (''prestupnaya'' in Russian) Gr ...
don", in Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.'s ''
Go Goa Gone ''Go Goa Gone'' is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language zombie action comedy film directed by Raj and D.K. The film features Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari and Puja Gupta. It was released on 10 May 2013. Almost one third of the film ...
'' (described as "India's first zom-com") alongside
Kunal Khemu Kunal Kemmu (born Kunal Ravi Kemmu; 25 May 1983) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. Early life and background Kunal Ravi Kemmu was born in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India on 25 May 1983 into a Kashmiri Pandit family to actors Ra ...
and
Vir Das Vir Das (born 31 May 1979) is an Indian comedian, actor and musician. After beginning a career in standup comedy, Das moved to Hindi cinema starring in films like ''Badmaash Company'' (2010), '' Delhi Belly'' (2011), and '' Go Goa Gone'' (201 ...
. Khan, who bleached his hair for the film, was particularly drawn to the project for its novel concept and its "action, comedy and violence". The critic Rajeev Masand described the film as "a winning cocktail of laugh-out-loud dialogue and well-timed performances by the three leads", and in particular noted Khan's scene with Khemu's character. His final release of the year was ''
Bullett Raja ''Bullett Raja'' () is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language action film co-written and directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by Rahul Mittra, Nitin Tej Ahuja and Tigmanshu Dhulia, under the banner of BrandSmith Motion Pictures, Rahul Mittra Films and ...
'', a crime drama directed by
Tigmanshu Dhulia Tigmanshu Dhulia (born 3 July 1967) is an Indian film dialogue writer, director, actor, screenwriter, producer and casting director known for his works in Hindi cinema and Television. He wrote the dialogue for the 1998 film '' Dil Se..'', the fi ...
, and co-starring
Jimmy Shergill Jimmy Sheirgill (born Jasjit Singh Gill; 3 December 1970), also credited as Jimmy Shergill, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. Sheirgill began his film career with the 1996 thriller ''Maachis''. His bre ...
and
Sonakshi Sinha Sonakshi Sinha (; born 2 June 1987) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. After working as a costume designer in independent films, she made her acting with the action film ''Dabangg'' in 2010, which won her the Filmfare Award for Bes ...
. Khan explained that he found himself challenged playing the role of Raja Mishra (a common man who turns into a gangster) but "totally relied" on Dhulia's guidance. ''Bullett Raja'' earned little at the box office and received predominantly negative reviews. Writing for Firstpost, Mihir Fadnavis found Khan to be "miscast" and described his performance as " farcial". In an interview with ''The Times of India'', Khan explained that he regretted starring in the 2014
Sajid Khan Sajjad Khan (born 28 December 1951) is an Indian actor and singer. Born into poverty in the Bombay slums, he became the adopted son of Bollywood filmmaker Mehboob Khan, founder of Mehboob Studios. He worked in a handful of Indian films, debutin ...
-directed comedy ''
Humshakals ''Humshakals'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Sajid Khan and produced by Vashu Bhagnani. The film stars Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Ram Kapoor, Tamannaah Bhatia, Esha Gupta and Bipasha Basu in the lead rol ...
''. Co-starring alongside an ensemble cast (
Ritesh Deshmukh Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh (born 17 December 1978) is an Indian actor, comedian, television presenter, writer, director and film producer. He is the son of former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh. He works in Hindi and Marathi cin ...
, Ram Kapoor, Bipasha Basu,
Tamannaah Tamanna Bhatia (born 21 December 1989), known professionally as Tamannaah, is an Indian actress who appears primarily in Telugu and Tamil films, along with a few Hindi films. In 2005, she made her acting debut at the age of 15 in the Hindi fi ...
and
Esha Gupta Esha Gupta (; born 28 November 1985) is an Indian actress, model and the winner of the Miss India International title of 2007. She has established a career in Bollywood films. Gupta entered the Femina Miss India contest in 2007, where she plac ...
), Khan portrayed three different characters in an attempt to "expand my market" and step out of his comfort zone. ''The Hindustan Times'' described it as a "dim-witted comedy" and criticised Khan for being "the worst thing about
he film He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
" He next produced and featured in '' Happy Ending'' (2014), a romantic comedy directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. NDTV's Saibal Chatterjee found Khan's character of a struggling writer to be "a breezy rejig of his ''Hum Tum'' and ''Salaam Namaste'' persona of a decade ago", and noted that "the many collegiate hook-ups and break-ups he pulls off in ''Happy Ending'' do not look completely at odds with the film's purpose." ''Humshakals'' proved to be a commercial disaster and ''Happy Ending'' underperformed at the box office. Following a brief appearance in the comedy '' Dolly Ki Doli'' (2015), he appeared alongside Kaif in Kabir Khan's
counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...
drama ''
Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy unm ...
'' (2015). Based on the book ''Mumbai Avengers'' by
Hussain Zaidi S. Hussain Zaidi (born 28 February 1968) is an Indian author and former investigative journalist. His works include '' Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia'', '' Mafia Queens of Mumbai'', '' Black Friday'', ''My Name is Abu Salem'' ...
, the film is a retelling on the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Khan was cast as Cpt. Daniyal Khan, a former soldier hired by the RAW agency. ''Phantom'' generated controversy when the
Central Board of Film Censors The Central Board of Film Censors (abbreviated as CBFC) ( ur, ) is a film censorship board and rating system body under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for the Government of Pakistan. Since the Eighteenth Amendment to the Consti ...
deemed that the film represented Pakistan in a negative light and banned the film from releasing there. A review in '' The Hollywood Reporter'' noted that Khan was "well cast" and "believable" in his role, and Rachit Gupta of ''Filmfare'' described his performance as "a heady mix of bravado and restrained intensity
hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
works in parts only." Although Khan was pleased with the film's performance, ''Phantom'' was generally perceived to be a box-office failure grossing worldwide on a budget of .


Commercial setbacks and professional expansion (2016–present)

During his year-long absence from the screen, Khan actively looked to play different parts, saying: "These are smarter movies, the interaction with them is deeply rewarding... I think I am finally beginning to understand my sense of style as an actor. I am developing my craft, understanding what acting and communication is." He found the role in his second collaboration with director Vishal Bhardwaj, '' Rangoon'' (2017), an epic romance set during World War II. Cast alongside Shahid Kapoor and
Kangana Ranaut Kangna Amardeep Ranaut (; born 23 March 1987) is an Indian actress and filmmaker who works in Hindi films. Known for her work in female-led films, she is the recipient of several awards, including four National Film Awards and five Filmfare ...
, Khan drew inspirations from the mannerisms of his grandfather and the character Darth Vader to portray filmmaker Rustom "Rusi" Billimoria. Rajeev Masand termed the film "overlong, indulgent to the point of exhaustion", but praised Khan for "imbu ngRussi with the swagger and the arrogance of an aristocrat from the forties". He next starred as the protagonist (Roshan Kalra) in the comedy-drama ''
Chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitc ...
'' (2017), an official adaptation of the 2014 film of the same name, from the director Raja Krishna Menon. Khan was pleased to work with Menon and identified with the film due to its "modern, slightly unorthodox take on relationships". He borrowed several real-life experiences for his character, and in preparation, trained at the JW Marriott Hotels in Mumbai. The film received generally positive reviews with several commentators believing that it was Khan's best performance to that point. Anupama Chopra wrote: "Khan get his groove back...  edoesn’t play Roshan as a hero having a bad day. He gives us a flawed, fumbling man who is trying to repair the broken chords of his life." As with his last few releases, ''Rangoon'' and ''Chef'' earned little at the box office leading trade analysts to question his commercial appeal. Following an appearance in the poorly-received black comedy ''
Kaalakaandi ''Kaalakaandi'' is a 2018 Indian black comedy film written and directed by Akshat Verma, starring Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Oberoi, Deepak Dobriyal, Isha Talwar and Sobhita Dhulipala. The film is produced by Rohit Khattar and Ashi Dua. The film w ...
'' (2018) directed by Akshat Verma, Khan appeared as Inspector Sartaj Singh in India's first Netflix Original series, the crime thriller '' Sacred Games'', based on Vikram Chandra's novel of the same name. Cast alongside
Nawazuddin Siddiqui Nawazuddin Siddiqui (; born 19 May 1974) is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is an alumnus of the National School of Drama. Siddiqui's feature film debut was alongside director Prashant Bhargava in ''Patang'' (2012). He ga ...
and
Radhika Apte Radhika Apte (born 7 September 1985) is an Indian actress. She works predominantly in Hindi films, and has appeared in a few Tamil, Marathi, Telugu, Bengali, and English-language films. She began acting in theatre and made her film debut with ...
, Khan was drawn by the opportunity to be part of a "creative zone, devoid of certain pressures and constraints that one would associate with the kind of films we normally do." The show received critical acclaim; Ankur Pathak of '' HuffPost'' called it "a sure-shot winner" and took note of Khan's "stellar performance, one that echews on slowly as he disappears into the broken persona of a tormented cop." In his next release, he starred as the businessman Skakun Kothari in Gauravv Chawla's ''
Baazaar ''Baazaar'' () is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language financial thriller drama film directed by Gauravv K. Chawla and written by Parveez Sheikh and Aseem Arora. The film starring Saif Ali Khan, debutant Rohan Vinod Mehra, Radhika Apte and Chitrang ...
'', a drama set against the backdrop of Mumbai's stock exchange market. Khan worked with Chawla to provide off-screen inputs, and was attracted to the idea of playing the antagonist describing it as "a devious character" from the
Indian epic poetry Indian epic poetry is the epic poetry written in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally called ''Kavya'' (or ''Kāvya''; Sanskrit: काव्य, IAST: ''kāvyá''). The '' Ramayana'' and the '' Mahabharata'', which were originally compose ...
'' Mahabharata''. The critic Udita Jhunjhunwala of '' Mint'' commended Khan for "blending the right amount of wickedness with willfulness", but
Namrata Joshi Namrata Joshi is an Indian film critic based in New Delhi. Originally working for ''Outlook'', she remained there from 1999 till 2015, when she joined ''The Hindu''. She won the National Film Award for Best Film Critic in 2004 Career Joshi is ...
found him to be "stiff ndstern ... to communicate a rather facetious sense of menace." ''Baazaar'' was a box-office failure grossing worldwide on a budget of . Khan's desire to work in films for artistic merit irrespective of commercial appeal led him to feature as the protagonist in the action-drama ''
Laal Kaptaan ''Laal Kaptaan '' () is 2019 Indian Hindi-language epic western action drama film co-written and directed by Navdeep Singh. It was produced by Eros International and Aanand L Rai's Colour Yellow Productions. The film stars Saif Ali Khan as ...
'' (2019). Directed by Navdeep Singh, it is set in the 18th century and tells the story of a sadhu (Khan) who goes on a killing spree with the intention of exacting revenge upon a
subedar Subedar is a rank of junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army; a senior non-commissioned officer in the Pakistan Army, and formerly a Viceroy's commissioned officer in the British Indian Army. History ''Subedar'' or ''subadar'' was the ...
. Filming in the barren landscape of rural Rajasthan proved physically daunting for Khan, and in preparation for the role, learnt sword-fighting, horse-riding and worked with a dialect coach to speak in a Rajasthani accent. He described it as "the hardest thing I have done so far", and considered the opportunity a critical learning experience that helped him personally and professionally; it eventually failed to do well. ''The HuffPost'' praised Khan's decision to choose "morally ambiguous roles", but noted that he was "too wooden, bereft of any allure or mystery." Khan began the new decade with a leading role in ''
Tanhaji ''Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior'' is a 2020 Indian historical action film, co-written and directed by Om Raut and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Ajay Devgn under T-Series Films and Ajay Devgn FFilms. Tracing the life of Maratha ...
'' (2020), a
historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and sw ...
directed by
Om Raut Om Raut is an Indian filmmaker. Raut has received 68th National Film Awards for Best Popular Film for the film ''Tanhaji''. He received several accolades for his 2015 film '' Lokmanya: Ek Yug Purush''. Raut's upcoming working is the hindu my ...
. Set in the 17th century, it revolves around a Maratha warrior's (played by Devgn) attempt to recapture the Kondhana fortress from a Rajput fort keeper (Khan). He was attracted to the idea of starring in a "larger-than-life" film and was challenged by Raut's insistence on overplaying his character; he explained that the process left him "very enriched" and was pleased with the collaboration. ''Tanhaji'' was acclaimed by critics and emerged as a major commercial success grossing over worldwide. Reviewing the film for
Film Companion Anupama Chopra () is an Indian author, journalist, film critic and director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. She is also the founder and editor of the digital platform Film Companion, which offers a curated look at cinema. She has written sev ...
, Anupama Chopra found Khan's performance to be the film's prime asset and credited him for playing "the exaggerated evil with a cheeky panache." ''The Hindustan Times'' opined that Khan had delivered his best performance to date noting his "moments of mirth with his sinister laugh amid killing people." His next release of the year was ''
Jawaani Jaaneman ''Jawaani Jaaneman'' () is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Saif Ali Khan, Jackky Bhagnani, Deepshikha Deshmukh and Jay Shewakramani under Pooja Entertainment, Black Knight Films and North ...
'', a comedy-drama about the life of a bachelor (Khan) who discovers that he has a daughter (played by Alaya Furniturewala). The feature was produced under his new company, Black Knight Films, and received generally positive reviews. Kunal Guha of '' Mumbai Mirror'' found that the film allowed Khan to "slip into a familiar-yet-age appropriate avatar in a refreshing coming-of-age story." In 2021, Khan firstly appeared as a politician in
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pr ...
's web series ''
Tandav Tandava (also spelled as ) also known as , is a divine dance performed by Hindu god Shiva. Shiva is depicted as dancing the Tandava in his form of Nataraja. The ''Natya Shastra'', a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts describes various as ...
'' created and directed by
Ali Abbas Zafar Ali Abbas Zafar is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing ''Mere Brother Ki Dulhan'' (2011), '' Gunday'' (2014), ''Sultan'' (2016), ''Tiger Zinda Hai'' (2017) and '' Bharat'' (2019). Personal life Zafa ...
. He has completed work on Varun V Sharma's crime comedy ''
Bunty Aur Babli 2 ''Bunty Aur Babli 2'' is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language crime comedy film written and directed by debutante Varun V. Sharma, based on a story by producer Aditya Chopra, under the Yash Raj Films banner. A sequel to the 2005 film ''Bunty Aur Babli' ...
'' opposite Mukerji and Pavan Kripalani's horror comedy '' Bhoot Police'' alongside Arjun Kapoor,
Yami Gautam Yami Gautam Dhar (born 28 November 1988) is an Indian actress known predominantly for her work in Hindi films. She sprang into prominence after doing some commercials for Glow & Lovely and began her acting career in television shows, followed ...
and Jacqueline Fernandez and reprise his role as Boris in the sequel of ''Go Goa Gone'', entitled ''Go Goa Gone 2'' with Khemu. In 2022, he collaborated with Hrithik Roshan for the film
Vikram Vedha ''Vikram Vedha'' is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Pushkar–Gayathri and produced by S. Sashikanth under his banner YNOT Studios. The film stars R. Madhavan, Vijay Sethupathi, Shraddha ...
he got praised for playing an honest cop where Saibal Chatterjee wrote "Saif Ali Khan makes a far better Vikram. He inhabits the character of the tough cop with conviction and exudes the external toughness that defines the man and his mission".


Off-screen work

Alongside his acting career, Khan has participated in several concert tours and televised award ceremonies. He performed in his first concert tour, "Temptations 2004", with actors Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta,
Arjun Rampal Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor, model, film producer and television personality who works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film '' Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on to ...
and Priyanka Chopra. Showcased in over 22 countries across the world, it became Bollywood's most prominent international concert to that point. In December 2005, Khan performed alongside the band Parikrama at the Mittal Gardens in New Delhi, and later reunited with them and Strings for "The Royal Stag Mega Music Concert" (a four-city concert tour) two years later. The following year, he was part of the "Heat 2006" world tour, along with Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta,
Sushmita Sen Sushmita Sen (born 19 November 1975) is an Indian actress, model and the winner of the Miss Universe 1994 pageant. She is the first Indian to win the Miss Universe pageant. She was previously crowned Femina Miss India 1994 at the age of 18. A ...
and Celina Jaitley. He later performed along with several other Bollywood personalities at the closing ceremony of the
2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...
. Since October 2011, Khan has taken the responsibility of managing his father's eye hospital and has also made public appearances to support various other charitable causes. In February 2005, Khan and several other Bollywood actors participated in the 2005 HELP! Telethon Concert to raise money for the victims of the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern ...
. He took part in a charity cricket match organised by IIFA at Headingley Cricket Ground in West Yorkshire, England in 2007, and later hosted an event organised by the award ceremony to help raise funds for various charities in 2011. In November 2008, Khan performed in a concert to raise money for the victims of the
2008 Bihar flood The 2008 Bihar flood was one of the most disastrous floods in the history of Bihar, an impoverished and densely populated state in India. The Koshi embankment near the Indo-Nepal border (at Kusaha VDC, Sunsari district, Nepal) broke on 18 Aug ...
and in September 2013, he attended a charity dinner organised by The Venu Eye institute, donating two of his personal belongings to help raise funds for cataract operations. Later that year, he spent time with underprivileged kids during the filming of ''Bullett Raja''. In October 2014, Khan was appointed as an ambassador for
Olympic Gold Quest Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) is a program of the Foundation for Promotion of Sports and Games, a Not for Profit (Section 25) Company, which is committed to bridging the gap between the best athletes in India and the best athletes in the world thus hel ...
and donated to help raise funds for the training of athletes.


In the media

In an interview with Rajeev Masand, Khan described himself as "a very private person". The journalist Roshmila Bhattacharya added, "Unlike most actors, his interests are not limited to box office collections and workout routines. ecan converse on anything, from philosophy to politics, from sports to books and music." ''Filmfare'' wrote that earlier in his career, Khan gained a reputation for being arrogant, but later matured into "one of showbiz’s biggest and most respected stars." During his career, he has played roles in both high-profile mainstream productions and lesser-publicised films of independent filmmakers, and has appeared in a range of film genres, although he has found a niche playing roles in romantic comedies. ''
The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers: United States Daily California *''Oakland Tribune'' * ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo) *''San Gabriel Valley Tribune'' Indiana *''Kokomo Tribune'' *'' Peru Tribune'' * ''The Tribu ...
'' wrote that his roles in ''Dil Chahta Hai'' (2001), ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (2003), ''Hum Tum'' (2004), ''Salaam Namaste'' (2005), ''Love Aaj Kal'' (2009) and ''Cocktail'' (2012) were "essentially endearing pretty boys", and the success of these films established him as the "poster boy for romantic comedies". Beth Watkins explains the typical role Khan played in romantic comedies and its appeal:
"Perhaps related is his finesse for playing petulant, arrogant, almost insufferable young men in need of reform, which, this being Bollywood, they can easily achieve through the love of a good woman. Does his real-life golden status—with literature, cinema, cricket and royalty in his lineage—make him exceptionally effective at coming across as spoiled?"
One of the highest-paid actors in Bollywood, Khan is considered among the most popular and high-profile celebrities in India. He is known to commit heavily to each role and believes in "staying on a sharp learning curve". This commitment, combined with busy schedule and heavy smoking resulted in a health scare in 2007. Analysing his career, the journalist Shomini Sen noted that " e actor was part of some major films in the early 1990s ..yet critics wrote him of due to lack of a screen presence and poor dialogue delivery." Critics noted that ''Dil Chahta Hai'' marked a major turning point for Khan, and credited him for pioneering a movement in actors being part of "a new genre of films which was more urban"; film historian
Nasreen Munni Kabir Nasreen Munni Kabir (born 1950) is an India-born television producer, director and author based in the U.K. She is best known for producing an annual season of Indian films for the British terrestrial television channel Channel 4. Her work inclu ...
stated that the film helped him find "his own style, combining great comic timing and a natural personality." Sen further explained that "his anglicized upbringing, which initially was a hindrance to his career, became his strongest point." Following his portrayal of a variety of character types in ''Ek Hasina Thi'' (2004), ''Parineeta'' (2005), ''Being Cyrus'' and ''Omkara'' (both 2006), Khan was noted for his versatility; ''India Today'' attributed his roles in these films to the establishment of a new image for leading actors in Bollywood, and ''The Tribune'' published that Khan had successfully "matured, both as an actor of substance and as a bankable star. Starting in 2007, Khan's relationship with Kareena Kapoor became one of the country's most-reported celebrity stories, and they were listed amongst the top celebrity couple endorsers for brands and products worldwide. In a blog published by '' The Wall Street Journal'', Rupa Subramanya described their marriage as India's "wedding and social event of the year". Kapoor gave birth to their son Taimur in December 2016. From 2012 to 2019, Khan has featured on '' Forbes India''s "Celebrity 100," a list based on the income and popularity of India's celebrities. He peaked at the fifteenth position in 2012 and 2014 with an estimated annual earning of and respectively. In 2003, Khan placed fourth on Rediff's list of "Top Bollywood Male Stars". He was later ranked second in 2005, sixth in 2006 and seventh in 2007. In March 2011, Khan placed fifth on Rediff's list of "Top 10 Actors of 2000–2010". He was ranked among the top 30 on ''The Times of India''s listing of the "Most Desirable Men" from 2010 to 2015, and has additionally featured in the UK magazine ''
Eastern Eye The ''Eastern Eye'' is a British weekly newspaper. It was created in 1989 and was first published by ''The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its n ...
''s "World's Sexiest Asian Men" list in 2008, 2011 and 2012. In 2010 and from 2012 to 2014, Khan was featured as one of the best-dressed male celebrities by the Indian edition of '' GQ'' magazine.



Accolades

Among Khan's film awards are a National Film Award for Best Actor and seven Filmfare Awards out of twelve nominations: Best Male Debut for ''Aashiq Awara'' (1993), Best Performance in a Comic Role for ''Dil Chahta Hai'' (2001) and ''Hum Tum'' (2004), Best Supporting Actor for ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (2003), Best Performance in a Negative Role for ''Omkara'' (2006) and the "Moto Look of the Year" for ''Kal Ho Naa Ho'' (2003).


See also

* List of Indian film actors


Footnotes


References


Bibliography

* *


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Saif Ali Hindi film producers 1970 births Living people Lawrence School, Sanawar alumni Tagore family Indian male film actors Indian male voice actors People educated at Lockers Park School People educated at Winchester College Male actors from Delhi Filmfare Awards winners Screen Awards winners Best Actor National Film Award winners International Indian Film Academy Awards winners Zee Cine Awards winners Male actors in Hindi cinema Film producers from Mumbai Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors Male actors from Mumbai Film producers from Delhi People from New Delhi Indian male television actors