Saif says ‘the idea of heroism has broadened'; talks about working with Jaideep Ahlawat in Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins

Hindustan Times

19-05-2025

Actor Saif Ali Khan, whose latest outing Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins recently dropped on OTT, says the idea of heroism in cinema is evolving. Discussing how the portrayal of heroes has evolved over time, Saif agrees there's a shift in the narrative and audience expectations. 'While it (the idea of heroism) may not have changed completely, it has certainly broadened in the way that you find heroic things in even things that flawed people do and that's more interesting,' the 54-year-old says, adding, 'I'm happy it's happening because it's a sign of evolution of character and audience.'
The actor explains that layered characters resonate more deeply with the audiences: 'None of us are perfect in our lives, we all have good moments and bad moments, and if you can capture those things, it makes it so much more powerful than having a one-note kind of character who's like this godlike angel who never does anything wrong, which is how it's been in the West and with us, but now it's changing.'
He adds, 'It hits you so much harder if a hero does something that is not his finest moment like if snaps at his son, or does something which is 'so human', you don't get to see it so often (on screen). It kind of moves us on a different level. And, it's great that it's happening.'
On sharing screen space with actor Jaideep Ahlawat, who played art collector Rajan Aulakh in the film, Saif says, 'It was lovely. He's really taken the film to a different level. When you read his part on paper, it's very strong and interesting. But the colours he's given it are beyond what I would have imagined.'
Ask him if there was any competition on set, and Saif, who has worked on several two-hero films including Vikram Vedha (2022), Bunty Aur Babli 2 (2021), answers, 'The most important thing is the film. So on that level there's no competition because you're just happy the other person's there and everyone's contributing beautifully to the film.'
However, he also acknowledges the inherent competitive spirit that comes with acting: 'But on another level, while as an actor I'm not competing with Jaideep, acting is a competitive business. It should be because your character is competing for importance.'
'When you're doing a scene and you're speaking with all the passion, you want to be the most important voice. So in that sense, you're competing with everybody and that's how it should be,' Saif explains, adding, 'There's that, but it's not a destructive, undermining or insecure or dangerous kind of thing. When Jaideep does nails a shot, I'm very happy for the movie and for myself because I'm going to benefit from that and then I'm like 'Okay, I better get my act together and be good'.'
Reflecting on the occasional insecurity that comes with the profession, Saif points out that in Jewel Thief, such feelings were minimal. 'There might have been times where I've felt (competitive), insecure…we're all humans, and the profession is like that as well, but in this case particularly and in most cases it's the film first and like I said competing for your character's importance. Also, Jaideep is too good to compete. He's among the best actors around today,' Saif ends.