Saif Ali Khan recollects being told to never play a cop

Actor Saif Ali Khan, who essays the role of a cop in the upcoming streaming film “Kartavya,” has shared that he was told to never play a cop by a director. The actor attended the trailer launch of the film on Thursday, and said that he was told by one of his directors that he is not fit to play a cop because he came across as humorous, and lacked “gravitas” as a cop. He said, “The first time I wore a uniform was in ‘Main Khiladi Tu Anari’ ka climax. Akshay Bhai was the main tough cop and I was this guy in the film who was trying to learn. My director told me at the time, ‘Don’t play a cop ever seriously in your life because you can’t do it. You don’t have the gravitas or you don’t have the power or the strength to do it. It’ll look like a comedy. Never do it’. So it’s amazing how if you keep working and keep practising and keep learning, and maybe you grow into something. And ‘Sacred Games’ was a wonderful learning experience with some beautiful directors”.

He further mentioned, “You’re playing the person, not really playing a cop. But when you put on that uniform, there is a sense of pride and responsibility and kind of power that one gets for sure. And to be able to carry it, is a big thing for me because of this beginning I had, I told you, but it was not always like that. So it’s a great feeling to be able to do it because I’m a huge admirer of the police”.

Backed by Gauri Khan under the banner of Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt. Ltd., “Kartavya” also stars Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain, Manish Chaudhari, and Saurabh Dwivedi in pivotal roles, along with others.

Meanwhile, Actor Saif reacted to comparisons between his character Pawan from his forthcoming drama “Kartavya” and his beloved character Langda Tyagi of “Omkara”. When asked about the similarities between the characters, he said that it is because of “Omkara” that director Pulkit was convinced that he could do the grounded role of Pawan Singh.

Saif added that thanks to “Omkara,” people started taking him seriously as an actor. Saif shared during a recent media interaction, “If there is any connection, then it is that if people think that I was brought up in the city, and I speak a little English, then a director like Pulkit has probably seen Omkara, and he knows that I have a range as an actor. So this is a very big thing.”

He further pointed out that the only similarity between the two characters might be that of the dialect.

“We judge people very quickly. They say that, “He cannot do this, or he won’t be able to do that”. So this is a good thing that because of ‘Omkara’, people take me seriously as an actor. So thank you Vishal (Bhardwaj) for that. So, Pulkit saw Omkara and thought that I would be able to play this role. And there are some similarities in the dialect. It is a lot of fun to learn and understand a desi and grounded dialogue delivery. So I enjoy it a lot,” added Saif.

The project shares the journey of a police officer juggling between the weight of his duty and the safety of his family.

Talking about the film, Pulkit shared, “‘Kartavya’ is a story that lives in the grey, where every choice carries a cost and certainty is always out of reach. We set out to craft a grounded, emotionally charged narrative that looks beyond the surface of crime to explore the human conflict at its core. All the actors have brought immense depth to their characters, and with Saif bringing remarkable restraint to a deeply conflicted role, the film invites audiences to reflect on what justice really means when personal stakes are involved.”

Indo-Asian News Service