20 Years of Salaam Namaste: Saif Ali Khan Says ‘Proud of the Film’ – How YRF’s Rom-Com Redefined Bollywood

Salaam Namaste is one of the most critically acclaimed movies featuring Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in the lead roles. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film released in 2005, earned praises for the unique plot. It’s been two incredible decades of Salaam Namaste, a lighthearted rom-com that made us love, laugh, cry, feel, and most importantly, it gave us a Bollywood hero who is as real as he can get - Nick aka Saif Ali Khan. Even after 20 years, the film is remembered for its breezy tone, feel-good moments, and songs that’ll leave you humming all along. Amongst all this, it also took a bold step to depict live-in relationships, and what truly stands out is Saif Ali Khan’s drive to stay ahead of the time, be it with his unexpected characters or daring screen narratives.

At times when screens were dominated by macho men, Saif Ali Khan chose the authentic route of relatability, and it worked! His character, Nick, was flawed but was human at the core. He brought emotional layers to the fore and pulled it off with such ease that we almost forgot how groundbreaking and gutsy it was to play a real character at times when a hypermasculine hero was the ‘trend’.

In a intervie with E-Times Saif Ali Khan walked down memory lane and shared all the beautiful anecdotes. “My memory has become nicely selective; there is a lot I don’t remember, but I remember a lot about ‘Salaam Namaste.’ There was something very new and energetic about the time and the vibe on set that we got on the film,” said Saif before adding, “I’m very proud of the film. Like a lot of work I did, it was a bit ahead of its time!! I don’t think it was a widely accepted idea ( live-in relationships). But it was a film full of banter and fun.”In addition to the storyline and performances, the movie is loved for its locations. Shot in Australia, the film captured the natural beauty at its best. Speaking about the same, Saif shared, “The locations were beautiful. I still remember walking and jogging on a winter beach.It was freezing, and we were in the water shooting like it was summer, and listening to ‘California Dreamin’.”“We shot all over Melbourne. We stayed in rented apartments. We were cooking for ourselves a lot of the time. Super fun,” recalled the actor.

Saif and Preity’s chemistry in the movie hit different. Their personal camaraderie translated well on the big screen. “P.Z. and I have done lots of work and shows, and I adore her,” said Saif, highlighting their bond.“She attended my wedding, and we go way back. We don’t see each other as much as I would like, but I’m very fond of her and her husband. She is an indelible part of my career and life in films, and I do smile and laugh when I think of her,” quoted the actor.