Saif: Bollywood's rising star

When he made his debut with Parampara in 1993, Saif Ali Khan was a strongly accented, scrawny 23 year old, newly married to actress Amrita Singh.

Today, he is a strongly accented 35 year old showing off serious sinew in his Salaaam Namaste avtaar.

These are not the only changes that have rocked this star, who may be at the peak of his career today but whose life and career in the last 12 years has alternated between giddy highs and abysmal lows.

So much so, Saif has become a source of inspiration today for young actors like Dino Morea, who are facing a seesawing career. Dino is hopeful for his own future after seeing Saif's much-delayed tryst with success. He says, "I think Saif has always been great -- he can act, he is a good-looking guy -- but it's just that people woke up to his potential rather late. Fortunately for him, Saif has proved that success is all about timing. One big banner like Yash Raj Films signs you and everyone just follows."

Success is no less sweet for Saif today, though it may have bloomed late. The actor got his first hit as a solo hero, Hum Tum, after working hard for 11 years; but has quickly followed it up with a National Award for the same film and delivered a one-two punch by delivering another success subsequently -- Parineeta.

So, there's no time like the present to track down the pendulum swings of fortune that have led to Saif's current hour of glory.

The Ole Ole Years (1993-1994)
Saif had been summarily thrown out of his original debut film, Rahul Rawail's Bekhudi (Kamal Sadanah, who took his place in the film, happily went on to become a close pal of the Chhote Nawab), but the Chhote Nawab landed on his feet.

After a nailbiting few weeks during which Amrita proved to be his anchor, Saif landed Yash Chopra's prestigious Parampara. The film tanked but Aashiq Awara, released in the same month, proved to be an unexpected saviour.

With Yeh Dillagi, Saif's career underwent as dramatic a makeover as the heroine's looks did in the film. The budding star's stock skyrocketed after this Yash Chopra production (the Ole Ole song particularly proved crowd-pleasing) and Main Khiladi Tu Anari. His ability to set lines crackling was appreciated and that year there was (premature in hindsight) talk of a 'takeover bid' by young stars like Akshay Kumar, Sunil Shetty and Saif.

The Failure Tag (1995-1998)
Soon, however, it looked as though Saif wouldn't get his 16th minute of fame as he was bushwhacked by a string of flops that lasted almost half a decade. He had 10 box-office disappointments in a row and his ratings plummeted. Even films he had relied on strongly, like the Sanjay Gupta directed Hamesha, proved to be washouts and Saif ran the serious risk of being dislodged from public memory. 

Baby Steps To Recovery (1999-2003)
I remember speaking to Saif in 1999 and he had said his motto was carpe diem (seize the day). And he did grab the bull by the horns when Sooraj Barjatya, fresh from the monster hit Hum Aapke Hai Koun...!, cast him in Hum Saath Saath Hai.

Saif began building a reputation for playing the second hero, especially the comic foil in films like Kachhe Dhaage. But his unsteady position was evident when he was forced to play second fiddle even to juniors like Hrithik Roshan and Madhavan in Na Tum Jaano Na Hum and Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein.

But those were films he had signed before his true turning point -- Dil Chahta Hai -- where Saif's well-burnished comic timing and ability to chuckle at himself won several laughs and new fans. Kal Ho Naa Ho further established that Saif could hold his own even in a comic jugalbandi with box-office favourite Shah Rukh Khan.