Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan says he did not want to accept the Padma Shri, saying there are more talented people in the industry. The actor spoke about the award on Arbaaz Khan’s chat show Pinch where celebs talk address the issues related to social media.
Reading a mean tweet about himself, Saif said, “This two bit thug who bought a Padma Shri named his son Taimur and beat up some people in a restaurant. How the hell did he get a role in Sacred Games? He can hardly act.” While the actor agreed with the Padma Shri assertion, he had an issue about being addressed as a ‘two bit thug’. “Two bit thug? I am not, everything else is true,” he said, adding on a serious note, “It is a bit....(Arbaaz chipped in to say ‘expensive’) for me to bribe the Indian government, you will have to ask more senior people. There are so many senior, talented people in the industry who do not have it that I did not feel like accepting it. Of course, there are some people who I feel deserve it less than me also. I wanted to give it back, I didn’t want to accept it. My father told me ‘I don’t think you are in a position to refuse the Indian government’.”
Saif Ali Khan I Teaser I Pinch by Arbaaz Khan
“I hope, in time, because I am still enjoying acting and am not done yet, I hope when I look back and when people look back they say ‘okay he deserves it (Padma Shri)’,” Saif added.
He also talked about his son’s name. “I think Taimur is a beautiful name... it means iron and it sounds beautiful. I am aware that it sounds like and people thought it is based on the Turkish-Mongul invader, called Timur. I am saying it is not the same name. If you are telling me one letter does not make a difference then luck and f**k are different words, aren’t they?”
He also spoke about his scuffle in a restaurant and said, “This is very unfortunate incident and there is no excuse for this. Actors, stars have a responsibility to avoid such encounters. Beating up is a bit of exaggeration it was a scuffle.”
When Arbaaz pointed out that neither Saif nor Kareena are on social media, he said, “She is not on social media? She is there all the time!” When told she has a ‘khufia account’, Saif said, “I don’t know about this ‘khufia’ account but she is aware.” He also revealed that he has social media accounts as well and that one of those accounts is named after his character in his last film, Bazaar.
When reminded of an incident where Saif had asked his driver to roll up the windows and take the car back, ‘Warna padegi’, Saif says, “This is the politest thing I have said. In the given situation, if I would have been rude, I do not know how offended these people would be!”