'Mother didn't get it for me': Saif on National Award
What's the story
In a recent interview with Zoom, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan discussed the two-decade-old controversy surrounding his controversial National Award for the film Hum Tum. To note, Khan's victory was perceived to be a direct result of nepotism, considering his mother, actor Sharmila Tagore was the CBFC's chairperson back then. In the interview, Khan clarified that Tagore had nothing to do with his victory. Hum Tum was directed by Kunal Kohli.
Denial
Khan denies allegations of special treatment
Khan addressed allegations made by the late actor Rishi Kapoor, who accused him of receiving special treatment due to his mother's influence. He vehemently denied these claims, stating, "My mother didn't get it for me." "If my mother could give me stuff, then she would have given me much more. My father and mother are the last people to do this." "If they were ever in a position to do that, they would never ever do that."
Attending the awards
Khan did not want to attend the awards initially
When asked about his state of mind before the awards, Khan said, "I was in London, having breakfast. And suddenly the phone rings and I'm informed that I have won the National Award for Hum Tum." "I'd have to buy a five lakh ticket and I didn't want to do that. My mother said, 'don't be ridiculous' and I said there'll probably be some controversy. And she said don't be ridiculous, you have to go."
Award controversy
Controversy preceded the official announcement of Khan's award
The controversy began even before the official announcement of Khan's award. He was informed by Padam Kumar about a problem involving Shah Rukh Khan and the National Award committee, which resulted in SRK not receiving the award for Swades. "And then Sudhir Mishra who headed the jury that year when he gave me the award said he's giving it to me because of the ease of performance," the actor shared.
Reflection
Khan on 'Hum Tum' performance and award
Khan reflected on his performance in Hum Tum, dismissing notions that lighthearted roles were not eligible for prestigious awards. "It heralded a new kind of cinema, whether India likes romcoms or not is a separate issue. But this is because I think we like love stories." "Maybe there's a film like Omkara that should have got more recognition in terms of awards. Maybe I could have got a National Award for that film. So it balances out in that sense."