The Hindu Business Line : The hero in him

After losing yet another `Oscar' race, Hollywood's outstanding actress Deborah Kerr wryly observed, "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride". Great actors like Karl Malden, Rod Steiger and Lee J. Cobb appeared in powerful parallel roles often eclipsing the heroes, but the honours eluded them. Many people, though disappointed, never openly criticised the `Oscar' committee or accused it of bias. That is America and Hollywood for you.

However, in India, when the National Film Awards were announced recently, Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla, a journalist-turned cricket administrator-turned-politician, sharply criticised the jury's choice of Saif Ali Khan as the best actor for the film Hum Tum. He accused the jury of bias and personal motives. His only association with cinema is his close friendship with actor Shah Rukh Khan, who was expected to win the same award for Veer-Zaara. Shah Rukh Khan has consistently won several film awards and basking in his company was Shukla.

Take a peek into Saif's film career and you will realise that after his debut as a `solo' hero in the early 1990s, he was drawn into a series of films where he played the parallel hero to perfection. He essayed both comedy and serious roles with ease, and brought an air of freshness to his characters.

In movies such as Hum Saath Saath Hain, Kachhe Daage, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Keemat and Dil Chahta Hai, which also had other famous stars, his performances often stole the show. This was more obvious in Karan Johar's hit film, Kal Ho Naa Ho, where Saif played the playboy-turned-sincere lover to perfection. Though he shared the screen with Shah Rukh Khan, his acting won much appreciation and applause from critics and the masses alike. No wonder then that he bagged several `Best Supporting Actor' awards for this role.

Hum Tum clearly proved that Saif was capable of carrying a film on his shoulders. Playing a young man who does not know where his true affections lay, Saif was superb in the company of co-star Rani Mukherji. His appeal was fresh, and sans the mannerisms of SRK. To prove that Hum Tum was no fluke, he came out with another winner in Parineeta. The three Khans (Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir), who had till then dominated the Hindi screen for many years, now had serious competition.

When Shukla criticised the jury, his comments also seemed to target Saif's mother Sharmila Tagore, who is chairperson of the Central Board of Film Censors. This, in turn, seemed to hint that the jury members, who are reputed film-makers as well, wanted to curry favour with the Censor Board.

Picture by Anu Pushkarna

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