'Glorious failure': Saif Ali Khan on Sriram Raghavan's 'Agent Vinod'
What's the story
Saturday marked the 12th anniversary of Saif Ali Khan's Agent Vinod (2012). This milestone is significant for Khan as it was his first venture into film production.
Despite the film's lackluster performance, Khan views the experience as a valuable learning curve, as he shared in a recent exclusive interview with Zoom.
The movie was a bold interpretation of the spy genre, showcasing Khan in a stylish, James Bond-Tom Cruise-esque role.
It was directed by Sriram Raghavan.
Significance
This is why 'AV' was instrumental in his career
Agent Vinod was a groundbreaking project for Khan, who took on the role of producer to contribute to the project in ways more than one.
The film was inspired by a low-budget 1977 movie of the same title by Rajshri Productions, featuring Mahendra Sandhu.
However, Khan's rendition ventured into uncharted espionage territory with a fresh approach.
To embody the title role, Khan underwent a physical transformation, shedding weight to achieve a lean and rugged look.
Statement
'A glorious failure, I would call it': Khan
Reflecting on his journey with the film, Khan said, "It was a great production effort. We really tried. A glorious failure, I would call it."
He suggested that his character could have been more authentically Indian and less reminiscent of Jason Bourne and noted that the plot might have been overly complex with "too much happening."
Despite its underwhelming box office performance, Khan harbors no regrets about producing the film.
Reflection
'Rather heartbreaking that it did not run...'
Further in the interview, Khan revealed that the film's co-producers Eros Entertainment "must have lost money," but noted that the film "opened well."
He expressed his affection for the role of Desi "007" and shared his disappointment that the film did not perform as anticipated.
"I got good reviews and I loved the part. It was a dream project and rather heartbreaking that it did not run. And it had a fantastically cool title sequence too!" he concluded.
About the film
Cast, plot: Here's everything about 'Agent Vinod'
In addition to Khan, the film also starred Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead role, with Ram Kapoor, Prem Chopra, Shahbaz Khan, and Adil Hussain in prominent roles. Ravi Kishan made a special appearance.
The plot follows the eponymous character embarking on a secret mission to uncover the truth behind the death of his colleague Rajan, leading him to unravel a larger conspiracy.
This marked the fourth collaboration between Khan and Kapoor after Omkara (2006), Kurbaan (2009) and Tashan (2008).