Subhash K Jha picks Saif Ali Khan's finest performances on his 55th birthday, August 16.
Ek Hasina Thi (2004)
As a man who betrays a woman and gets chewed up by a cave full of rats as punishment, Saif made villainy look suave.
Salaam Namaste (2005)
"Salaam Namaste has the kind of frantic energy that teenagers look for."
"The fights Preity and I have and our dialogues are so close to home," Saif says.
Parineeta (2005)
"Producer Vinod Chopra didn't see me as the hero Shekhar; not enough pain in the eyes."
"Director Pradeep Sarkar thought I could do it. Vidya Balan and I were screen-tested."
"In my arrogance, I thought she was being tested and ended up doing it quite well."
Omkara (2006)
The urban Saif transforms into a foul-tongued diabolic vermin with no remorse.
"For a long time, I wasn't ready to play a village role. It daunted me. But the fact that it was Shakespeare egged me on," Saif says.
Love Aaj Kal (2009)
Kareena Kapoor feels Saif's performance in Love Aaj Kal is his best performance after Omkara.
Cocktail (2012)
Saif specialises in playing flawed characters. Did you know this role was first offered to Imran Khan?
Aarakshan (2012)
Saif scores highly in sincerity, subtlety and screen presence in his role as a Dalit boy.
Chef (2017)
There is a lot of teasing between the father and son, played with endearing casualness by Saif and Svar Kamble.
Baazaar (2018)
Saif plays a ruthless stockbroker in a gloriously wicked part.
Laal Kaptaan (2019)
Saif plays a Naga sadhu with intensity in his quest for revenge.