“AC ki taisi ho gayi.” Sajid Khan remains as irreverent as ever. This is his take on Delhi's heat. In the Capital to promote the second season of India's Got Talent on Colors , where he is replacing Shekhar Kapur in the three-member jury, the self-confessed foodie took some time out to refresh himself at Kafe Fontana of Taj Palace Hotel. Overlooking lush lawns, this 24-hour coffee shop has a refreshing ambience and distinctly Mediterranean feel.
“My shape shows that I love food. It is a sort of stress buster for me. During story sessions and rehearsals, I simply gorge on food. And as one cannot exercise as much as one likes during the shoots and rehearsals, I keep on adding weight. Also my body type is such that I take time to lose calories. At home I have a South Indian cook. Everything he cooks has a South Indian tinge to it. His dal tastes like sambhar and chicken has a Hyderabadi aroma. But still I need something new every day,” says Sajid quickly opening a folder in his mobile phone. The folder has an exhaustive list of restaurants in Mumbai from where the actor-director loves to order. “All of them know me well and I get 10 per cent discount. Even if you take away my phone, it won't work as I remember their numbers by heart.”
His love for food sometimes creates strange situations. “In Housefull every actor had to expose. The girls were largely in bikinis and the boys were without shirts. So they couldn't eat even a bite extra. So we had situations where they were having a bland shake and I was having some rich mithai ,” relates Sajid sipping fresh sweet lime juice.
Sweet tooth
Opting for grilled chicken sandwiches, Saijd says his love for sweets takes obsessive proportions. “I could have 25 rasgullahs in one go. One day I had severe toothache. My dentist suggested that I should stop eating sweets else the pain would spread. I retorted why don't you remove the tooth? He said he could have, but it was a small tooth on the inside and removal would be a very painful option. But I remained adamant. I was ready to bear two hours of pain rather than giving up on sweets. Finally, I had my way.”
Always ready to take a dig at himself, Sajid comes up with a one-liner. “ Kuchh log bhooke mar rahe hain, kuchh log kha kha kar .” But the menu was not always as rich on his table. “There was a time when we could not afford mutton. We used to have soya as a replacement,” says Sajid. “I lost my father when I was 14 and my mother wanted us (Sajid and Farah) to complete our education before taking a plunge in this unpredictable world. Yahan ya to apko haq se zyada milta hai, ya haq se kam .” Where does he find himself? “On the latter side, obviously.” Isn't he too self confident? “People take my self pride as arrogance. Even when I hosted the first episode of my talk show I introduced myself as Sajid Khan, a name you will remember for the rest of your life.” Today, referring to his status as a judge, he says he has reached a situation where he will be introduced. “Had I been unsuccessful, do you think people would be less critical of me just because I said politically correct things? I think not.” Recently on a television show his mother said that she was confident of Farah's success but she was really surprised when Sajid made a name for himself. “It usually happens. Parents are not as sure about their sons as they are about their daughters.”
Suddenly, the man who is known to tickle the funny bone at will turns serious. “I was a misunderstood youth. I was also partly responsible. I was quite a jerk. I never worried about the trappings. That arrogance of youth remained with me for too long. Now at 39 I have realised packaging is also important,” says Sajid as he fiddles with the cucumber and cherry used to garnish the sandwiches. “See they are not meant to be eaten but they have their value. They remind you that you are eating at a costly place.”
He hints at giving up hosting shows. Is it because now he has a seat ready in the front row? “No, I will never take the front row. I will sit at the back, like I did when I watched Housefull in different cities to gauge the audience mood. It will be part of the DVD.”
Time to part, but on his way he doesn't forget to check the menu for the dinner.
