Saif Ali Khan revealed that working as a Islamic fundamentalist in Rensil D’Silva’s Qurbaan.
Saif says, “Yes, I play an Islamic fundamentalist while Vivek Oberoi plays the more moderate Muslim.”
“The role has not only made me more politically aware, it has also made me more religious. I knew a lot of things about Islam. But I was always more spiritual than religious. Working in Rensil’s film has made me know more about the religion. I did a lot of reading on Islam during this film. I always believed in the higher power.”
“The one most decisive thing that I learnt had to do with Allah – we tend to presume that to be the Muslim god. But Allah is the Arab word for the same god, or the one true god. That, I thought, was a wonderful thing to learn while playing this character.
“All religions believe in the oneness of god. So what’s all the fighting about? Whether it’s Christianity, Islam or Judaism, many of the religions have fought a holy war at one time or another. It’s been a part of religious history.”
Saif is playing a negative character in the flick, he says, “It’s the most politically relevant character I’ve played. Though my Langda Tyagi in ‘Omkara’ was a political creature, his politics was subverted. In Rensil’s film, I play the jehadi as a very real and suave gentleman, dressed in very dapper clothes like a college professor, and hence more frightening.”
The film also stars Kareena Kapoor and Vivek Oberoi.