He is as chilled out as they can get. Despite the recent backlash in Patiala following a complaint against him by a journalist, Saif Ali Khan does not feel persecuted. "The press in rural areas can be sensitive to certain issues and we need to be careful. But they also have to realise that the sets are like a war zone and there is some amount of pushing and shoving," he says. Talking about playing a sikh character in his home production, we ask him if he has joined the pagdi gang. He says, "The turban is a part of our culture and carries a lot of responsibility. I wear it only in a brief flashback. It's hard to take phone calls when you have one on and if you have long hair it can get very hot. "Talking of 'hotter' topics, was he disappointed that he couldn't find a role for lady love Kareena in his first home production? "I've followed the dictates of my directors, at least in the past. Yes, I'm sad, in the early stages of our relationship I could make a distinction between my personal and professional lives. But now she's family. In future I'd want Kareena in every film I make. if she wants. " All for love Didn't Kareena travel quite a distance to be with him on her birthday recently? "Yeah, she drove seven hours from Kargil to Leh and another seven to Srinagar. and back. We lit a bonfire on the roof, played soft music and drank champagne which I had carried from Mumbai. It was our most memorable date," he says. So what does love mean today? "Peace, stability and joy. He is as chilled out as they can get. Despite the recent backlash in Patiala following a complaint against him by a journalist, Saif Ali Khan does not feel persecuted. "The press in rural areas can be sensitive to certain issues and we need to be careful. But they also have to realise that the sets are like a war zone and there is some amount of pushing and shoving," he says. Talking about playing a sikh character in his home production, we ask him if he has joined the pagdi gang. He says, "The turban is a part of our culture and carries a lot of responsibility. I wear it only in a brief flashback. It's hard to take phone calls when you have one on and if you have long hair it can get very hot. "Talking of 'hotter' topics, was he disappointed that he couldn't find a role for lady love Kareena in his first home production? "I've followed the dictates of my directors, at least in the past. Yes, I'm sad, in the early stages of our relationship I could make a distinction between my personal and professional lives. But now she's family. In future I'd want Kareena in every film I make. if she wants. "All for love Didn't Kareena travel quite a distance to be with him on her birthday recently? "Yeah, she drove seven hours from Kargil to Leh and another seven to Srinagar. and back. We lit a bonfire on the roof, played soft music and drank champagne which I had carried from Mumbai. It was our most memorable date," he says. So what does love mean today? "Peace, stability and joy. Kareena is my anchor." But wasn't he upset when she kissed Sylvester Stallone at the Kambakt Ishq shoot? "It was a peck on the cheek. She's a responsible girl. And I hate being misrepresented as a psychopath," he says. Apparently he also didn't approve of her too-revealing dress on stage at the IIFA Awards. "Crap! I love all her dresses," he says. He supposedly took her to Pataudi recently, so is marriage on the cards soon? "She has met my family before and they get along well. I get along with her family too. When there's an announcement you'll be the first to know and #8230; but right now we're concentrating on our careers," he says. No more kid-flicks Race was the first hit of the year. Yet why hasn't he signed on new projects. "I don't believe in capitalising. I've proved that I'm a bankable star. I have a thriller being produced by Karan Johar and, Agent Vinod with Sriram Raghavan. Homi Adajania might direct a period action film with me and I'm in talks with Ashtavinayak too," he informs. But where did Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic go wrong? "I watched the DVD with my son Ibrahim and liked it. It was a little boring, the animation wasn't so great but it was a nice try. But I've decided to stay away from kiddie flicks for a while. "Was he disappointed when Tashan flopped? "I was a little disappointed. The only good thing was that I really got to know Kareena on the sets," he says. What's his reaction to ex-flame Rozza Catallano's claims that she didn't know he was married when she first started seeing him. "That's untrue. But I've forgotten the past and moved ahead," he says. Any thoughts on the recent smoking ban? "Cigarettes are the only legal drugs in the world, they're dangerous. I've quit after my heart attack." Finally, would he, like many others, be getting into IPL this season? "I'm not a betting guy and I don't see myself buying a team. I'd rather set my own path than walk down roads lead by others," he added.(Agencies)  ... read more »