Will Chef turn the tide for Saif Ali Khan ?

Saif Ali Khan is currently going through a rather extended rough patch in his career, what with all of his recent and not-so-recent films sinking without a trace. His last successful films came back in 2013 in the form of Cocktail and Race 2.

Thereafter came thundering flops like Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Bullett Raja, Sajid Khan’s Humshakals, and Kabir Khan’s Phantom, all of which set his career back considerably. His last non-starter was Rangoon.

However, his track record will have no effect on his next release, Chef, says Raja Krishna Menon. “The only thing that matters is the present. The films in Saif’s past, or the ones he will do, will have no bearing on Chef,” he says.

Curiously enough, the director picked Saif for Chef, although his Airlift star Akshay Kumar not only has a hefty box office clout, but was also keen on playing the role. For those not in the know, Akki worked as a professional chef in Hong Kong in his earlier days, and still loves to cook.

Raja insists that Saif is the right choice. “Saif possesses an approachability and a fallibility that I thought was very important for the character in Chef,” explains Raja.

The director feels that it’s the story and not the actors that the audiences want to see. “Audiences today are picking films for their stories, and how they’ve been portrayed. It’s much less about who is in it. We believe that we’ve made a film that is honest and speaks from the heart — a story that will resonate with the audience. And I believe that people will enjoy watching him in this avatar of a Punjabi chef,” Raja smiles.