Before Saifeena became a popular hashtag and the children of the popular Bollywood couple became paparazzi’s favourite, the woman who first entered Saif Ali Khan’s life was Amrita Singh. The actor was just 21 and shooting for what was supposed to be his debut movie – Bekhudi – when he first met the 33-year-old superstar. As the two met again at Amrita’s home, sparks flew, and they got married soon after. The age gap of 12 years never mattered as the couple fell head over heels in love with each other.
Apart from the intense chemistry, Amrita Singh was the guiding light for Saif, who helped him navigate the complexities of the industry and encouraged him to do his own kind of cinema. At one point, he also told him to be serious about his work, an advice that he took seriously.
Now married to Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, still shares a wonderful bond with Amrita, and often acknowledges her contributions in his career and life.
‘Don’t think ever shared how important Amrita is’
On Two Much With Kajol & Twinkle, Saif Ali Khan heaping praises on his ex wife, said Amrita helped him understand his way through the film industry and that her contribution was invaluable.
“I have not spoken about a lot but obviously at 21, it’s young, and things change and we know things didn’t work out. but apart from having two wonderful, wonderful children, I don’t think I have ever said that before, how important was Amrita in my life to help me understand my way through the film industry and understand quite a few things,” Saif recalled.
The actor said Amrita’s contribution really helped at that time and was quite invaluable for him. “There was some real learning and important years,” he added.
‘Wonderful mum’
Calling her a wonderful mum, Saif said: “I was really very lucky my ex-wife and I get along well enough. We usually speak about important things while I am in hospital bed.”
In a previous interview with Mid Day, Saif had shared that he gives Amrita the credit for being the only person who taught him to take it all (work related things) seriously. “She said you can’t hit the target while laughing at it. That’s when Parampara happened,” the actor had said.
It was Amrita who asked the actor to believe in himself when he was not sure about how to approach his Dil Chahta Hai character, he revealed in the earlier interview.