20 Years of Salaam Namaste: Saif Ali Khan Starrer Rom-Com That Was Way Ahead Of Its Time

It’s been two incredible decades of Salaam Namaste, a lighthearted rom-com that made us love, laugh, cry, feel, and most importantly, it gave us a Bollywood hero who is as real as he can get - Nick aka Saif Ali Khan. Even after 20 years, the film is remembered for its breezy tone, feel-good moments, and songs that’ll leave you humming all along. Amongst all this, it also took a bold step to depict live-in relationships, and what truly stands out is Saif Ali Khan’s drive to stay ahead of the time, be it with his unexpected characters or daring screen narratives.

At times when screens were dominated by macho men, Saif Ali Khan chose the authentic route of relatability, and it worked! His character, Nick, was flawed but was human at the core. He brought emotional layers to the fore and pulled it off with such ease that we almost forgot how groundbreaking and gutsy it was to play a real character at times when a hypermasculine hero was the ‘trend’.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, Salaam Namaste wasn’t just about the rom-com charm, but Saif’s character, Nick, was emotional, thoughtful and completely opposite of the larger-than-life portrayals. He won hearts with his quirky dialogues, one-liners, teasing, and charm that made him feel more like a friend than a character.

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He wasn’t the typical hero who ‘saved the woman’, but he was a partner who stumbled, got scared, made mistakes, was goofy, resisted responsibility - but eventually, he grew, reflecting the very core of human nature. In addition to this, his chemistry with co-star Preity Zinta was loved beyond measure, and it would only be right to say that they complemented each other very well!