Kartavya: Saif Ali Khan Reveals What Intrigued Him About Crime Drama; Says 'I Had Not Read A Script Like...'

Saif Ali Khan is returning to the crime-drama space with Netflix film "Kartavya", releasing on May 15. The story centres on a police officer battling rising threats while trying to protect family. The film examines power, guilt and the fallout of silence as moral lines grow unclear for the lead character.

The actor said the script pulled him in the moment he read it, calling it one of the strongest roles offered. "I dove into 'Kartavya' because I love the script. I think it is a great drama and a really interesting, almost international kind of piecing together of things. I had not read a script like this, and people who read it and discussed it at the time said that this is one of the best roles that have come my way," Khan told PTI.

Khan explained that scale has never been the main filter while picking work, even in a market dominated by spectacle. "I've tried to play whatever is the best of what I'm offered and how I'm feeling. My manager at the time had said, 'We're kind of platform agnostic, we will do anything within reason, if we like it'," he said.

Directed by Pulkit, known for "Bhakshak", "Kartavya" casts Khan as a policeman named Pawan. The character faces increasing pressure, both on duty and at home, and is forced towards harsh choices. Khan said that as the tension grows, Pawan’s reactions reveal how far the character has drifted from an ordinary life.

Khan described the film’s world as detailed and carefully built, giving the role added depth. "The world is beautifully crafted, the kind of character he is, where he is from, how he speaks, the home, the things that are at risk, how it slowly establishes what is happening. He might be a bit fed up with the way life is going, and then it slowly builds. You add pressure in these scenes, and he starts reacting," the 55-year-old actor said.

Some viewers have already linked "Kartavya" to Khan’s earlier performance as Langda Tyagi in the 2006 film "Omkara". Khan felt that any similarity would lie mainly in the sound of the character. "'Omkara' is Hindi heartland. I think the voice might sound a little similar; the accent might be similar."

Khan said moving between mainstream and niche projects has become a natural pattern. He has appeared in commercial titles such as "Agent Vinod", "Race", "Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior" and "Devara", along with darker or offbeat work like "Ek Hasina Thi", "Being Cyrus" and "Laal Kaptaan", plus the streaming series "Sacred Games".

Khan said this variety keeps work satisfying. "I enjoyed playing the villain in 'Tanhaji', I loved playing 'Sacred Games' as a web show. So, you mix it up as much as you can, and I just get a lot of satisfaction and happiness from doing a good job." "Kartavya" is produced by Gauri Khan for Red Chillies Entertainments and also features Sanjay Mishra and Zakir Hussain among the cast.