"Being an assistant has taught me important lessons"
"It's been a great experience, assisting dad for five long years. I've learnt to value every single person behind the camera. Because I've lived with them as an assistant. I've travelled by second class. I was always made to travel by second class. I've lived with the unit, bathed in ground water, I never lived in the same hotel as the stars and my dad. I used to meet dad only on the sets and go back to the unit people after pack up.
"It was something I wanted to do. It was the right thing to do. Living with dad and knowing how much he's been through in life brought about this decision. Dad has come up the hard way, I've seen him struggle. So when I started out as an assistant , I didn't feel comfortable living with the stars. I wanted to live with the people I was working with. After being an assistant, I've realised how to treat people. My five years as an assistant have taught me a lot of important lessons which I will never forget.
"Today, I don't need an AC room. Sometimes, I forget I'm a star and that I'm not supposed to dirty my clothes. Earlier, as an assistant, I was used to sitting on the floor Believe it or not, I still do it so many times unconsciously. I have plopped myself on the floor only to have an assistant running up to me to say, 'Saab, what are you doing?' And then I'm like, "Oh shit, I'm not an assistant any more. I guess the assistant instincts are always alive.
"There were so many times when dad was directing someone else's shot during Kaho Naa.. and if there was any production hassle, I would forget that I was the hero and start trying to sort the problem. It came to a point when dad told me, 'Relax. You're the hero.' I had to curb my assistant mentality because it used to affect my performance."