- Saif Ali Khan co-founded Illuminati Films in 2009 but later left the production role
- Illuminati Films produced hits like Love Aaj Kal, Cocktail, and Go Goa Gone
- Dinesh Vijan, co-founder of Illuminati Films, now leads the successful Maddock Films
Not many might be aware, but Saif Ali Khan was once on the cusp of building one of the biggest production banners of all time with Illuminati Films, which he launched in 2009. But then Saif Ali Khan decided to walk away from it, calling it a "thankless job".
What's Happening
- Explaining the reason behind taking that step, Saif Ali Khan told SCREEN, "I think it can be an extremely thankless job."
- He continued, "But it's very creative. I like the idea of having an idea and discussing some creatives like the sound and look of things. I did enjoy producing, but it can also be a massive pain."
- Saif Ali Khan had co-founded Illuminati Films with Dinesh Vijan, who himself is extremely successful today with his banner Maddock Films. Interestingly he is also producing Cocktail 2 led by Kriti Sanon, Shahid Kapoor, and Rashmika Mandanna, a spiritual successor to the hit 2012 film Cocktail which was spearheaded by Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Diana Penty.
- "Things move, people move. You see it all over the place. Dinesh has gone on to become a wonderful producer, and that's great. We had our time, and I did extremely well out of it, and it had a lot to do with what Eros was doing at the time. It was a wonderful opportunity. But some things are meant to last however long they do," added Saif Ali Khan.
Films Produced By Saif Ali Khan's Banner
After launching Illuminati Films in 2009, the banner went on to back some of the biggest hits and cult favourites in Hindi cinema, such as Love Aaj Kal (2009), Cocktail (2012), and Go Goa Gone (2013). The last production was Happy Ending in 2014, after which Saif Ali Khan returned to the director's chair only once in 2020 for Jawaani Jaaneman.
Saif Ali Khan Recent Releases
The actor was seen in Netflix's cop drama Kartavya, produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.
NDTV wrote, "Saif Ali Khan has been in the cop space for a while now. He impressed critics and audiences as Sartaj Singh, an honest but troubled Sikh police officer in Netflix's Sacred Games - much of which we see in Kartavya too. He is honest and a Shiva devotee, and does not sacrifice his principles. He only gets better."
The film has been streaming on Netflix since May 15, 2026.
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