Saif and Kareena admit relationship

Finally, they have said it. At Manish Malhotra's fashion show for the Lakme Fashion Week, Saif admitted to his relationship with Kareena saying, "Yes, we are not exactly shouting from the rooftops but yes, clearly we are together. And we are happy together."

The couple was spotted together in public for the first time.

Reports of a romantic linkup between 27-year-old Kareena and 37-year-old Saif Ali Khan first surfaced while the two were shooting for Yash Raj Films Tashan on locales in Ladakh and Rajasthan.

Then came the news of Kareena celebrating her 27th birthday last month with a small party for select friends including Saif. Saif and Kareena also hit a night club in Delhi on October 5 where when a photographer clicked Saif and Kareena hugging they bullied him and deleted the photograph.

Saif had been single for months now, since his break-up with girlfriend Roza. The actor has, since, been linked to Bipasha Basu and Dia Mirza.

As their romance intensified, Kareena unceremoniously dumped former beau Shahid Kapoor August end while he was shooting for Aziz Mirza's Lucky Charm in Toronto, Canada.

However, Shahid Kapoor who had been stoically maintaining silence for sometime also quipped on the sets of the Sony show Jhalak Dikhla Ja in the course of an interview, “For all ye girls out there, I am single and ready to mingle!”

I can say No to Yashraj: Saif

Saif's basic idea of turning producer is to be creative. "If I've to work away from Yashraj I'd rather work for myself than other producers.

I want to produce anything from a period murder mystery which might not make too much money, to an off- the-wall romantic comedy, any slice-of-life film…. I'm not looking at making money here, though it'd be nice if my productions do make money.

But my partner and close friend Dinesh Vijen and I are making films that other people wouldn't want to make with me."

Saif has come to trust his partner in the last couple of years. It would be the partner's finances and Saif's creative input. "It's about setting the right tone for a movie."

Yashraj sets standards that Saif would like other production houses to equal. "My first film Parampara was with Mr Yash Chopra. So I know his style of working. Over the years I've been working with Yashraj. So it isn't as though I've begun to swear by them all of a sudden.

What do I tell you about some of the other people who come to me with assignments? They don't even have scripts. Some of the old producers are so resistant to change while the whole industry has moved on. Yashraj is so clear-headed about its intentions and motivations."

Much to Saif's delight Yashraj gives him the liberty to say no to a project. "I've heard stories about stars reluctantly doing Yashraj Films because they can't say no to them. I still have the power to veto the project.

I hate to be where I don't want to be. I do say no to projects I don't want to do. But some producers want me to re-think after I say no. But now I know how to say a firm no."

Saif thinks he has become a good judge of whom to work with. "If you see someone spitting in his own living room you obviously won't have any respect him.

"There was no scuffle for Kareena" - Saif

Saif has just completed a grueling schedule of Yashraj Films' Tashan in Ladakh. He returns to stories in Mumbai about getting into a 'scuffle' over Kareena with rowdy fans in Ladakh.

Says Saif, "That's not quite correct. Yes, there was an unpleasant incident. But it didn't end with me getting physical with anyone."

So what happened? "Some guy wanted to shake hands with Kareena. The lady didn't want to. We requested the 'fan' to respect her feelings. The guy chose to get offended and called five of his friends."

Ever since Saif and Kareena came together for J.P. Dutta's LOC they've shared a very special bonding. So it comes as no surprise if Saif stepped in to rescue Kareena from aggressive fan attention.

However before anything untoward could happen in Ladakh, Saif and the Tashan team called security. Laughs Saif, "If they were 5, we called 11 persons from security. For a while there was a loud and heated argument in Marathi, and that was that. However let me repeat, I didn't have to resort to physical violence to protect the lady. The security intervened quickly."

Incidentally Saif has grown a moustache for his role in Tashan. "It's part of that discipline I've acquired during Omkara. There, I was so apprehensive about shaving off my head. Once I got over the typical star-vanity of looking glamorous I realized a physical makeover makes a helluva difference to the characterization.

Watch out for more of Saif’s altered physicality in his coming films