Here Are All Images From Our Cover Shoot With Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan isn’t trying to reinvent himself. He’s not launching a new phase. He’s just deep in the process of learning, unlearning, laughing, quoting Umberto Eco, scrolling through his phone to find a photo of the exact neckerchief he saw in a magazine once, reading horror with Tim as he shares in the exclusive interview with Esquire India.

He’s turning pages sometimes of an obscure 19th-century history text, sometimes a Tolstoy, playing actor on the big screen and somewhere between the footnotes and family life, he’s found something solid. Something still.

Over three decades, he’s played it slick, played it silly, played it Shakespearean (Omkara, anyone?). He’s done mass, he’s done class. And somewhere along the way, without trying to be, he became cool. But “cool” barely covers it.

In 2005, the actor, then 34, won the 52nd National Film Award for Best Actor for Hum Tum, a romantic comedy that follows the evolving relationship between Karan (Saif Ali Khan), a carefree cartoonist, and Rhea (Rani Mukerji), a strong-willed, independent woman.

Moreover, his portrayal as the vengeful Shakespearean villain in an adaptation of Othello in Hindi, Omkara, has been critically praised for his intense, layered acting, and has been recognised as one of the most memorable villain roles in Indian cinema.

Born into one of India’s most storied lineages, Saif Ali Khan carries the weight—and the privileges—of a princely heritage and cinematic royalty. Son of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the Nawab who captained the Indian cricket team, and Sharmila Tagore, the iconic actress and scion of the illustrious Tagore family, Saif’s roots run deep in history and culture. Yet despite this rich tapestry, he has never traded on his legacy or courted fame the way you’d expect.

Unlike many from the industry who are driven by social media presence and curated public images, Saif remains a curious outlier—absent from Instagram, Twitter, or any such platforms. He’s not chasing viral moments or digital applause. Instead, he’s quietly carving his own path, more interested in meaningful conversations, real-time connections, and the slow art of becoming.

He’s a man who appreciates the finer things including vintage books, carefully chosen wines, a perfectly tied neckerchief. But he never lets these define him. Instead, they become extensions of a personality that values substance over show and depth over decoration.

As an Esquire man, Saif is more than just a cover star; he is a symbol of the modern Indian man—cultured, curious, grounded, and endlessly compelling.

You’ve seen the cover.

Now, here’s the full shoot.

Credits

Chairperson: Avarna Jain

COO: Jamal Shaikh

Editor: Rahul Gangwani

Styling and Creative Direction: Vijendra Bhardwaj

Photography: Nishant Radhakrishnan

Editorial Mentor: Saira Menezes

Managing Editor: Sonal Nerurkar

Deputy Editor: Mayukh Majumdar

Words: Anindita Ghose

Make up: Dhananjay Prajapati

Hair: Sagar Rahurkar

Styling Asst: Vaishnavi Mishra

Production assistant: Ishani Bhojwani

Bookings & Production: Varun Shah

Location: Soho House, Mumbai

Artist Manager :Urshita Kochar

Talent Agency :Exceed Entertainment

Artist Reputation Management: Communiqué Film PR

Esquire India Editorial: Saurav Bhanot, Nitin Sreedhar, Prannay Pathak, Abhya Adlakha, Rudra Mulmule, Riti Ghai, Kashish Mishra

To read more stories from Esquire India's September 2025 issue, pick up a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.