The Abbas-Mustan thriller has a lot riding on it for Khan. Last year’s lackluster show of Eklavya and Ta Ra Rum Pum are playing heavily on his mind. “I admit that last year was thanda but it wasn’t meant to be like that,” he rationalises. About Race, his first commercial outing in a long while, Khan says, “For a long time I have been working in the cocooned environment of Yash Raj Films and trying to sell the Salaam Namaste vibe to the English-speaking audience. It’s exciting to do a film like Race with a music video. It’s a kind of film that can appeal across the board,” he says.

Race will also see the actor handling some stylish thrills. He’s jumped from a building of 26 floors (of course with a harness on), has done some crazy car chases and horse-riding stunts. Undoubtedly he’s excited about the film. But does he fear that too much media attention on his relationship with girlfriend Kareena Kapoor can dilute his big screen impact? Khan takes his time to answer. “I agree that people are interested in the personal lives of stars but I also believe that they forget all of that once the lights go off in the theatre,” he says.

Saif’s cool about his rock-star image. “I don’t think of myself like one. But, yeah, somehow the guitar is being associated with me,” he says. But the actor also confesses to be “a bit embarrassed” with all this tabloid scrutiny in his life. “I don’t like it when they write wrong stuff like I call my dad ‘Pop’. I always call him Abba. I also don’t use terms like ‘love of my life’,” he clarifies. We know. He calls her Jaan.

About his Jaan, he clarifies, “I’m neither engaged nor married to Kareena. Whenever that happens, it will be to her and everyone will know.” As to how his kids Sara and Ibraham are taking the public interest in their dad’s love life, the Omkara-star proudly says, “My kids are quite cool. They have figured it out that these things keep on happening.”

Post Race, Khan is on a two-month break, during which he will organise his production house, Illuminati Films. The first project from his banner is a breezy rom-com directed by Imtiaz Ali featuring him opposite Deepika Padukone. Life is on an upswing now, but Khan’s health needs more attention. “Over the years, I’ve become more understanding, less sociopathic, better at my job but slightly less disciplined about my health. I want to change the last bit now,” he vows.