Saif Ali Khan’s enthusiasm for Agent Vinod is almost infectious. It’s tough not to notice how excited the 41-year-old is about his latest project. Five minutes into the conversation with t2 at his Bandra office and the actor is narrating the opening sequence of the spy thriller, complete with sound effects!

“I play the role of a RAW Agent. When the film opens in eastern Europe, Agent Vinod’s partner is caught and killed. He had joined hands with the LeT and the Russian mafia and given them some sensitive information. The only clue he leaves behind is the number 242. Agent Vinod travels from Moscow to Pakistan and India to Cape Town to crack the mystery and save New Delhi from a catastrophe,” he finishes with a flourish.

While still on the storyline, Saif suddenly asks, “What do you think of the logo of the film? Kareena thinks that it looks like a real-estate guy’s logo. I think it is quite cool”. Just as suddenly, Saif is pulled in for a marketing meeting. And, the interview is postponed for another day.

When Saif calls to do the telephonic interview late the next night, he is apologetic. “I am really sorry about this but promotions have been crazy. Let’s talk now”. This interview is interrupted, as are the next four attempts. So, here’s Saif to t2 over six conversations!

When did you get the idea for Agent Vinod?

I always wanted to make a movie like this. I thought there was a market for spy thrillers and there wasn’t one made since the ’70s. I have been thinking of the idea of Agent Vinod since I joined the industry. It has always been at the back of my mind. A little more than two years ago, I thought it was time to take the idea forward and reinvent the genre. I spoke to a couple of directors about it. Some thought it should be comedy; others wanted to make a highly-stylised big action film that sounded exactly like James Bond. But when I spoke to Sriram (Raghavan, the director), I realised that we were on the same page.

What was the vision that both of you shared for Agent Vinod?

The vision was to make an action adventure.... We have both been fans of spy thrillers, both books and movies.... I would say Agent Vinod is closest to Richard Chamberlain’s version of Jason Bourne in the 1988 TV movie The Bourne Identity. That’s where the inspiration came from. Our vision was for a film that’s larger than life but is set in a plausible global scenario. There is a certain formula that spy thrillers have. Sriram has followed the formula but given something new with the story and character. It’s got the right balance between the expected and unexpected.

Does Vinod have a second name? James is Bond, Jason is Bourne but Vinod is just… Vinod.

(Laughs) He barely reveals his first name properly in the film so… Vinod is just Vinod. He could be Sharma, Singh or Saxena, whatever your heart desires.

Where does Agent Vinod stand in comparison to Bond and Bourne?

He is a little Bond in terms of how cool and suave he is. There is a little bit of Bourne which is reflected in how the film has been shot. There are also influences from the Tintin comics that have the most colourful villains in very exotic locations, like Rastapopoulos. Sriram has shot the different sections of the film in different styles. The feel in the India and Pakistan sections is almost like a documentary and in Europe the look and feel is cold. Hopefully, when you see the film, you’ll think that it’s an absolute original.

From the promos the dialogues seem original and funny.

Sriram is a funny and quirky guy. There are times when he’d say something so funny that I wouldn’t stop laughing. He has written most of the dialogues himself. Very often, he would keep fine-tuning the dialogues till the last minute, which was nerve-wracking! The USP of Agent Vinod is the writing. It’s more than just a car chase or a gun fight and a song. The character that Sriram has written is fantastic.

You have predominantly been a multiplex hero. Are you hoping to break into the single screen space with this?

Yes, I am hoping that the film works in single theatres and smaller towns across the country. It has the potential to do so.

The film has been banned in Pakistan....

It’s a real shame because I was really hoping that Pakistan would get to enjoy the film. It’s rooted in reality so obviously there are some portions that show Pakistan in a not-so-favourable light. But it’s not a jingoistic film. Also, I believe the powers that be in Pakistan are upset that they didn’t know we got someone to shoot some external shots of Lahore.

This is the third film that stars Kareena opposite you…

(Interrupts) Ya but in the other films, our pairing overshadowed the film but not in Agent Vinod. The film and the characters are much bigger than the two of us. Also, I don’t think people are going to go in expecting a romance between our characters. Having said that I think our chemistry in the film is spot-on.

We are very aware of the fact that Kareena and my films haven’t worked in the past. I just think she is a great actor and we wanted her in the film. The role really suits her. She normally doesn’t do action or thriller films so it’s nice to see her in this world.

I don’t think it is fair to say that we are the reason for our past films not doing well. I think we didn’t do good films together before this one. When he was writing the film, Sriram was very aware that we shouldn’t come across as a typical real-life pair.

Kareena has said that you’ll get married by the end of the year…

(Interrupts) I have never spoken about when we’ll get married and I am not going to start now (laughs). Nice try though!

You debuted almost exactly 20 years ago (Parampara released on May 14, 1992). At that point, did you think you’d last this long?

(Laughs loudly) I don’t think people around me thought I’d last. But I have and it’s been a good journey. There have been ups and downs but I think, overall, I have done some interesting work. The idea now is to just keep pushing the boundary which is what I am trying to do with Agent Vinod.

Now that you have turned 40, do you have a different perspective on life?

Abba (Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi) always said that 40 is a turning point. It’s a good age. You are still young enough to attempt new things and, at the same time, there is all this experience that guides you. This is going to be an interesting decade for me.