No party, only quiet rakhi for birthday boy Saif

Actor Saif Ali Khan may have had to cancel his big birthday bash, but he is happy that his 38th birthday today coincides with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

Actor Saif Ali Khan may have had to cancel his big birthday bash, but he is happy that his 38th birthday Saturday coincides with the festival of Raksha Bandhan as his two sisters celebrate the festival in a big way.

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"There's no one in town! All my friends from the industry are not here. In fact I had spoken to Shah Rukh (Khan). He had promised to fly back to Mumbai for my birthday. Very sweet of him."

But the superstar couldn't make it and Saif says he'll miss his parents too.

"My mom and dad are not flying over from Delhi. My birthday is not such a big deal for me. I'd just be happy to spend it with Kareena (Kapoor) and my kids," Saif told IANS.

But since his birthday falls on Rakhi day, he says he is expecting presents from his sisters Soha and Saba instead.

"Rakha Bandhan is always special for me as my two sisters celebrate it in a big way every year, and this year it is even more special because it also coincides with my birthday," Saif said.

"On earlier occasions of Raksha Bandhan, I have always presented them with gifts, but this time I am expecting a gift from them," he added.

Things couldn't be better for Saif as he completes 38.

"It's been an eventful and fulfilling year. I found love in Kareena. Professionally it was a quiet year. There was Race, but then there were two films that didn't do well. I need to focus more on my work. I want to put together some good projects and work hard. Since my personal life is so stable I've no excuse to not give my job my best shot."

This was also the year when Saif turned producer.

"I'm actually a creative producer. My partner Dinesh Vijen takes care of the nitty-gritties. I'm there as an actor. For my first production I let my director Imtiaz Ali do exactly what he wants."

Saif says he has begun to understand himself much more now.

"I've discovered there are many things I like about myself, and a couple of things that I don't like about myself. I'm 38 now. Do I feel wise? Sometimes I do. At other times I'm still as impulsive and headstrong as I used to be.

"I felt when I grew older I'd outgrow certain bands when it came to music, that I'd stop enjoying rock when I was older. That didn't happen. I still enjoy some of the things that I did 10 years ago. Is that bad?"

Saif is also heavily into fitness now. "I think if you're health conscious and you're physically fit and look after yourself, 38 is a great age to be. Today I'm more aware of myself. I know who I am with and what I'm comfortable with. I've quit smoking completely. This the healthiest time of my life."

There were rumours that the actor had a panic attack while shooting in London last month. But he completely rubbishes them.

"What nonsense! I don't even know what a panic attack is. Does it mean I thought I had a heart attack? No such thing happened to me."

Saif has just returned from London and the US after one of the longest shooting stints abroad.

"London has become Bollywood's favourite second home. Mine too. A lot of us actors love London. I spent a lot of my growing years in London. But I don't feel too much at home there. Mumbai is where I feel home is," said Saif, who's just back in the city after two months of shooting abroad.

"Sadly I'm going off to Dubai to do a show, then I'm going to the US for an event. I also have to shoot in Kolkata, Delhi and Rajasthan to complete Imtiaz Ali's film. There's quite a lot of the film that remains so I'm hardly in Mumbai. It'd be nice to spend some time in Mumbai not working...just spending some time with the kids," Saif said.

As far as films go, he has signed another film opposite Kareena to be produced by Ashthvinayak.

"But I'm quite open to her working with other leading men. I think she's doing Imtiaz Ali's next film with another actor, just as I'm doing Imtiaz's current film with Deepika Padukone. So what? Even if we work separately we still manage to spend quite a lot of time together."