Kareena Kapoor 'couldn’t afford watchman' despite charging ₹21 crore per film: Taunts Jigra actor Akashdeep Sabir

Akashdeep Sabir also questioned why Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan didn't have a watchman and a full-time driver at night.

Director-actor Akashdeep Sabir and his wife Sheeba spoke about the stabbing incident involving Saif Ali Khan. Speaking with Lehren Retro, Akashdeep taunted the actor, saying that, “with a price tag of ₹21 crore,” she couldn’t afford a watchman outside her house. (Also Read | Reddit convinced ‘it wasn’t PR stunt' after spotting Saif Ali Khan's injury marks on his neck: ‘He could have died’)

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan get their balcony fenced post stabbing incident

Akashdeep and Sheeba talk about pay parity

During the interview, Akashdeep and Sheeba spoke about pay parity between male and female actors in the film industry. Sheeba said that currently, the effect of a flop film is more on male actors than their female counterparts, and so the former is paid more.

Contesting it, Akashdeep replied that pay parity started a few years ago when Kareena quoted her fees in double figures. Sheeba then said that there is a huge difference between the fees of male and female actors.

Akashdeep taunts Kareena over Saif's knife attack

Akashdeep later said, "With a ₹21 crore price tag also Kareena couldn’t afford a watchman outside her house. Abhi aap log ₹100 crore denge phir aap kuch karoge (when you will pay them ₹100 crore, maybe then they can afford security) or a driver in the night. (Shouts, 'Auto')."

Akashdeep questions absence of couple's guard, full-time driver at night

He also said, "I fought on TV debates to favour Saif and Kareena...Dignified and very distinguished couple, but two things in the debate when they used to ask me, ‘Why was there no security guard outside the house…’ People say, 'It's a very safe building, it has 30 CCTVs'. How does a CCTV bring out a hand and stop the robbery? It can only help solve the crime, it doesn't stop the crime. Just because you have 30 CCTVs in the building doesn't make it safe. That and not having a full-time driver in the night."

Akashdeep concluded by saying that Kareena and Saif "have been through a lot, I think we should let them recover".

Akashdeep has directed films such as Ghaath and Miss 420. He was recently seen as Mr Mehtani in Alia Bhatt's film Jigra.

About Saif, his knife attack

Saif faced a knife attack at his home in January. The 54-year-old actor was stabbed repeatedly by an intruder during a robbery attempt at his 12th-floor residence in Satguru Sharan in Mumbai's Bandra area in the early hours of January 16. He underwent surgery and was discharged four days later.

On Monday evening, he made his first public appearance at a Netflix event. He attended the slate announcement event of Netflix and said that it felt "nice to be standing" in front of an audience.