Actor Saif Ali Khan, who was felicitated with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award in 2010, says he wanted to return it. On Arbaaz Khan's chat show Pinch, Saif was taken through some mean tweets about him.
One of them read: "This two bit thug who bought a Padma Shri, named his son Taimur and beat up some people in a restaurant. How the hell did he get a role in Sacred Games? He can hardly act."
Reacting to it, Saif said: "Two bit thug, I'm not... Bought a Padma Shri is also not possible. It is beyond me to bribe the Indian government. You will have to ask more senior people. But I thought I don't want to accept it. There are so many senior actors in the industry who deserved it even more than me, and had not gotten one...and it was very embarassing. And of course, there are some people who have it, I feel deserve it less than me also."
Saif said he changed his mind after a conversation with his father, the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
"I wanted to give it back. I didn't want to accept it. My father said to me, 'I don't think you are in a position to refuse the Indian government.' So I said 'okay' and I very happily took it.
"I look at it in a way that I hope in time...cause I'm not done yet and I'm enjoying acting, I'm doing fairly well, I'm happy with what's happening... I hope in time, when I look back and people look at it, they will say, 'Okay, I think he deserves an honour for the work he has done," he added.
During Pinch, Saif also had a witty reply to a troll who questioned him about being a "nawab".
A troll had questioned him on "being a nawab and still clinging on to rotten 'hukumat'".
After reading it, Saif quipped: "I have never been interested in being a nawab. I prefer eating kebabs."
Known for his wit and humour, Saif even hit back at a troll, who questioned him for turning up at actress Sonam Kapoor's wedding in a simple white kurta pajama.
"It was her wedding, not mine," responded Saif.
On the work front, Saif is all set to come up with the second season of Sacred Games.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)