No rift between Saif Ali Khan, me: Dinesh Vijan

New Delhi: Producer Dinesh Vijan, co-owner of actor Saif Ali Khan's Illuminati Films, has dismissed reports that his decision of opening a separate production house caused rift between the two and said he is at his friendliest best with the star.

Dinesh, recently branched out of Illuminati Films with his own company Maddock Films, which produced Arjun Kapoor starrer 'Finding Fanny'.

The filmmaker said his relationship with Saif goes beyond work and the two will continue making films under their banner.
"Saif and I are at the healthiest best in our relationship right now. Our friendship goes beyond work. We have a great bonding and understanding. There were stories of a rift between us but nothing of that sort happened.

"We both wish well for each other and opening a separate company will not stop us from collaborating. We will keep making films in fact we have promised each other to make one film together each year," Dinesh told PTI in an interview.
The producer said he opened Maddock Films because he felt the need to grow in his career.

"Under Illuminati Films, we make movies that star Saif in lead role, so I thought why not venture out separately if I want to work with other actors. So, while Saif is away working with other producers, I will focus on working with other scripts and actors. We both are comfortable with this arrangement," he said.

Upcoming projects under Maddock Films are 'Badlapur', starring Varun Dhawan and Huma Qureshi, co-produced by Illuminati Films and official remake of 'The Fault In Our Stars', to be directed by 'Cocktail' director Homi Adjania.

"I choose to make a film based on how good a script is and I believe we should give something new to the audience every time. If 'Badlapur' is a action-thriller then 'The Fault In Our Stars' is a love story. I hope to work with great actors and churn out entertaining movies," Dinesh said.

Meanwhile, the filmmaker is happy with his latest release, romantic-comedy 'Happy Ending', starring Saif, Govinda and 'Barfi!' star Ileana D'Cruz. The film takes a dig at the rom-com genre, Saif and Dinesh's banner is known for. "It is a very different kind of rom-com because it takes dig at films our banner has made, like 'Cocktail', 'Love Aaj Kal'. It has an interesting take on these films and with the film, Saif is returning to his comfort zone as he has mastered this genre," Dinesh said.

He feels the combination of Saif and Govinda, who are sharing the screen for the first time, is one of the highlights of the movie. "They both have different kind of sense of humour, which makes the action-reaction between them entertaining. It will be a treat for the audience," he said. 'Happy Ending' released yesterday.