Saif Ali Khan made his Hindi film debut in 1993 with 'Parampara'. In the film, he played the fourth lead. Directed by Yash Chopra, the film starred Sunil Dutt, Vinod Khanna, Aamir Khan, Raveena Tandon, Ramya Krishnan, and Anupam Kher. The actor continued to be part of two-film heroes and ensembles like Yeh Dillagi'. 'Main Khiladi Tu Anari', 'Ek Tha Raja', 'Tu Chor Main Sipahi', 'Dil Chahta Hai', among others. While several actors aspire to do single-hero films, Saif Ali Khan did not give much thought to the same. 

In an interview with Mid-Day's Sit With Hitlist, a couple of years ago, Saif was asked about starring in ensemble films. "When I started out, it was a question of survival and being accepted and getting a job. It was not like I wanted to rule the universe," he said.