Here’s looking back at the time when Saif Ali Khan had almost no money and was living life paycheck-to-paycheck.

Saif Ali Khan is one of Bollywood’s most well-known stars. Not only that, he’s also a great family man, living the lush life with wife Kareena Kapoor Khan and son Taimur. In fact, the family just wrapped up a lavish vacation in London. It doesn’t seem like much could go wrong for Saif right now. However, Saif wasn’t always living the life of the ‘rich and famous’ like he does now. It wasn’t always that easy-going for him, and this blast from the past is testament to that.

Saif spent a lot of his days wrought with despair and trouble. He was going through a rough and public divorce with Amrita Singh, and wasn’t even allowed to meet his children, Sara and Ibrahim Ali Khan. What’s more, paying up the divorce settlements and alimony reportedly left him on the verge of bankruptcy.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Saif opened up about his troubles. “My wife and I have gone our separate ways. I respect my wife’s space. But why am I being constantly reminded of how terrible a husband I was, and how awful a father I am” he had said.

“I’ve my son Ibrahim’s photograph in my wallet. Each time I look at it, I feel like crying. I miss my daughter Sara all the time. I’m not allowed to meet my children. They aren’t allowed to come to visit me, let alone stay with me. Why? Because there’s a new woman in my life who’d influence my children against their mother. That’s so much hogwash and Amrita knows it,” he had added, referring to model Rosa Catalano, who he dated for three years.

Talking about the divorce arrangement, he had said, “I’m supposed to give Amrita Rs 5 crore, of which I’ve already given her approximately Rs 2.5 crore. Also, I’m paying Rs 1 lakh per month until my son becomes 18. I’m not Shah Rukh Khan. I don’t have that kind of money. I’ve promised her I’ll pay up the rest of the money, and I will, even if I’ve to slog till I drop dead.”

However, he did add that things were looking up for him. “Rosa and I stay in a pokey two-room apartment. Still, I’ve never been more at peace with myself. After a long long time I feel my self-worth has returned…Today, if I’ve found someone who actually makes me feel I’m worth something, what’s wrong with it? Earlier, I had hit such a rock bottom with my self-esteem that I’d be shocked if someone complimented me for my looks! Today if someone says something nice, I say, ‘That’s fine. Stars are supposed to be complimented’.”

Today, Saif is happier than ever. His relationship with Sara has improved considerably, and he’s often commented on how proud he is of her.

Saif himself is coming off of the huge critical and commercial success of his Netflix series, Sacred Games.

“So the saying goes, there are two dogs barking over your shoulder, fear or determination. Which one wins? The one you feed. Never feed the dog who’s afraid.” – Katy Evans.