Saaki

Who is Saaki?

Saaki (born Aalim Zaib Wani on 1 January 1992) is an Indian film actor, producer and politician, who works in Bollywood films.

Saaki made his Bollywood debut in film Kya Meri Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai (2021), starring Jassi Gill and Surbhi Jyoti, in which Saaki played the role of a friend of Jassi Gill, and he was also a production coordinator and assistant aerial cinematographer in this film. The film was produced by Dhaval Jayantilal Gada and Aksshay Jayantilal Gada, under the banner of Pen India Limited, and directed by Ssaurabh Tyagi. Before appearing film Kya Meri Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai (2021), Saaki has appeared in so many projects, he first appeared in commercial ad Marriage Invitation in 2011, in which Saaki made his acting debut, advertisement debut, as well as television debut, with a christian role, and began his acting career.

Saaki then appeared in documentary film Struggle (2014), which was made by members of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, on the struggle life of Saaki, in which Saaki made his documentary film debut, with a lead role, which was produced by Garima Pareek, under the banner of Golden Girl Productions, and directed by Rupak Das. The film was expected to show in an International Film Festival worldwide in 2014, with hindi and english subtitles, and has been shot in Mumbai, but the film was put on hold, due to dispute between director and producer.

After that Saaki appeared in short film Happy Diwali (2017), which becomes his short film debut, in which Saaki played singh sahab's assistant role, which was produced by Amarjeet Singh Chawla, and directed by Pankaj Kumar. Saaki also appeared in tv serial Pyaar Mein Savdhan (2017), in which Saaki played the role of a police constable, which becomes his tv serial debut.

Early Life And Background:

Saaki was born on 1 January 1992 in Manasbal, in the Indian administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, into a Wani family, a Muslim to father Abdul Latif Wani, an engineer of roads and buildings and mother Haleema Wani, a homemaker. Saaki's hometown is in Beerwah, and he is the paternal grandson of Kh. Sanaullah Wani, who was a major of the Indian Army, he is also the paternal grandnephew, as well as maternal grandnephew of Kh. Abdul Samad Wani, who was a famous Kashmiri journalist, chief editor, politician, owner of the largest weekly newspapers named Weekly Kasheer and Weekly Azad Kashmir and the special advisor to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir.

In 1996, Saaki joined the Tyndale Biscoe & Mallinson School, Tangmarg. He was the best sportsperson of his school, and received so many awards in school. He learned martial arts, when he was at the age of 6. He played many national games, as well as the Taekwondo Federation of India has selected Saaki from Jammu and Kashmir, who will represent the country India, in the World Taekwondo Championships, which was held in Malaysia and Iran, but he has cancelled the tour, because his passport was not ready on time, due to application pending at the passport office. Later Saaki was instructed by higher authority of Taekwondo Federation of India, to qualify Black Belt from Sahara India Pariwar, but his parents didn’t allow him to qualify Black Belt from Sahara India Pariwar. Saaki had always wanted to be an actor since his childhood. He was so crazy for Bollywood and fashionable from his childhood. He used to participate in every activities like cultural programs, acting, dancing, singing, martial arts, cc ran, rafting, skiing, paragliding, skating, rock climbing, painting, sports etc. during his school days.

In 2009, Saaki completed his higher secondary studies in SAM Higher Secondary School, Beerwah, and went Government Degree College, Bemina in 2010, for his bachelor’s degree, but due to bad situations in Kashmir, he left the college after studied there for 3 months, and went Shahid Bhagat Singh College of Physical Education, Amravati in the same year 2010, for his bachelor's degree. However, during his college days, he felt that the idea of acting and dancing was far-fetched, and he focused on acting, dancing, martial arts and sports. While pursuing his Bachelor of Physical Education degree from Shahid Bhagat Singh College of Physical Education, Amravati, Saaki again became interested in acting and dancing, and he started modelling in Amravati. After completing his Bachelor of Physical Education degree from Shahid Bhagat Singh College of Physical Education, Amravati in 2013, Saaki moved to Mumbai to pursue his acting and dancing course from his teacher Amit Pathak, who is pass out from National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, while there he decided to pursue his acting and dancing classes besides studying. After completing his acting and dancing course, Saaki went Indira Priyadarshani College of Physical Education, Bhopal in 2014, for his master's degree, there he completed his master’s degree in 2016, and came back to Mumbai, and started giving auditions for films. In 2018, Saaki was appointed as a government Physical Education teacher in Kashmir, but left it in 2021, to pursue his Bollywood career, as well as Political career seriously.

Personal Life:

Saaki like to keep his personal life away from his career. He don't like to share his personal life with anyone, he like to keep it private. He think people should not care about his personal life, they should care about his performance. He don't like to talk about his relationship. He is also a non vegetarian person. He is not a smoker or drinker or a shopping freak, he usually shop for clothes, fashionable things and electronics. He think the success should not be measured, by how much money you make, or by how many films you do, he think success is monitored, by your perception of success, and how much of it you have, is a personal choice. He like acting and dancing, he think its really fun, and he enjoy it. He love to make friends and fans. He really love his friends and fans.

Film And Television Career:

Saaki’s film and television career began in 2011, while giving the audition in the Da Media Matiz, Amravati, and got selected for commercial ad Marriage Invitation, in which Saaki made his acting debut, advertisement debut, as well as television debut, with a christian role. In 2012, Saaki got his first Bollywood project in Amravati, in film Baromas, which was released in 2013, in which Saaki was a production assistant. Saaki made his career in Bollywood in very young age, when he was 18 years old. Saaki drew his inspiration for always wanted to be an actor, ever since he was a little kid. He knew that he had to do something related to performing arts, and he enjoyed acting and dancing the most, as it incorporated so many different art forms. He must say, he was a very filmy kid. He used to watch a lot of TV, and get very influenced by Bollywood. However, Saaki realised that getting a break in the film industry was not at all easy, as it was mostly people with a filmy background, who got the prime opportunities in Bollywood. Feeling that the idea of acting was too far-fetched, Saaki focussed on his second passion that of acting, dancing, martial arts and sports.

When director Rupak Das came to know about the struggle of Saaki, that too struggling in such a teen age in Mumbai, without anyone’s support, he invited Saaki to Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, and discussed with him about his struggling life, and then he wrote the script on the struggle life of Saaki, and few months later he casted Saaki in his documentary film Struggle, which was based on the struggle life of Saaki, in which Saaki made his documentary film debut, with a lead role, which was produced by Garima Pareek, under the banner of Golden Girl Productions, and directed by Rupak Das. The film was expected to show in an International Film Festival worldwide in 2014, with hindi and english subtitles, and has been shot in Mumbai, but the film was put on hold, due to dispute between director and producer. During his struggling period, Saaki was having accommodation problem, and he believes struggles start when we came out of mother’s womb, and it was his friend Ravi Rana, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), who gave him free accommodation in Government MLA hostel, Nariman Point, Mumbai. After getting accommodation problem solved, now Saaki wants to adjust in Bollywood, which was not so easy for him, so after struggling a lot, he took help from his friends specially Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the president of Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and Nazir Ahmad Khan, the former general secretary of Jammu & Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and the former senior leader of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP), who phone called to his friend Prithviraj Chavan, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, for the help of Saaki, and then Prithviraj Chavan invited Saaki to his office, and discussed with him about various problems which Saaki was facing, and later Prithviraj Chavan phone called to Mahesh Bhatt, the famous director and producer of Bollywood, for the entry of Saaki in Bollywood.

Mahesh Bhatt invited Saaki to his office, and handover him to his nephew Mohit Suri, the famous director of Bollywood, then Mohit Suri handover him to Karan Darra, the director of film Khamoshiyan and associate director of film Aashiqui 2, who took Saaki Delhi for shooting of documentary film Rajjo De-Na, in which Saaki was a second assistant director and production coordinator, which began shooting in 2017, but production delays the releasing date, and was shown in an International Film Festival worldwide later in 2018, which was produced by Amarjeet Singh Chawla, under the banner of Creative Concept Films. During the shooting of documentary film Rajjo De-Na, the producer Amarjeet Singh Chawla casted Saaki in his short film Happy Diwali, which was released on Diwali in 2017, which becomes his short film debut, in which Saaki played singh sahab’s assistant role, and was also a second assistant director in that short film, which was directed by Pankaj Kumar. Later with same director Karan Darra, Saaki did another project, in which Saaki was a second assistant director and production controlar in short film Raging Tides, which was released in 2017, which was produced by Siddhanth Sinha and Kumaresh Bhatt. After that Saaki was invited by his friend producer Prem Rajput to his office, where he gave him break in 2 episodes in tv serial Pyaar Mein Savdhan, which was telecasted on Anjaan TV in 2017, in which Saaki played the role of a police constable, which becomes his tv serial debut.

In 2019, Saaki was invited by his friend producer Chirag Dhariwal, the son of producer Mahendra Dhariwal, to his office, and gave him the film Lucky, starring Sunny Leone, Mandana Karimi, Brahmanandam and Sunil, in which Saaki was an fourth assistant director of T.L.V. Prasad, one of the famous director of Bollywood, the film was later released in 2023. After completing the shooting of film Lucky, producer Chirag Dhariwal casted Saaki in his next film Kya Meri Sonam Gupta Bewafa Hai, starring Jassi Gill and Surbhi Jyoti, in which Saaki made his Bollywood debut, and played the role of a friend of Jassi Gill, and he was also a production coordinator and assistant aerial cinematographer in this film. The film was produced by Dhaval Jayantilal Gada and Aksshay Jayantilal Gada, under the banner of Pen India Limited, and directed by Ssaurabh Tyagi, the film was released in 2021. After that Saaki did Holi song Rang Rasiya, in which Saaki was an executive producer, which was released on Holi in the same year 2021. Later Saaki got many offers for tv serials, but he has rejected the offer, because he always wanted to be a film actor, instead of tv serial actor.

Political Career:

Saaki’s political career began in 2011, when he first time met his friend Ravi Rana, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), at his residence in Amravati, and became the part time worker of the Yuva Swabhiman Party, an independent political party founded in Maharashtra in 2009, by Ravi Rana. In ending 2014, Ravi Rana gave him free accommodation in Government MLA hostel, Nariman Point, Mumbai, where he met so many politicians of different parties, high ranking government officers, including high ranking army and police officers, and was in touch with them, and later it was his friend Sanjay Nirupam, the president of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), who asked him to join Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC).

On other side, his Kashmiri politician friends were asking Saaki, to join their political party in Jammu and Kashmir, because he was staying in Mumbai, so that was not possible for him, to join any political party in Jammu and Kashmir. Later he joined Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), and became one of the member of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), and was in touch with Sanjay Nirupam, the president of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) and Prithviraj Chavan, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Saaki has friendly and strong relation with powerful politicians, religious leaders, high ranking government officers, including high ranking army and police officers, famous journalists and public figures in India.

Religion:

Saaki is also the scholar of comparative religion. Previously he was working for Dr Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Mumbai and was also working for Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's CPS International, New Delhi. Saaki has very vast knowledge and deep understanding, of all the religious scriptures, such as quran, bible, vedas, upanishad, bhagavad gita, guru granth sahib etc.

He said according to all the religious scriptures, there is only one God, with so many names. He also said according to all the religious scriptures, Prophets, Messengers and Revelations (Books), were sent by God, in every age, in every period, to each and every nation of the world, for the guidance of human beings. According to Saaki, while he strongly believes in Islam, he use to clear the misconceptions about all the religions, and he also use to give Da'wah to the non-Muslims. He has given many Islamic books and other religious scriptures to famous Bollywood celebrities and many other non-Muslims.