If his performance at the Zee Cine Awards a fews days ago wasn’t proof enough of his return to good health, here comes confirmation of the same from a very reliable source. Says the actor’s baby sister Soha Ali Khan, “Saif is doing fine. His health is good and he’s recovered really fast.” 

The ‘Rang De Basanti’ star admits though that the family was under great stress when Saif was hospitalised for chest pain. However, she says, the episode did have its positive side — the biggest one being Saif giving up smoking.

“Saif can’t smoke now. If he does, it will be reported or people will go straight to our mother and tell her what he has been up to,” she smiles, referring to mum Sharmila Tagore’s strict orders to Saif to give up the ‘death stick’.

However, she rubbishes rumours of her brother getting back to his old habits. “Saif has quit smoking. He surely is not allowed to smoke under my watch. Also, as I said earlier, it’s become very tough for Saif to smoke. If he is caught smoking, we will get to know,” she says.

So, when she’s not keeping a watchful eye on her brother, what is the pretty young actor up to? “I’ve just finished shooting Prakash Jha’s film ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ with Shiney Ahuja and will soon start work on two more films – one is a Sudhir Mishra film and the other a UTV production,” she says.

And if you haven’t seen too much of her of late, she has a reason: “I will only accept substantial roles. I will not act in films where women are just props or accessories. And, at present, I’m not excited about the roles that are coming my way. That’s okay, though, I’m really not in any hurry.”

Finally, we dare to ask her once more – is she dating Dharmendra’s nephew Abhay Deol? “We are just friends. I am a person who makes friends with people I work with. Is that wrong?” she retorts.