Saif Ali Khan denies he got into a physical fight with some rowdy fans who insisted on shaking hands with an unwilling Kareena Kapoor during shooting in Ladakh.

Saif, who has just completed a gruelling schedule of Yash Raj Films' "Tashan in Ladakh", told: "Yes, there was an unpleasant incident. But it didn't end with me getting physical with anyone."

So what happened?

"Some guy wanted to shake hands with Kareena. The lady didn't want to. We requested the 'fan' to respect her feelings. The guy chose to get offended and called five of his friends."

Ever since Saif and Kareena came together for J.P. Dutta's "LOC", they've shared a very special bonding. So it comes as no surprise if Saif stepped in to rescue her from aggressive fan attention.

However, before anything untoward could happen in Ladakh, Saif and the "Tashan" team called the security.

"If they were five, we called 11 security personnel. For a while there was a loud and heated argument in Marathi, and that was that. However let me repeat, I didn't have to resort to physical violence to protect the lady. The security intervened quickly."

Incidentally, Saif has grown a moustache for his role in "Tashan".

"It's part of that discipline I've acquired during 'Omkara'. There, I was so apprehensive about shaving off my head. Once I got over the typical star-vanity of looking glamorous I realised a physical makeover makes a helluva difference to the characterisation."

Watch out for more of Saif's altered physicality in his coming films.