The only thing constant about Saif Ali Khan seems to be his inconstancy. He frequently says yes to projects, but then says no - and woman directors appear to be at the gravest risk.

What he did to Aparna Sen's "Gulel" was too cruel to be funny.

She convinced him that he was just right for a role in her first Hindi film. And she even got Saif's mother Sharmila Tagore to put in a word. Saif, then shooting for Karan Johar's "Kal Ho Na Ho" in the US, said yes, he might...he most probably will...And then disappeared on Sen.

Another woman director to be a casualty of Saif's dithering rationale is Zoya Akhtar. Her directorial debut "Luck By Chance" depended on the male star's availability.

But Saif seemed to have other plans. He decided "Luck By Chance" wasn't lucky for him. And never mind the fact that Zoya's brother Farhan Akhtar's "Dil Chahta Hai" gave Saif a new lease of professional life.

Off he went, leaving Zoya's project stranded. Sans Saif she decided to scrap the project and is now all set to make her directorial debut with another film. Needless to say, Saif will not be a part of her new cast. And of course, Saif has broken one more heart.

That is not all. Debutant director Anand Surapur waited patiently for Saif to make up his mind about "The Fakir". But finally he signed Farhan Akhtar for the role.

Why does Saif do this so often?

Says a top producer-director, "Post 'Kal Ho Na Ho', where he rubbed shoulders with Shah Rukh Khan, and 'Hum Tum', where he proved himself as the lead actor, Saif should have been flying high.

"Instead he has chosen to go off at a tangent. By making himself completely inaccessible he's simply reversing all the wonderful things that he had done for himself after Farhan's film."

Recently, the popular talent-scouting contest "Indian Idol's" organizers were at the receiving end of his confused nature. They invited him as a special guest on the show.

Saif said he was delighted but he changed his mind at the last minute and informed them that he was "unwell". Oh well. They had no choice but to go with his decision.