Cover Story
You are playing the role of Lakshman Prasad in Tubelight!
Yes. I play the interesting role of Lakshman Prasad whose younger brother goes to fight against the Chinese in the Indo-China war. in the film Tubelight. Basically, it revolves around the emotional relationship between two brothers. I did not need to use glycerin during the emotional scenes since my real life brother Sohail Khan is playing my brother in Tubelight too.
Is the film Tubelight a rip off from the film Little Brother?
Tube light is not an exact Xerox copy of Little Brother. I have not seen the film but Kabir Khan who had seen the film was inspired by it and has focused on the emotional portions of the film and set out to made Tubelight in keeping with the Indian sentiments. Kabir has also seen the ad film on Black Label and also inspired by it. The film is set in the backdrop of Indio-China war in Kumao regiment in the 60’s.
How did you prepare for your part of Lakshman Prasad in Tubelight?
You would not believe it but I have shaped my character based on two people I know in real life. They are Parvez who is my body double in my films and Mahesh Manjrekar’s son Satya. I asked Mahesh who is my good friend to send to my home his son so that I could observe him at close quarters and imbibe his qualities. He is very simple at heart and innocent.
“In my career, with the exception of Subhashji and David Dhawan,II have worked most of the times with only new directors”
How important is the story for a film?
My biggest plus point is that I am the son of a writer and hence I have a strong sense of story. If the story is good, even if a film is bad, it will run but if the story is bad a film has no chance of running at all.
You mean to say that you cannot fool the audiences anymore?
Yes. You cannot any longer fool the audiences by packing up a film with action by blowing up fancy cars over the cliff. Only emotion can serve as a connect. We can all go wrong with the end product even if we may end up thinking that we have made yet another Sholay or Moghul E Azam.
How is Zu Zu as an actress?
Zu Zu, who is the leading lady of Tubelight is a hard working and professional actress from China. Her name is pronounced as Ju Ju
Is Shah Rukh Khan giving a special appearance in Tubelight?
Yes. Shah Rukh Khan has been very generous and kind enough to agree to do a guest appearance in Tubelight. All that I can divulge at the moment about his role is that he plays the biggest turning point in the film Tubelight.
What was your reaction when you saw the trailer of Tubelight?
I became emotional when I saw the trailer for the first time when Amar Butala, the CEO of my company showed it to me. I still miss Omji with whom I have acted in several films. I have lost my colleagues like VK Sir, Omji and Reemaji in the recent four months this year.
Is it true that you had started your career by joining director Shashilal Nair as his assistant?
Yes. My dad had asked me to assist director Shashilal Nair when he was making the Jackie Shroff starrer Falak, because he felt that I would not be able to click in Hindi films as an actor and didn’t want me to experience the heart breaks which he had experienced as a struggling actor. However, luckily for me, his fears proved to be unfounded and today I am busy as a star.
You are now the Czar among the stars whose films have crossed the coveted 100 cr, with films like Ready, Bodyguard, Dabangg, Ek Tha Tiger, Dabangg 2, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Sultan. How do you feel being a part of the league?
My filmi funda is very simple. Every film will not necessarily cross the 100 cr league just because I am in it. If a film is bad, it will definitely not cross the 100 cr plus mark. It is not easy but it is achievable now, if a film is good. It was difficult to believe that a film can gross 100 cr plus five years back but now it is quite possible.
“Tomorrow I might not be there but my Trust Being Human will conmtinue”
Can we hail you as the Rajanikant of Bollywood?
Though I love Rajinikanth, I would not at all hesitate to state that if I reach anywhere close to him I will be really happy, considering the kind of person that he is.
What is your take on success?
I have my own pulse. I will succeed only if I believe that my own pulse is that of the audiences. As Salman Khan, I have become a megalomaniac. If I can deliver as Chulbul Pandey, it is fine but it is bad if I do my role as Salman Khan.
After having acted with established directors like Subhash Ghai, David Dhawan, how easy was it for you to work with a new director like Arbaaz Khan?
In my career, with the exception of Subhashji and David Dhawan, I have worked most of the times with only new directors, whether it was Karan Johar in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Khamoshi, Sajid Nadiadwala in Kick, Siddique in Bodyguard, Abhinav Kashyap in Dabangg, Prabhudheva in Wanted, Anees Bazmee in Ready or Arbaaz Khan in Dabangg 2.
You are a part of Tiger Zinda Hai. How tough is it to come up with a sequel?
It is very difficult to make a sequel. Even in the West, it is only Sylvester Stallion’s sequels to Rocky and Rambo that have done well at the box office. When you set out to make a sequel, you tend to get carried away. If it looks like we deliberately set out to make a comedy, it cannot be similar.
Is there any film in the offing where your father Salim Khan will write the subject?
People ask me why my father is not writing for any film when any director would gladly give his right arm to have a script written by the man who had written legendary films like Deewar and Sholay. I am glad that my father is enjoying his retired phase because frankly I do not think that he has the patience to deal with the directors and the kind of sensibilities that they come with today.
You seem to like action a lot!
To keep myself fit, I want to do action. I would love to do a film of action if it comes with a baggage of emotion. Whether it is an action film or an emotional film, the introductory fight has to be interesting enough to hold you as a viewer. The older you grow, the better you grow as an actor. If action is over, romance is over. I am glad that the kids today call me Salman or Salman Khan and not Salman Uncle. The younger lot of actors today is a superb lot because they come prepared on the sets.
Are you planning to do an out and out action film?
Action alone will be very boring. I’d not like to watch a film if it is not larger than life. It will be difficult to do an out and out action film like Jackie Chan does in film after film.
“I do not want to dabble in direction though my colleagues have already have”
People insist that you interfere with your directors. Is it true?
After Veer, in the interest of my films, I had decided that the final cut of my films will go only with my approval. I feel that what Aamir does is correct. I only hope that I do not take advantage of my stardom when I put my foot down
What next after Tubelight?
I have Sohail’s Sher Khan and also Sajid Nadiadwala’s Kick 2 and will soon start working on Tiger Zinda Hai.I am also all set to do a film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali after Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, besides a film on dancing with Remo Fernandez.
What does stardom mean to you?
Stardom means nothing to me. It means that if you can’t take appreciation in the right way, you could be destroyed. It’s also temporary and a difficult thing to handle. Treat success and fame as a fleeting experience because they will leave you feeling bitter, cynical, and angry. So all you can do is enjoy while it lasts. Tomorrow, I might not be here but my trust, BEING HUMAN, will continue. So someone who is as passionate as me about social work will take over. This person will have to show his inclination towards this work and I would gladly make him a part of BEING HUMAN. Today, my name is pulling in the money but what about tomorrow?
Do you believe in the number game?
If the fans come in, the numbers follow. If people like the movie, the numbers will go up. So I don’t concentrate on numbers, I focus on the film instead. Agar aap sirf numbers pe jaaoge, toh phir main cheez bhool jaaoge. Think about the subject and not the marketing of the subject.
How do you feel being Salman Khan?
I have no idea. I feel like I am a part of the aam junta (common people). I guess I’m someone who stands for them, I’m perhaps their voice or someone who they think is needed in that position. They believe that Salman Khan is very approachable and can relate to him. So I think that could be the only connect that they feel there ishere’s a man who wants to live a normal life and not that of a star.
You seem more inclined of late to promote your films in a big way!
Nowadays you have to spend more time to promote films. The new funda is that you need to devote at least 15 days to promote your films. I am game to tie up with corporate for the promotion of any film of mine in future provided they are ready to pay to my NGO Being Human or for needy and poor kids directly without deducting their administrative costs.
Have you thought in terms of taking up direction?
Yes. Though it is true that I take interest in every department of the film in which I am acting, whether it is the subject or the music or the action sequences, I still feel that I am not ready to be the captain of the ship. I do not want to dabble in direction, though I know for a fact that my colleagues like Sunny Deol, Ajay Devgn and Aamir Khan have already dabbled in direction. However, I am game to work with Aamir Khan if he is ready to direct a film with me, provided I get the time to do a film with him
Aamir has declared that he will tie your hands and feet to make you get married!
Yes. I have read somewhere that Aamir wants to make me get married and is ready to tie my hands and feet. I can only retort that I have also decided to tie his hands and feet to see to it that he does not get married a third time in his life. (Grins).
