‘I HAVE ONLY USED MY BROTHERS’
says Salman Khan as he talks to NIKITA WADHAWAN about sibblings Sohail-Arbaaz, Tubelight and regrets
Superstar alman Khan is still recovering from his Sultan injuries but that does not refrain him from promoting his new film. Standing and addressing all the questions Salman talks about his upcoming movie, the change in his acting style, revealing that he is not part of ABCD 3 and much more. Excerpts from the interview.
Do you feel half the battle is won as the songs and the trailers are getting phenomenon response?
You can’t say anything before the release. Your Friday, weekend and overseas collection decides the faith of the movie and this is the time when your hard-core fans go to watch the movie. But the real life of the movie you know on the weekdays. Moreover after Eid if the country is peaceful and so many other things are there that the fate of film.
First the Indo-Sino part of the film was creating a buzz but now after the trailer, the brother’s angle is dominating the news. What do you want to say about that?
There is everything, but the plot of the film is brothers. It has a love story, my character has to face his own demons, we have a kid involved, a heroine as well and much more. But the main story is about the brothers and the kid in the movie is just amazing child ever. Martin Ray is the most amazing kid ever and I’m wished he could be here for the promotions. He is playing a Chinese boy and can speak Hindi, this was a surprise but I have revealed it now. He is not an over smart kid, he is on a different level all together. Did you research about the 1962 war? No, I didn’t as I was very bad in history, even in school I used to forget the whole thing after I gave the exam. A quality I regret even today.
What do you want to say about your character in the film?
There is something pure about the character. I may have some of his quality when I was young, but that was a long time ago. When I accepted the role I realised that if I overdo it, and then would end up looking like a fraud. Going so deep done into the emotions takes a toll on you.
People are now saying that you have taken acting seriously after Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sultan, has your attitude towards the profession changed?
I have become more serious about the scripts I choose. Like for Bajrangi the script and the story was so powerful that I didn’t have to do anything. All I had to do was carry her and walk. This movie is different as the emotional quotient of the film is higher. I am still reeling from Sultan injuries. Now I have signed Tiger Zinda Hai like a fool and jumping off buildings, my knee is going to come out of the socket one day. Also now I am doing a dancing film. I didn’t realise that dancing is all about gymnastics right now.
Your star power has overpowered their career. How different are both of them in acting?
They are very different. Sohail and Arbaaz had no intention of becoming actors at that time. I made it, they didn’t. Arbaaz was even offered Khiladi but he didn’t do it as he wasn’t interested in acting and was taken out of Dhadkan. Arbaaz has superb luck. As an older brother I have only used them. This and various other things that we have done together won’t have been possible without my brothers.
With the advent of Netflix and other such mediums it has become difficult to draw the audience. How do you plan to deal with this situation?
The only way to deal with it is to draw the people to the movie with posters and trailers in the theatres. Also with promos on TV and making sure that people know about the release of the film though print. As people who visit theatres, visit it again and again. Even when I go to theatres I see the poster and trailers before the film start to stay updated about upcoming films. It is the best and cheapest form of publicity ever. Before TV we used to promote a film on radio or theatre promos and the film used to run for 100 or 200 days. I still think it works.
Do you feel that you had taken your fans for granted in the past with average movies?
No, it is just that I tried my best to choose from average scripts. All my energy used to go into improving the script and now we have reached to this level.
You have helped a lot of people. Do you regret helping some of them? Yes, for the longest time. Then I let it go. People also say that there can never be another star like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman or Aamir. Do you believe that?
That is not true at all. Actor wise I don’t think there was anyone bigger than Dilip Kumar. Star power wise no one can beat Rajesh Khanna and Kumar Gaurav. They can’t be matched. How is the movie ABCD 3 going? I am not doing ABCD. Just because it is a dance film doesn’t make it ABCD. ABCD is produced by Disney and this dance film I am producing.
How does stardom affect you as a person?
There are different types of people. No matter what position you are or high you are. You always think about from where you started and continue with the same sincerity. Then the guys who are not doing well, it shows on their face. You should not care about that, you should only worry about your character.