Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; June 9, 2017)

Salman Khan and Sohail Khan are teaming up on screen after seven years in Kabir Khan’s Tubelight that releases on June 23. While Sohail may look convincing as Salman’s on-screen brother, he wasn’t the first choice for the role.

It’s all about the chemistry
Kabir originally wanted to cast an A-list actor to play Salman’s brother’s role, and Akshay Kumar was one of the three names he had in mind while scripting it. Kabir corroborates, “Instead of a real brother, I thought we should get another actor and create the chemistry on screen.” Although he claims that he had not finalised anyone, there were some actors in contention who he thought would be perfect for the role, Akshay being one of them. “That was while we were developing the script, and before we could decide, I was convinced by Sohail. Maybe, with another actor, I would have had to spend time and create the chemistry that Salman and Sohail share,” Kabir says.

Real brotherhood
Salman confirms, “They wanted someone bigger so that we could crack the number game and earn more at the box office.” However, Salman was keen on getting Sohail on-board since their equation as brothers would translate on screen convincingly. The actor adds, “I wanted to be really comfortable, and honestly, with Sohail, I didn’t need to act too much. The emotions came automatically.” As a producer, more than getting the cash registers ringing, Bhai was concerned with making the brotherhood seem real. “So when you see the tears in the film, sometimes, they are my own emotions as a brother.”

Hardworking Sohail
Now, Kabir is happy that he cast Sohail in the film. “We put Sohail through a lot of hard work, like making him sprint across the mountains of Ladakh — anybody else in his place would have said, ‘I’m out of this place’, but Sohail kept going even with his oxygen pump in hand. Sohail’s is a dignified character in the film. People will love him, I am sure,” Kabir signs off.