Every time Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif unite on screen, the makers feel the responsibility of upping the ante from their last offering. Choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant felt it too, when she was roped in to design Leke Prabhu Ka Naam for Tiger 3.

“I have been a part of Ek Tha Tiger [2012], Tiger Zinda Hai [2017], and now Tiger 3. With this song, the intention was to do bigger and better,” begins Merchant. First things first, she wanted a dramatic background. Producer Aditya Chopra and director Maneesh Sharma knew just the place—Cappadocia, known for its rock formations, caves, and hot air balloon rides.

The dance number, composed by Pritam, was shot over five days in the central Turkish region. After Tiger Zinda Hai’s Swag Se Swagat, the choreographer made the lead couple strap on their dancing shoes again.

“I feel when there are two good-looking people together, half the [job is done]. Plus, their chemistry and the ease with which they command the frame draw people. The moment you bring Salman in front of the camera, half the battle is won because he is so good-looking. You can shoot him from any angle, and he’ll look handsome. Katrina is a simple girl who would rather sit in her pyjamas. But when facing the camera, she comes alive. She is very particular about [her look], from her accessories to shoes.”

While Kaif is known for her smooth moves, the real surprise of Leke Prabhu Ka Naam is Khan. The superstar is seen dancing his heart out. Merchant attributes it to the energy on the day of the shoot.

“In Cappadocia, we [got an enthusiastic] reception from the locals. They are big fans of Bollywood films, and they all knew Salman Khan. So, when he walked in to see the first rehearsal, they all cheered for him. He felt like a rockstar. That’s why he is looking the way he does in the song.”

And what about that hook step? “Hook steps are never conceived with a lot of thinking; it’s an instinct. When we play the song, I start to groove, my assistants follow the move, and we record it. Then I imagine [the lead stars] doing it.”

Tiger 3, which also stars Emraan Hashmi, has been shot in India, Turkey, Russia and Austria.

Actress Malvika Raaj, best known as the younger Poo, a character made famous by Kareena Kapoor in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, is now engaged. She took to Instagram early this month to share pictures from her dreamy engagement with businessman Pranav Bagga in Cappadocia, Turkey amid hot air balloons. In an exclusive interview with Bombay Times, Malvika spills the bins on her upcoming wedding, memories of K3G, her film family roots and her eternal love story. Excerpts…

I will get married by the end of this year. I want mine to be an intimate destination wedding near Mumbai because I want my dog to attend the ceremony. I want my close friends and family in attendance. My family itself is big so we will plan something where we all can stay together and enjoy the festivities. Not just me but half of India grew up dreaming of weddings as shown in Karan Johar movies. I am sure most girls aspire to have a Bollywood style wedding. However, I was slightly different as a child. I was a tomboy. But I wanted to fall in love the way people do in Bollywood movies and get a dreamy proposal which I was lucky enough to have.

It was spontaneous, romantic and beautiful. Love was literally in the air. I had gone to Turkey for my cousin’s wedding. My sister and Pranav (fiancé) planned this thing where we go to Cappadocia before the wedding to explore it and try out the hot air balloon ride, etc. The two teamed up secretly. My sister got my outfits ready; they got the whole setup ready for pictures, there was a violinist, photographer, and a videographer. You can’t say no to any boy who proposes to you like that (smiles). When I woke up that day, I just thought we were going for the hot air balloon ride. But my sister asked me to wear this dress and I got a hint. I still told myself that I shouldn’t overthink. As soon as I saw the setup, I knew it was true. It was the sweetest thing, and I enjoyed the process.

About five years back, Pranav had casually asked me that if I were to get proposed, at what place would that be? I just said in a dreamy way, hot air balloon and he remembered that. That’s how Turkey was decided. A person who makes efforts and remembers these small things in life, that’s when you know he’s the one.

We have been together for a long time and have been friends before that. We are from Mumbai and live five minutes away from each other. We met through mutual friends in college. Sometimes, when you meet a person, you just know you are going to land up with them. There was instant attraction from his end. He has his bridal couture line and a couple other businesses, he’s an entrepreneur and a workaholic.

We complete each other’s sentences. It usually never happens in the first stage of dating, but it happened to us. Pranav and I are spiritually connected. We felt like we had known each other all our lives. That kept us close, and the bond is still there. He is not from the film industry and sometimes a non-film person may not understand what goes on in an actor’s life. He was patient enough to understand that.

He told me, “I will wait for you whenever you are ready to take the plunge,” and he did wait for long. The way he can read my silences and words, that attracted me to him. We both are so likeminded. Our ideologies match. When two souls are meant to be together, love feels like a breeze.

For me, Love is secondary. Respect and trust are sacrosanct. They are key to a healthy relationship. If there is no respect or trust, there’s no love. I grew up in a house where my parents are still madly in love with each other. They also dated for a long time before tying the knot. For me, togetherness, love and family matter the most. I am inspired by my parents when it comes to love.

I grew up hearing this tag ‘Young Poo from K3G’ (Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham). I guess that’s going to be my identity for life no matter what I do. Even if I win an Oscar, it will be said, “K3G child actor wins an Oscar” (smiles). It’s going to be my claim to fame for the rest of my life. But I love it, I am honoured and proud to be a small part of such an iconic movie.

I am only in touch with Karan Johar sir, I once bumped into Shah Rukh Khan sir and the charmer that he is, he is the sweetest. I am his biggest fan. I have also met Hrithik Roshan, Kajol on occasions. Though I played the younger Poo, I have never met Kareena Kapoor in my life. I have never seen her, nor bumped into her at events. People compare me so much to her. I would love to meet her face to face and click a picture someday. She’s stunning.

My grandfather was an actor. His name is Jagdish Raj (known for playing cop roles), my aunt Anita Raj is an actress. My dad used to make films too. He made many films with Govinda and Sanjay Dutt in the early 90’s. But K3G didn’t come to me because I belonged to a film family. I auditioned in school for the film. They didn’t even know about my family when I was selected. My grandfather and Karan sir’s father (Producer Yash Johar) have worked together on films before. He didn’t know that before. Once I was selected, my mom told Karan sir about it and he was thrilled to discover that.

I just shot two films in London, at the end of the year or early next year I will have many films lined up for release. I am already going crazy as I also have my wedding to plan but I am a chillzilla, not bridezilla. I am not relaxed at all as I am Virgo but I am good at assigning work to people (laughs). I love sharing my personal life on Instagram. I would love to share my wedding day with everyone as well. I believe in sharing my happiness.

Nargis Fakhri has been filming the Azhar biopic in London since early July. The actress, who plays the former Indian cricket captain's second wife, Sangeeta Bijlani, in the film, turned globetrotter and environmentalist while on a week-long work assignment in Turkey.

The actress who was travelling alone befriended a pregnant horse in Cappadocia before heading out for the famous balloon tour which she describes as a “surreal experience“ that should be on every wanderers checklist.

On Monday, she completed two tours, the caves and the Goreme National Park, and then, spent her evening street shopping, visiting the local sights, taking a cheat day from her diet, and enjoying every minute of her stay in the ancient Greek colony. She bought a few organic lamps from the local market made from dried pumpkins, squash and gourds.

“This is the Valley of love. We take things like clean air and water for granted. The greatest threat to our environment is the belief that someone else will come and save it. Each of us has a responsibility to do our part and I am using less plastic, recycling and saving water,“ the actress urges.

Today, Nargis flies off to the capital city of Istanbul, promising to return to Capaddocia. “It's an exhilarating destination,“ she sighs. The actress, who will be seen in the Tony D'Souza directorial, will fly back to the UK on Thursday for a two-week schedule, which will include scenes at the Lord's Cricket Grounds.