DABANGG 3 just about managed to get 1 crore footfalls despite the failure of the film. This means that Salman Khan had just one miss in the gone decade where only one of his films failed to hit the 1 crore footfall mark, that is, VEER. One crore footfalls is basically a real 100 crore nett value at the box office be it 1970 or 2020. Obviously today 1 crore footfalls means much more than 100 crore nett at the box office and in a few years it will give even more as ticket rates go higher.

One crore footfalls also means reaching a sizeable audience although some films need to reach a bigger audience due to the size of the films and most Salman Khan films come into this category. The one miss was VEER (2010) which was his first release of the decade and became before DABANGG (2010) which established his image of a mass action superstar across India and then films like BODYGUARD, READY and EK THA TIGER rubber stamped this image. VEER actually scored in Rajasthan and Bihar but Salman Khan was not the same star at the time of this release as he was a year or two later.

Basically just one film under 1 crore footfalls through the whole decade means most of his films got an audience irrelevant of content. If we compare, then Aamir Khan had one film which fell under 1 crore footfalls in the 2000-2009 decade but there were just nine releases and Manoj Kumar had one miss in the 1970-1979 decade but only ten films. Limited films had a hand in not missing the 1 crore mark for Aamir Khan and Manoj Kumar.

The Salman Khan films of the last decade are also finding big audiences on television in the Coronavirus lockdown period especially the two TIGER films. As far as OTT goes its being said that these B and C grade web series which have foundations based on sex and profanities rather than story and screenplay are the rage in the lockdown period but just the price paid for Salman Khan starrers which is around 100 crore is enough to tell what has a bigger audience. TIGER ZINDA HAI, RACE 3, BHARAT and DABANGG 3 have all fetched this price or nearabouts it.

The footfalls of Salman Khan starrer in the last decade are as follows. There were sixteen releases in total.
1. Veer (2010) - 73,47,000
2. Dabangg (2010) - 2,50,86,000
3. Ready (2011) - 1,84,52,000
4. Bodyguard (2011) - 2,21,48,000
5. Ek Tha Tiger (2012) - 2,47,39,000
6. Dabangg 2 (2012) - 2,05,28,000
7. Jai Ho (2014) - 1,43,98,000
8. Kick (2015) - 2,41,92,000
9. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) - 3,54,17,000
10. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) - 2,22,76,000
11. Sultan (2016) - 3,20,85,000
12. Tubelight (2017) - 1,15,74,000
13. Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) - 3,08,89,000
14. Race 3 (2018) - 1,58,19,000
15. Bharat (2019) - 1,60,68,000
16. Dabangg 3 (2019) - 1,01,63,000

Ending 2019 with a bang with Dabangg 3, Salman on how he had envisioned cop caper as franchise even before first part hit screens
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 20, 2019)

Nine years and three films later, Chulbul Pandey feels like a second skin to Salman Khan. The superstar’s investment in the character is evident in the fact that he developed the idea that forms the crux of Dabangg 3. “It is difficult to take a franchise forward,” says Khan as the third instalment of the cop caper and one of the biggest releases of 2019 opens today amid high expectations.

The genesis of Dabangg, he explains, was rather humble — after all, in 2010, Khan was coming off a spate of flops with a sole hit in Wanted (2009) keeping him afloat. Attribute it to the wisdom that comes from being part of the industry for years or the good ol’ gut feeling, but Khan says he knew he had a winner in the Abhinav Kashyap-directed venture long before it hit screens. “We had kept Dabangg open-ended because we felt that we might come up with a [sequel]. At that point, Arbaaz [Khan, producer] asked if we were probably being a little pompous about the film’s [fate] by considering a sequel. I told him, ‘If the movie works, well and good; if not, there’s nothing we could do’. Fortunately, everyone liked it, so we made Dabangg 2 [2012].”

It took Khan seven years to find an apt story that would take the journey of Bollywood’s most loved cop forward. “I came up with the thought for this film, and with Arbaaz, kept improvising on it. We decided to explore Chulbul’s past, and that’s how the prequel was built. It’s always fun to shoot [for this franchise]. Now, when I walk on the sets of Dabangg, I automatically transform from Salman Khan to Chulbul.”

Each edition has seen a different director bring his flavour to it. Khan says director Prabhudheva’s understanding of the action genre made him the ideal fit for the latest part. “He brought in a different kind of heroism from the South. He understands how one should bring in elements of romance and humour into a film.” 

Wajid with Muskaan and her father, Sajid

Dabangg composers Sajid-Wajid on superstar Salman Khan's role in reinventing soundtrack for the third part of the sequel, and how Sajid's daughter Muskaan's association with the film was a stroke of luck
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; December 2, 2019)

One may attribute it to the fact that he is veteran writer Salim Khan's son, but when caught in his element, Salman Khan's wordplay can be quite delightful to witness. We've seen it during his stint as the host of reality show Bigg Boss, and even in interviews. But Dabangg 3 music directors Sajid-Wajid promise that it is, in fact, while ideating for his comic-action franchise that Khan is quite the fireball.

"Salman bhai likes to throw bouncers and check our reaction to them. In fact, we don't even take his jokes lightly," laughs Sajid, before pointing out that Munna badnam hua, the track that's currently the talk of the town, was in fact Khan's brainchild. "For the world, he may be a hero; but for me, he is a musical guy. His inputs on this soundtrack were extremely meaningful. Often, he'd use a phrase or word, and ask me if it could be added to a certain portion of the song. He is a thinking actor, and a lot of his ideas were put into play when creating the soundtrack for Dabangg."

Placed in a position to create the soundtrack for the third edition of a franchise that has so far received acclaim for both its storyline and music, the duo agrees that keeping the songs as fresh as possible was their primary concern. "Since this edition is a prequel, we enjoyed several liberties. If you notice, in Dabangg 2, the melody was mature to reflect the character's married life. Here, there is a freedom that the character enjoys, and [we could depict that] through the romantic tracks," says Sajid, as Wajid points to a tool they employed to further keep the music attuned with their needs. "We used live instruments too to make the songs come alive. On international turf, scores are [recorded] live. It's sad that in our country, the trend is dying. Unlike the way it was 25 years ago, one needs to actually scout for people who can do this today."

Even though the duo "missed" working with the singers they usually collaborate with — including Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan — employing a fresh set of singers, they believe, has done them much good. "We used combinations that haven't been explored so far, like pairing Shreya Ghoshal with Jubin Nautiyal. We also [employed] Badshah, and Salman Ali." Wajid adds that frequent collaborator Singh was kept away from the title track, because he's offered that way too often. "He's so brilliant that I think he should be employed for [more complicated] songs. He too says he's tired of singing title tracks." But, for the duo, the high point of roping in singers for this film lies in the selection of Muskaan.

Sajid's daughter's appointment as the voice of Saiee Manjrekar, says the father, was a stroke of luck. "Salman bhai had requested several friends' daughters, who were pursuing music, to test for this part. At that time, I didn't want to use my daughter, since he was already looking for people. However, once, during a visit to his home, [my associate] happened to play a cover song that had been recorded by Muskaan. Salman bhai, who was in the washroom, came out and enquired about it. He asked for the song to be played again, and on learning that it was Muskaan singing, told me, 'Tell her, welcome to the Dabangg family'."

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; October 12, 2019)

Salman Khan is all set to bring his Chulbul Pandey avatar on screen again. This one will be directed by Prabhudeva, and recently, he shared the teaser of the film on social media. From the khaki vardi, aviator glasses to the pencil mooch, the actor is sporting it all once again as seen in the glimpses of the third installment of the franchise.

What one can’t miss is the red-yellow thread tied around his wrist. Interestingly, just like the upcoming film, the poster of Dabangg 2 had also featured Salman wearing a sacred thread around his wrist. He had also sported the same in part one of the franchise. The actor’s costume designer and good friend Ashley Rebello reveals that he got this thread from the holy destination of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). He said, “Back in 2010, during Dabangg, we got these sacred threads from a shop in Varanasi. People from UP (Uttar Pradesh) wear this thread around their wrist. Since Salman’s character hails from UP, we made him wear that in the film. Thankfully, we had bought hundreds of these threads from the puja shop. It’s been nearly ten years, and we are still using these threads for the franchise. Guess we were prepared for the forthcoming sequels since then (laughs!).”

Apart from the sacred thread, the team had picked up yet another accessory from Varanasi, which Salman has been sporting throughout the franchise. “It is the rudraksha mala that we got from the holy destination. The mala has orange and green beads. Salman has been wearing this around his neck through the sequels. It is also visible in the teaser,” said Ashley.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 21, 2019)

In his 18-year-long career, Sonu Sood has been seen in a range of characters. The actor, who has worked in films in five languages, smoothly transitions from the bad guy in a Rohit Shetty masala film to Mahabharat’s Arjun in a Kannada movie. Now, he is all set to turn producer. In three months from now, he will roll out his most-ambitious film, the P V Sindhu biopic. Sonu, in his long run in Bollywood, has learnt the art of staying afloat without making compromises. In conversation with BT, he speaks of the past and the road ahead:

After ending 2018 with Simmba, your focus this year seems to have shifted to projects down South. You’ve already had three releases there.
I’ve always believed in prioritising things. Last year, my focus was Simmba, which was appreciated. In my 18-year career, there have always been phases when South films become a priority and the same holds true for Bollywood films, too. After Simmba, I signed some very interesting projects down South. At the moment, my team and I are planning the P V Sindhu biopic. We have a new climax, in which we have recorded her recent win at the BWF World Championship.

I’m also prepping to play Pullela Gopichand (former Indian badminton player and Sindhu’s coach). We are discussing a few scripts that we’ll produce; I will act in some of them. Things are moving at a relatively easy pace.

Between your South and Hindi film phases, evidently, one of the two tends to take a backseat for a short span of time. Do these intervals bother you?
It’s a matter of timing. There have been times when I have shot simultaneously for films in Hindi as well as South Indian languages, but the release plan sometimes makes it look like I had to take a long break from one to dedicate time to the other. Yes, films from the South have helped me choose my movies wisely in Bollywood. I am not in a space where I have to take on just about anything that comes my way. Today, I can afford to wait for roles that excite me; South films have created that cushion for me. When you don’t have work, you’re forced to take on projects even if your heart isn’t in it. But if you have a buffer, you can afford to turn down projects. Even the filmmakers have respected my decisions and my honesty.

Saying no can also be perceived differently. At one point, people said that turning down Dabangg 2 cost you your friendship with Salman Khan.
You’re right. People thought that refusing Dabangg 2 changed our equation, but that isn’t the truth. In fact, my bond with him became even stronger. He respects the fact that I told him that I wasn’t convinced about the role that was offered to me. We are professionals and we respect each other’s creative calls. It’s better to offend someone at the outset than to suffer and bicker later. If you simply give your nod to avoid offending someone, it will not make you happy. Once a banner, which was high on my wish-list, sent me a script. I was overjoyed, but when I read it, it didn’t excite me. I sent it back with a bunch of flowers and a heartfelt note. For a moment, I thought what if they never offer me another film, but it’s always better to say what you feel. I have never done something that I wasn’t sure about. Yes, there were times when I have walked on a set and felt that this wasn’t what I thought it would be, but such instances have been very few.

There was a time when in about two years, you had films with Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan. Today, you produce, do fewer Hindi films and more films down South. What has changed?
Not really, my decisions have always been dominated by the roles offered to me. At one time, all the roles in the films with Akshay, Shah Rukh and Salman excited me. It was a coincidence that they came my way in quick succession. After that, not everything offered to me in recent years has excited me. I also haven’t seen a film, which makes me feel, ‘I wish I had done it’. Looking at the equations I share with Akshay, Salman and SRK, I know they will call me if they think I fit into one of their films. Every year after that phase, I did something new. I worked with Rohit Shetty and Jackie Chan. I produced Tutak Tutak Tutiya. I am glad I could do that. If you are seen in every film, you will become a blind-spot, and there won’t be anything about you that will stand out.

In all these years, have you ever felt insecure about other actors?
I had never thought that I will achieve what I have today. In fact, in my mind, I was clear, ‘Engineer hoon, papa ka business join karke wahin kuch kar loonga.’ Main Moga sheher ka aam ladka tha, maine kabhi nahi socha tha ek din Jackie Chan ke saath kandhe se kandha milake kaam karunga. Things like these are usually out of bounds for people like us. Now that I am here, I just have to work hard and make every single day count. So, there’s no reason to feel insecure.

Does this feeling of making every day count, stem from the fact that you didn’t have an easy start and weren’t sure if you’d really make it?
In a way, yes! My mother always told me to be patient and to hang in there; she always believed that at the right time, things would work out, and they did. I am grateful for all that I have. I don’t want any newcomer to ever face what people like me with no background in cinema faced when we came in. Today, aspirants can email their pictures to agents and things can move ahead from there. It wasn’t so systematic in those days. Two decades ago, we would go from office-to-office handing out our pictures in the hope of getting work. I remember that at the first office that I went to, the receptionist did not even look at me. She just asked me to keep my photos and leave. I would roam around in fitted T-shirts, thinking body dekh ke hi sahi, koi cast kar lega. Then I realised, all these tricks don’t work. I learnt the art of making small talk and would start with asking for a glass of water. On some days, I’ve had to drink 40 glasses of water. Even though I wasn’t getting a chance, I decided to stick around. I’ve earned my place in the industry with a lot of hard work and there’s no alternative for that.

Considering the fact that you had to struggle a lot to get a break, how has that influenced you?
When someone comes to Mumbai, he or she is clueless about how this city works. I came here for just a year. I thought agar nahi hua toh ek saal baad chala jaaonga. It took me 18 months to just figure out the roads and buildings that mattered. Initially, I used to live in a rented house. One BHK tha, but often, there would be a dozen of us crammed in. Outsiders face a lot of difficulties. As a producer, I am accessible to strugglers because mere paas koi nahi tha. Even if you enter my society, you won’t find a barrage of security guards stopping you. My doors were and are open to people even today. Even after becoming a known face, I have remained accessible to others because that keeps me grounded.

From a line-producer, you’re now on the verge of becoming a full-time producer. Life has indeed come a full circle, hasn’t it? Will acting take a backseat now?
No, I will continue to act because I can multitask. My friends often told me, ‘Ek din tu producer banega. You have a knack for putting things together.’ Now, it has actually happened. We did some production work on two films and P V Sindhu’s biopic is my first bigscale venture. Sometimes, the only way to control things in a project is to become the producer. I want P V Sindhu’s story to be told a certain way, and that is possible only if I produce the film.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 13, 2018)

On Monday, September 10, on the eighth anniversary of Dabangg, Chulbul Pandey and his Rajjo aka Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha announced that the third instalment of the hit franchise is returning to theatres next year. And even though Sonu Sood won’t be back in Dabanng 3, his bad guy Chedi Singh is still remembered for the hole-some entertainment he provided.

Surprisingly, Sonu admits that when the film was first offered to him, he had turned it down. “Chedi Singh was a stereotypical angry man,” the actor remembers, adding that to convince writer-director Abhinav Kashyap to add some lighter touches, he improvised with a few scenes which he later enacted for Salman. “He smiled and asked me if I was sure comedy would work and I reiterated that it would make Chedi more entertaining for the audience. Waise bhi he was an unpredictable guy who while talking to someone, would suddenly bury a dagger in him, so the humour would not be amiss,” he reasons.

Having got the nod, Sonu went about fleshing out his khalnayak, modelling him on the Bihari friends he’d hung out with while studying engineering in Nagpur. “There were six of them, three my roomies, who’d often get into altercations with locals. I was the only Punjabi and the peacemaker,” he laughs, pointing out that years later, as Chedi Singh he simply aped their dialect, mannerisms and body language. “I even danced like them in 'Munni Badnaam Hui' as despite my requests for practice sessions and a signature step, I went to the shoot unrehearsed. To allay my anxiety, Farah (Khan, choreographer) gave me the liberty to do as I wished. In that moment all I could remember was how these friends of mine had grooved, out of step and out of sync with the music. To my surprise, the 400-odd people on the set burst into applause with even Farah agreeing that I didn’t need choregraphed moves,” he recalls. Sonu’s contribution didn’t end there. Memories of his camera-friendly pals made him suggest a photographer who trails Chedi Singh with the refrain, “Bhaiyyaji smile.” He informs that even today, people parrot the dialogue.

A fitness fanatic, Sonu would be at the gym of the small hotel in Wai where they were staying during the shoot at 5 am every day for his workout. “It was opposite Salman’s room and the old, rattling machines would wake him up early, till one day, grumbling about the din, he decided to join us. After that the two of us would walk uphill, a two-hour, 15km-trek to the location. This helped us burn calories and remain fit for the climax,” says the actor who mid-way through the last fight broke his nose when a fighter missed his cue and jumped on him.

Bleeding profusely, Sonu was rushed to hospital where they discovered that since there was no electricity or doctors, they couldn’t even get an X-ray. Watching him writhing in agony, the makers suggested he be driven down to Mumbai for treatment. But Sonu declined, pointing out that they had just five days to go, and if he left, they would have to return to Wai at a later day. “I continued shooting. At 9 pm, when the lights came on, I got an X ray taken and my nose was fixed temporarily. My professionalism earned me the unit’s goodwill,” he beams, adding that the nose was taken care of when they were back home from the shoot.

Despite the pain, the Wai shoot still brings a smile to Sonu’s face because of the ‘dabanng’ vibes. “Having done 80-90 films I can say from experience that when you look forward to going to work every day and miss the set when you are away, you know you are creating magic,” he asserts, recalling how one day when they were going out to grab a bite, Salman casually asked him if he was comfortable in a car and he quipped, “Kanoon ke haath aur Chedi Singh ki laath, donon bahut lambi hai, bhaiyya.” The line was used in the film and greeted with taalis.

Response to the first trial was stupendous and it was the same at every private screening. But it wasn’t till they saw the same reactions at Mumbai’s Chandan theatre that they were convinced they had a blockbuster. Since the film ended with talk of Chedi’s twin brother coming out of jail and after Chulbul to avenge his death, the makers returned to Sonu for the sequel.

“I listened to the narration, but I wasn’t convinced about the role and told them to excuse me. I didn’t want the impact Chedi Singh had created to be diluted. I’m okay living with his memories,” he concludes with a smile

Mahie Gill on the mystery man she’s been dating for seven years; on bankruptcy, depression and re-inventing herself with the Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster franchise
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 12, 2018)

Eight years after she bagged the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for her turn as Parminder aka Paro in Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D, Mahie Gill admits that she’s no longer the same actress the fi lmmaker signed after he saw her dancing at a birthday bash. “I’d left Chandigarh in my 20s hoping to bag small TV roles. I’d read in magazines that filmmakers signed newbies after spotting them at bars and clubs, so I’d hang around them in Mumbai. It finally happened a year later at a kid’s party whose mom was a close friend,” she laughs, recalling her big Bollywood break.

Dev D turned Mahie into an overnight star but she admits she wasn’t equipped to deal with the fame. “I used to be chatty, and friendly. I got lots of film offers, even Anurag signed me for Gulaal, but I was cheated of all my money by my best friend. I was broke and battled depression for a year-and-a-half during which I stopped meeting people and signing films,” says the 37-year-old actress, adding that things would have been different professionally otherwise.

At the time, Anurag’s brother, Abhinav, was directing Salman Khan’s Dabangg and Mahie agreed to play Arbaaz Khan’s wife Nirmala on his insistence. “The film was a blockbuster but it back-fired for me. Directors who were offering me lead roles told me that I’d made a mistake by agreeing to play a tiny part in a big film. One of them even dropped me because I was no longer heroine material after Dabangg. This happened when I was just getting back on my feet,” Mahie continues, saying Arbaaz returned to her with Dabangg 2, requesting she play the character again as it was important to the story. “Since the damage was done, I agreed. They’ve not approached me for Part 3 yet.”

Fortunately, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster came to her rescue. She first played ‘Biwi’ to Jimmy Shergill’s ‘Saheb’ in 2011 and returned as politician Madhavi Devi two years later in Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns. She’s just wrapped up part 3 of the franchise and informs that she’d been on bed rest due to a back problem, when producer Rahul Mittra approached her for Part 3 and the next month she was in Bikaner filming. “Since it’s an open-ending, there will be a part 4. I’ll play a ‘Buddhi Biwi’ even when the sixth instalment rolls,” she laughs, saying her character is more crazy, seductive and manipulative this time and apart from a thumkawala dance track with Sanjay Dutt, she’s shot a lovemaking sequence in the freezing outdoor with Jimmy with whom she’s done a Punjabi film, Shareek, and a song in Bullet Raja. “He’s so witty, makes a joke of everything.”

Mahie recalls Anurag’s shock when he saw her in the brazen avatar in the first Saheb Biwi... film given that she’d refused to shoot an intimate scene with Abhay Deol in Dev D. “Today, I have matured as an actor. I understand it’s the writing that makes a woman powerful, in control of her body on screen or feel dirty. Skin show doesn’t bother me anymore,” she admits.

But while the Saheb Biwi... franchise has been good for her, it’s also typecast her as a seductress. She’s tired of being offered films full of nudity and call girl roles. “The money is good but I’d rather sit at home than sign a film that makes me cringe,” she says, explaining her long absences.

In 2016, Mahie turned producer with a Punjabi film, Aatishbazi Ishq, which was critically acclaimed but a commercial debacle despite her leading man Ravinder winning the Filmfare Best Debut Award (Punjab edition). “My partners and I lost a lot of money because Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan’s MSG - The Warrior: Lion Hear suddenly released on the same Friday and they booked every seat at every theatre. I was in Punjab where thousands of his followers came on the streets to promote his film and after seeing the producing community up close, I’ll never make a Punjabi film again,” she asserts. But she’s producing a small-budget Hindi film this year.

Today, she admits she’s in a better space, professionally and personally, thanks to her boyfriend of seven years who encourages her to enjoy her work and pushes her to choose the right film over money. “I’d love to name him but he wants to stay out of the limelight,” she says, adding that she’s convinced him to walk the red carpet with her if she’s ever nominated for an award.

The couple co-own an office space in Andheri to manage their business in Goa which now doubles up as her production house. “My boyfriend owns hotels and casinos across Goa as well as globally. I was with him when he opened a venture in Georgia recently. Sometimes, it feels like we’re in a long-distance relationship as he travels a lot,” she sighs. “But whenever he’s in Goa, I move there as both of us own properties there,” she says. Is marriage on the cards? “Not this year,” she signs off.

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; January 8, 2018)

A versatile actor who easily metamorphoses into the comedic Pappi in Tanu Weds Manu and the drunk on power Genda, in Dabangg 2 — Deepak Dobriyal’s journey might have been a slow and steady one in Hindi cinema, but every role the actor has essayed has managed to grab eye balls. With his upcoming black comedy Kaalakaandi all set to hit the big screen soon, Deepak in a candid chat with Bombay Times, talks about how he doesn’t mind being stereotyped as a comic actor and the way he defines success is different from others. Excerpts...

Time and again, you have proved your mettle as a fine performer. But, do you think that actors like Irrfan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who also come from a theatre background like you, have had better opportunities?
I used to feel that way when I wasn’t getting work initially. Like they say, empty vessels make the most noise. But, now I don’t feel that way anymore. I went through a phase when I felt bad that many of my friends who I have known from my theatre days, and who are now working in big films, aren’t helping me. Even then, I have never asked them to recommend me. To be honest, I am in a happy place today and have no complaints. In theatre, I have played various kinds of roles. In cinema, I have been appreciated for my comic timing. Even though I have been streotyped as a comic actor, I don’t let that affect me. I am not insecure as a person and I try not to fall prey to the notions harboured by people about me. When I made inroads into films, I wanted people to like me for the characters I essayed on screen and that’s exactly how it has panned out.

Do you feel your serious roles have not earned you enough appreciation?
My character in Dabangg 2 as Genda became very popular and my recent performance in Hindi Medium was also appreciated. While my serious roles have been noticed, I enjoy popularity among the masses for my ability to make people laugh. Within the industry, I am considered to be a versatile actor for my performances in films like Omkara, Shaurya, Delhi 6 and Gulaal.

So, how do you define success?
Success is not about things working according to your wishes. For me, success is the ability to be responsible for delivering one good performance after another.

The promos of Kaalakaandi have quite a few expletives. Do you think movies, which use such language, come under the scanner and are judged severely for their content?
Films have the power to influence. Many people in our country confuse creative freedom and liberties taken by a filmmaker to create the world that they intend to as the real thing. But, our film is an adult one and what has been done as a form of expression should be allowed to thrive. The characters portrayed in the movie use cuss words as a crutch and it is their shortcoming. They belong to a certain milieu and it aids the writer to place them in their world. One can’t take a moral position with regard to this. Secondly, when Tanu Weds Manu was being made, the intention was to make a sweet romantic comedy. Today, it’s a franchise due to its popularity. Apart from that, there are different kinds of audiences and people want to see a variety of content. World cinema and the exposure to content online have led to changing tastes among people.

You have worked with directors who come from different schools of filmmaking. What is unique about each one of them?
I love Akshat Verma’s madness and desire to be experimental. Vishal Bhardwaj’s films intrigue me because they revolve around the personal-political spheres and the works of Shakespeare. Anurag Kashyap’s films try to dig deep into the world of crime. Aanand L Rai has a great hold over narratives that centre on romcoms. But, I have noticed that once a filmmaker becomes a producer, the focus shifts to making profits.

Meena Iyer (DNA; December 26, 2017)

A Khan is to Bollywood’s Christmas, what Santa Claus is to the rest of the world. Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan are harbingers of good luck and cheer. The triumvirate comes bearing gifts in the form of huge box office collections.

When Aamir released Ghajini (2008) during Christmas, he set a precedent of sorts. Not only did the film pave the way for the coveted Rs 100 cr club, but it also made other superstars realise the potential of the holiday season; clearly the 10-day window from Christmas Eve until January 2 set the cash registers ringing across the globe and proved to be the most lucrative for Hindi cinema, too. “The period starting from Christmas until New Year is the most profitable for a film to hit the marquee,” says exhibitor-producer N R Pachisia. He adds that unlike Diwali, which has pujas, card parties and family traditions (like bhaidooj) to accommodate besides films, the Christmas-New Year holidays are mainly reserved for having fun, relaxing and watching movies. “So, movies released during this period, really do bring in enviable numbers,” he states.

For years on end, Christmas holidays were the most-sought-after phase to release Hollywood flicks in India. However, over the last nine years, Bollywood too has reaped big profits during this time frame. “And, mostly it’s a Khan who has always benefited,” says a trade expert. Aamir has, of course, proved to be the smartest as far as getting Christmas into his kitty goes. In 2009, he released 3 Idiots (Rs 202 cr), in 2013, he had Dhoom 3 (Rs 265 cr), in 2014 he had PK (Rs 325 cr) and his 2016 Christmas release Dangal (Rs 375 cr) is the highest-grossing Hindi film ever.

Following closely in Aamir’s footsteps was Salman, who brought Dabangg 2 during Christmas 2012. Though the film wasn’t able to replicate Aamir’s box-office magic, it did earn a commendable Rs 148 cr. It also made Salman aware that besides monopolizing Eid-ul-Fitr, he could capitalize the Christmas time, too.

In fact, this year, he brought his highly-anticipated Tiger Zinda Hai and the espionage thriller has managed a blockbuster opening. “If the opening trend is closely monitored, the film may go on to do huge numbers,” says trade analyst Girish Johar. Reports say that in just three days, TZH had already crossed the Rs 115 cr mark, making the industry rejoice because from here on, the sky is the limit.

Unfortunately for Shah Rukh Khan, the holiday period of 2015 didn’t prove very lucrative when his Dilwale clashed with Ranveer Singh’s  Bajirao Mastani. Since Bajirao received bouquets and Dilwale got brickbats, SRK had to settle for less at the box office. Still in that year, Christmas cumulatively saw a box office collection of Rs. 314 cr.  So, the period didn’t fail the films. In fact, Ranveer tasted his first mega success with Bajirao Mastani.

Everyone in the trade now agrees that the Christmas weekend has emerged as the highest revenue-generating period. In the last decade, this phase has stolen a march over other festival weekends like Eid-ul-Fitr and Diwali.

So far, actors have been civil and reserved different festivals for themselves. However, after the thumping opening of TZH, one can expect a Christmas clash in Bollywood.  Going forward, each of the B-Town biggies is going to try and reserve Christmas for themselves. SRK has already laid claim to Christmas 2018 for his untitled Aanand L Rai film. And, Abhishek Kapoor’s Kedarnath with newbies Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput is meant to release on the same day. As of now, Ranveer is slated to arrive a week later with Simmba.

Like we said, suddenly there’s a war-like atmosphere building around the Christmas period. Will there be cheers or tears, who knows. but many Bollywood egos will definitely be at play.

[Figures (nett gross): Box Office India]

Arbaaz Khan on ties that bind — family, films and ‘friends’
Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; March 29, 2017)

In the last two years, Arbaaz Khan has been in the news more for his personal life than anything else. His marriage of 18 years came undone. And if he was coming undone with it, he did a bloody good job of hiding it. In most troubled marriages, one person wants out, while the other wants to fix things. And though he has never talked about it, it has been amply clear that Arbaaz was the one trying to save his marriage. A guest on the 100th episode of Koffee With Karan, one expected him to shy away from talking about his broken marriage. Instead, he laughed, made jokes on himself and his single status, and endeared himself to everyone who watched that episode.

But that episode was about the Khan brothers and not just Arbaaz. I felt he had so much more to say than he did then. It can’t have been easy, but he has handled this unforeseen bump in his life with quiet strength and dignity. Here, AB, as his sister Alvira calls him (short for Arbaaz Bhai) talks about coping with his newfound single status, about dating and why he doesn’t see himself committing again anytime soon. Read on...

What is your state of mind currently?
I am in a good space at this point in time. Everybody has their scenarios, challenges, ups and downs, happiness and disappointments... I am not saying that any of those are completely washed away. There will always be a sense of things you want to achieve, where you want to be, a sense of disappointment, a few regrets here and there. Those are always going to linger. How you cope with them and how you move on is what your life is about. Right now, I am in a better space because I am able to cope with whatever challenges are thrown at me.

There is a perception that you are the most sensitive Khan in the family, and everyone is protective of you. Is that true?
I don’t think so. We are all pretty similar. I am as sensitive as my brothers and other members of my family. Salman, too, is pretty sensitive. Being sensitive means caring for your own feelings as well as those of others. Sometimes, being sensitive is being affected by certain things...

Somehow, you seem mild-mannered.
I have both sides to my personality. I react to things that I don’t like. I am pretty vocal. Probably less vocal now than I used to be because I sometimes feel that saying things to people is ineffective, like water off a duck’s back. And sometimes your opinions come to bite you. I have realised that you have to feel what you feel and cope and deal with it yourself rather than trying to express it because sometimes nothing comes out of it. People do not listen, they don’t care, they do their own thing. And whether it is professionally or socially, sometimes, taking a stand or giving any justification is too much of an effort. Sometimes, you feel like you should just let it go.

Who are you closest to in your family?
In terms of having to share anything, I’m closest to my dad. I go to him without any hesitation. And I know I might not always get to hear what I want to hear, but it will still be a very honest opinion. Salman, I have always admired and he is in many ways like my father. If there is anything I need, he won’t even ask what, where, why or how and just do it. Dad is there for advice and guidance, and Salman is always there for anything you need.

How do you brothers all manage to stay so close when you all live separately?
That’s because of our parents. They have inculcated that culture in us and I hope that, God willing, it stays forever. My parents are old now — God give them a long life — but we have to maintain this forever. When our kids are also grown up, we should not lose that and feel that only our parents are binding us together. They are not the only reason, but they make a big effort. It is great we are a close-knit family and always there for each other. Despite the fact that we do our own thing.

Please continue...
We do manage to spend a lot of time in terms of lunches or dinners or on the farm. We also don’t interfere in each other’s life. We give each other the freedom and the right to take our own decisions. But if there is the need, we rally around each other. No questions asked. Today, if I tell Salman, ‘I want this to be done,’ he won’t bat an eyelid and will do it. He has done a lot for us, he has done a lot for his family.

Any of you would have done that if you were in his position.
Yes. Also, none of us has never tried to misuse his name or connection or the fact that he is family, and he knows that. He has done a lot, even for people who are not his family. And all of us, woh responsibility leke acha kaam karne ki koshish ki hai like Sohail did Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Baby did Bodyguard with him and I did Dabangg. It is not that we have got the opportunity to have him in the film and let him down.

You are doing more work now than you have in the last few years. Is that a conscious decision?
When you are younger, there is pressure on you to play the main leads or the hero roles. But now, there are more opportunities for actors like me at a particular age. There are a lot of character roles where I could fit in. You know... whether it is a cop’s role or an elder brother’s role or a gangster’s role. Whichever roles are there, I am ready for them and I can experiment since I have not been completely typecast in any slot. It is a good chance for me to experiment with the kinds of roles I want to do.

You have played negative characters very early on in your career (like in Daraar), but you didn’t get typecast.
I have done my bit of negative roles and all for a long time. That transition many actors have made from negative to positive to comic. I am looking more for the serious or the negative roles I have done. I think I slip into those characters pretty easily.

You are pretty good in funny roles too. Hello Brother comes to mind.
Doing funny roles is something I enjoy as I am like that in my personal life. As much as like you would like to believe that I am a serious or no-nonsense guy, I am quite a funny guy and I have friends who are funny, I want to translate that onto the screen.

In your interview in Koffee With Karan, you said that perhaps you haven’t reached Salman’s stardom because you did not put in as much effort as Salman put into his work.
I was trying to deduct. It may not necessarily be that. It has got to do with your ability, talent, acceptance and the luck factor. Not everybody gets that lucky, not everybody is that talented or gets the right break at the right time. I put in the effort, maybe it was not good enough. But sometimes certain things don’t work for you. Maybe you are destined to do other things. So if I had made a transition — to producing and directing films — sooner, maybe I wouldn’t have suffered the agony of looking for where my next film was going to come from, every day, though I have done a decent body of work. So many of my contemporaries who I started with, are not even around. I have done over 50 films, that’s a lot. People cast me for me. There was no PR machinery working, no begging for work or anyone making recommendations. I have done my own bit of my own assessment. I have not been able to put a finger on why exactly my career would not have taken off the way I would have expected to, as an actor. I don’t want to dwell too much on it. I know there are certain things that could have been done and changed, but that time has passed.

What are you working on presently?
I might have three releases this year. Some films are complete, one or two are on floors. Some have released — Freaky Ali, Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai and one film in Telugu. I have three more films releasing sometime this year. For me, it was important as an actor to keep myself engaged and busy. These are not necessarily films with very big banners, but they are films with people who seem excited about making a good film and they had a role to offer me. I am also doing a film called Jack and Dil and Tera Intezaar with Sunny Leone. There is a film I have done with two youngsters, one is Endreata from South, and with Vikas Verma, the guy who was in Yaariyan. It’s a thriller, a murder mystery.

Why did you take the big break from acting?
In the last three or four years, Dabangg and Dabangg 2 came close to each other. While I was producing and acting in Dabangg, I had grown a moustache. Post that, I got a signal that Dabangg 2 might also happen. So for those four years, I did not take up any work. I also ended up directing Dabangg 2. Actually, it just happened out of circumstance. I had offered the film to Abhinav, in spite of our little professional differences, (they were insignificant ones), but he had other plans. He didn’t want to do a sequel. Then, I felt, who else would do it? Certain names popped up and then I told Salman realistically, I have been born and brought up in the film industry and I have been acting for such a long time, I started my career as a director, I have been closely associated with Dabangg, so I could do it.

I always thought Salman pushed you into direction.
No, he was very accepting when I suggested that I wanted to direct Dabangg 2. He was very fair. He said, ‘You feel confident and feel good about it, then do it. I am there to support you.’ I had been closely associated with Dabangg’s music, casting, scripting and pre-production, so I understood the project better than any new person that would’ve come on board. It was important for me to deliver as a director and I am grateful that we had a successful film and it got the kind of recognition and appreciation it did.

What role have you enjoyed most: actor, director or producer?
I like the behind-the-scenes scenario right now. Maybe if you asked me this 20 years ago, I would have said, ‘I want to be an actor.’ At this stage, I want to tell stories, I want to have a little bit more of creative control. As an actor, you tend to be restricted. But as a filmmaker, your creativity is much higher, you pick your own scripts and actors and locations and costumes, you pick your technical team. You are more involved in the decision-making scenario, which is something I enjoy more.

Is it difficult to go back to being an actor after you’ve been a filmmaker?
No, it’s not. I kind of like it. I feel good and though I have had one or two directors who felt that ‘Now that he is a director, maybe he might interfere or give his suggestion’. I don’t advise or suggest anything to my directors. I believe in two things: if somebody knows his job you should not say anything and if somebody doesn’t know his job, you should definitely not say anything. If they ever do ask me what I think of a situation, I do give my opinion, but not otherwise.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I am quite meticulous and extremely punctual — those are my best traits. I am lazy when I get down, so that’s my bad thing. I need to be pushed. But when I get on to something, I am a stickler for details and good at getting things right. Punctuality is like a disease with me. I will go to my dubbing, my previews, shootings and even casual meetings on time. It comes from my father. I don’t need anybody to remind me. My person, who is managing my work, has to just send me one SMS. ‘On the 16th, there’s this or that on the 17th and say that this is at 8 o’clock, this is at 10 o’clock, this is your flight here and this is your ticket.’ After he has told it to me, no boy or secretary has to remind me.

You don’t like depending on people?
I do depend on people. I am dependent and I don’t know anybody who is not, but people like to believe they do not need anybody for anything, it’s not true. Everybody needs somebody for some reason. Coming back to my relationship, I had come to a stage where I needed Malaika in my life.

You mean, like your spouse becomes a habit?
No, not in a negative way. Needed her in a way like you need water. It’s not whether you like it or not, you need it, like air. If I don’t get it, I’ll die. So, there comes a point in your life that somebody in your life — your parent, brother, sister or colleague — you need them like that and you should never look at anyone like that. You give someone the importance that they become so valuable in your life. Imagine somebody taking water or oxygen away from you, how would you feel? That’s almost what I felt for a while. Of course, you get used to it. Life goes on, you move on, and you have to make sense of what’s happened and you somehow find that. You cannot always get answers. I look back and see 22 years of togetherness — five years of courtship and 17 years of marriage and a child. And I wonder why this and why that and what could have been corrected. And if there were mistakes from my end or her side. We just couldn’t work around it. We did our bit of counselling... What I am saying is that you should never be embarrassed when you say you are dependent on somebody. I am talking about a genuine need where you feel good/bad/ugly, I cannot do without you. If the air is bad, will you not breathe it? If the water is dirty, will you not drink it? Somebody creates a scenario; you try and live with that. I was in that space where Malaika was somebody I couldn’t live without, under any circumstances. You know, I can never completely deal with it.

Sometimes you have to let go.
You have to just let go, what do you do? It is not easy. We are on good terms. For a while, I wanted her to stay away from me. When you live together and are not together and yet you are together in so many ways, it gets complicated. I said, ‘Just live your life.’ I wanted a gap. The first year, it was, aise nahi ki itna gap de do ki, genuinely, she or I don’t want it.

So you moved out of your house.
Initially, I moved out. Now, she has moved out of our house. She has got her own place and stuff. I am living in this whatever — you know, usika hai jo bhi hai — jab mera nayaa ghar hoga, main shift karunga.

Do you feel like a bachelor now?
Not a bachelor, but I feel single.

Are you in a relationship?
I am not in a relationship. As of now, I am like...

There is speculation about you dating the woman in the pictures on your Instagram account.
Which one? If you are talking about Yellow, she is just a friend. She is somebody who I meet when I go to Goa. She owns a restaurant.

Is she Romanian?
No, that’s another girl — Alexandria. That’s my friend. I am dating, yes. But we are not... As of now, there is still a long way to go.

Most people after being married for long, don’t want marriage a second time and are happier in casual relationships. Agree?
(Smiles) I feel there is a time and an age for sowing your wild oats. I had that phase before I was 26 when I met Malaika. Before that, I was playing the field. I was not in committed relationships, I had a number of girlfriends. When I met Malaika, I felt the need to get married and after four years of dating, we got married when I was 30. I really don’t know whether I have it in me at this point to go through the entire scenario of commitment and giving it everything. The mindset right now, is that if somebody comes in my life, I will see it then…. Maybe even let it go on the way it is, rather than making any promises or commitments.

You have managed to maintain good relations with her family. Comment.
My association with Malaika’s family is as long as my association with Malaika. We have a child together, and there are the grandparents, uncles and aunts. And whatever the reasons for our parting, they have never influenced our equations with the families. They have kept it to themselves as this is the personal decision between the two of us. They have not asked us to get back together...

Any chance of you two getting back together?
I feel, if we had to get more time, we would have got back by now. The fact that we haven’t, means it is not meant to be. I wouldn’t want to speak for her. I kept my option open despite us parting ways, and I gave it a little time, whether it was a year or two years before I moved on in certain ways. Even as far as dating somebody is concerned. So I guess if that was to happen it would have happened in the first six months, or one year. It didn’t and it’s been almost three years now...

How did your son take the separation?
He is quite smart. He turns 15 this year. He is a great boy. In fact, in the years that we have been apart, my son has focused on his studies, on his health, athletics and whatever else he is doing. Which is very credible because he could have very well used our separation as an excuse and said, ‘I don’t feel like studying’ or got into bad company. My son has excelled in everything. We have realised that he knew that there was a situation in the family and he put his focus into his activities and full credit to him. There is a parenting that still happens and we are more careful with him. He has got into great hobbies, has started doing card tricks, he learned them on YouTube. He is very good at cards and some tricks have taken him eight months to master. That is very impressive.

What does he want to do when he grows up?
I have no clue. As of now, there are a lot of things we keep discussing. Sometimes, he gets excited about doing business. Then because he sees his family in the glamour world and everybody telling him that he is a nice-looking boy and probably grow up to be a nice handsome boy, maybe he’ll want to be in films. Whatever he does, we will support him. Acting as a career is not a secure profession. Even if you are a star, you have to go look for your next work and it is Friday-to-Friday. I want to prepare him. Here, every week, every year is a struggle.

What you may (or may not) want to know about Bunty Sajdeh
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; November 7, 2016)

Over the weekend, Sonakshi Sinha was yet again spotted with rumoured ‘special friend’ Bunty Sajdeh. The two sent paps into a tizzy outside a restaurant at Bandra-Kurla Complex. It has been a while since the actress has been linked in the press with Bunty, who runs a celebrity management company. His clients include star-cricketer Virat Kohli.

Bunty and Sonakshi have been spotted together off and on at public places, fuelling speculations over their relationship — whether true or not, one of course doesn’t know. Neither has publicly spoken about the other.

The Khandaan connect
Buzz is Sonakshi met Bunty through Salman Khan when she was shooting for Dabangg 2 (2012). Bunty’s sister is Seema, Sohail Khan’s wife. Sources state the actress and he hit it off well and he began handling her endorsements.

Things went quiet on their front later. Over a year and half ago, there was again buzz about them being a twosome. They began stepping out together throwing caution to the wind.


Special friendship
Sonakshi’s presence at Bunty’s mother’s 60th birthday bash earlier this year set tongues wagging about her proximity to his family. Snapshots of Sonakshi making merry went viral. As did Bunty’s presence at Sonakshi’s birthday bash in June this year. Last December, when cricketer Rohit Sharma married Ritika Sajdeh (Bunty’s cousin, who also is part of his company), Sonakshi is said to have been the mainstay of the wedding festivities.

No personal posers
Sonakshi guards her personal life zealously. Though gossip columns have been eloquent about the two, the Akira actress has kept mum. As reported, ‘People shouldn’t be given the liberty to talk loosely about anyone’ (hitlist, Oct 30) , the actress preferred a no-comment stance when asked about Bunty: “I get spotted with so many people, so why pick on one particular person?”

The ex file
In 2009, Bunty Sajdeh wed Ambika Chauhan in a lavish wedding in Goa with a bachelor’s party in Bangkok. But the marriage went kaput a few years later. After their split, it is said, Ambika, who was also his partner in the company, severed professional ties with the South Mumbai boy as well.


B- Town girls link ups
What’s interesting is how, in the past, Bunty has been linked with a host of B-Town heroines from Sameera Reddy, Dia Mirza, Neha Dhupia to Sushmita Sen.

Blame it on his work which throws him in with Bollwyood beauties? There was talk about him and Dia circulating in the gossip press, over a decade ago. Like Sonakshi, she had apparently met him through the Khandaan. But in 2004, they went their separate ways.

Then there was also buzz about him and Neha Dhupia, and in 2007, snapshots of him holding hands with Sushmita Sen did the rounds as well. Their relationship of course had a professional touch — he was handling Sush’s product endorsement deals at the time. Our efforts to get in touch with Bollywood’s cool Bunty for this story went unattended.

Sonil Dedhia (BOMBAY TIMES; June 23, 2016)

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; December 13, 2014)