Thirteen years after its release, Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger (ETT) has earned an international honour recently – a place at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, alongside legendary works like James Bond films and Mission: Impossible. For Kabir, the feat is “sweet and flattering”.

He shares, “I’ve always said that the success of a film is never about the money it makes at the box office. Of course, that is important, but what really makes a difference is for how long that film is spoken about and how long it captures people’s imagination. Thirteen years after the release of the film, if it is still being spoken about with such love and respect and being given this position, then that’s what true success is.”

Kabir doesn’t believe that this achievement will lead to makers attempting more action films. “Action doesn’t need any more promotion in this country,” he says, adding, “In fact, I have a feeling that there are too many action films happening.”

Kabir goes on to explain that Ek Tha Tiger succeeded because its action was rooted in drama and emotion rather than spectacle alone. “There was a very strong, dramatic reason for the action in the film. The action sequences need to go with the narrative. Then you’re really invested in the action because it becomes a part of the drama and storytelling. No one is going to be wowed by only seeing massive action scenes on screen now. Ultimately, emotions move you. Action films need to get back a little more to the sort of raw action which went along with the storytelling, as opposed to over-the-top action that we are seeing, which has no emotion running through it. We’re just doing it to show grand visuals with VFX and AI,” Kabir says.

While Ek Tha Tiger went on to become a massive success, it also had two successors – Tiger Zinda Hai and Tiger 3. Ask him why he stepped away from the sequels, and he replies, “If you see my filmography, you won’t notice a single sequel in it. I believe sequels are what producers need to do because they create an IP, exploit that IP and the success of that IP. But for a director or a storyteller, there’s a fatigue that comes in with a story. Once I’ve completed that journey, something really compelling needs to pull me back to that. Otherwise, I feel I need to move on and get onto something new. If one were to follow the conventional wisdom of the industry, I would just continue making sequels of all my successful films. There would be like three Tigers and three Bajrangis and maybe another New York. However, that’s not the way that I have been attracted to stories as a director. At the end of the day, even James Bond is not made by the same director every time.”

The actor rubbishes conspiracy theories that allege his involvement in Sushant Singh Rajput and his former manager Disha Salian’s deaths
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; July 4, 2020)

A lot of rumours have been doing the rounds, which, in a way, blame you for Sushant Singh Rajput’s and his former manager Disha Salian’s deaths. It’s been speculated that Disha was pregnant with your child, and Sushant, who reportedly had a scuffle with you in 2017, was aware of it and was about to expose you. It’s also been said that Salman Khan has been protecting you...
What scuffle with Sushant? I never had any argument with him, which I have clarified before as well. And, why will Salman Khan get involved in my life? Does he not have other things to do? I don’t even know who Disha is, I have never met her in my life. I found out about her after Sushant’s death, and I feel bad for the families involved. Someone has written this rubbish on their personal Facebook page, made it into a movie script and put it out there.

Taking up for you, your father (actor Aditya Pancholi) has said, “Somebody makes up a vague story, puts it online, people lap it up and make him the villain!”
It feels like it’s me against the world. First of all, it’s painful that Sushant is no more. People using his name for whatever reasons is wrong. The situation is such that anyone writes anything and it goes viral in a few minutes. People who don’t know the truth, actually believe what’s been written. I have also been getting supportive messages saying, ‘Be strong and cope with it, these are hard times and jobless people are spreading these rumours’. But, at the end of the day, I am human, too.

Are you saying that there was no hostility between Sushant and you whatsoever?
None at all. He was a senior actor and way more successful. I was not in his league to even compete with him. I was nowhere a threat to him. He treated me like a younger brother. Whenever we met, we either spoke about films or my fitness training. When the article about our ‘tiff’ came out in 2017, it was Sushant who had reached out to me. He told me, ‘Bro, yeh koi faltu article aaya hai saying Salman bhai is angry with me. Can you please give a statement to clarify this?’ He thought it would be better if I stated the facts, as the story claimed that he misbehaved with me. I clarified the reports. We met for dinner at a friend’s place after that in Bandra, clicked that funny picture where we posed like we are fighting and that’s it. We had each other’s numbers. He called me for movie screenings, and I even went for Raabta screening. We must have met around four-five times.

Were you in touch with Sushant in the recent past?
No, I wasn’t. He was not a best friend of mine or anything. We had never been to each other’s houses. We were from the same industry, that’s all.

How true are the ‘Salman Khan is defending Sooraj’ stories?
Why would he do this for me? Salman Khan is the producer of my first film (Hero, 2015). He gave us a chance, and after that, it has been my journey. He is not responsible for what we do in the future. You need to find your way. I cannot rely on Salman sir and cannot expect him to be my Godfather. I have never been dependent on him and he wouldn’t want it that way, too.

Why do you think you find yourself being dragged into controversies over and over again? Is it also fuelled by the fact that you were among the privileged to be launched by Salman Khan, and of course, the whole nepotism debate?
If it was all about nepotism, I would have been on my 10th film by now. Nepotism has nothing to do with what’s happening right now. I worked from a very young age as an assistant director. First on Guzaarish (2010) and then on Ek Tha Tiger (2012). That is where I met Salman sir and he had promised me that he would give me a film because he must have seen some potential in me. He asked me whether I wanted to be an actor and I worked really hard for it. It’s not that I came out of nowhere, woke up from my sleep and went to a movie set. The first film that I auditioned for was Kai Po Che (2013), and I was rejected there. I worked on myself after that. I also auditioned for Hero (2015). My mom is 60. She has been in the industry for over 30 years and till date, she auditions for movies. It’s a myth that star kids don’t have to give auditions.

You already have a case looming over your head (Jiah Khan) and now, the Sushant-Disha tragedy has your name being dragged into it.
I am very numb and hurt right now. This is affecting me a lot. I don’t know what to say. It’s been eight years and my case (Jiah) hasn’t even taken off and it’s only because Rabiya Khan (Jiah’s mother) doesn’t show up in court. I had to face the CBI since I was 21-22. I have cooperated with the police. I have done everything possible, haven’t missed a single date in court even when I was down with fever. But if the complainant (Rabiya) isn’t showing up in court, what are they looking for?
-------------------------
ADITYA PANCHOLI: WHY IS MY SON BEING DRAGGED INTO THIS?

Sooraj’s family is upset about him being dragged into this controversy. His father, actor Aditya Pancholi, told us, “Why is my son being dragged into this? Truth will eventually come out, but if he does something to himself tomorrow, who is to be blamed? He has been going through a tough time for seven-eight years now.

Somebody makes up a vague story, puts it online, people lap it up and make him the villain! People need to be responsible about what they share on the web. Shouldn’t you let the cops do their job? No one is above the law. You cannot kill anyone and get away with it. Sooraj was cordial with Sushant. If Disha was pregnant, wouldn’t that be in the police records?”

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

Jayanth Kodkani (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 11, 2019)

There were many Girish Karnads in the culture scene. Towering among them was the Jnanpith award -winning playwright who gave a new dimension to Indian theatre. The second was the director of films like ‘Vamsha Vriksha’, ‘Kaadu’, ‘Ondaanondu Kaaladalli’ in Kannada and ‘Godhuli’ and ‘Utsav’ in Hindi.

The third was an actor who shared screen space with Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah in the art cinema of the 1970s and ’80s as much as with Salman Khan in “Ek Tha Tiger” in recent years.

A Rhodes scholar, he was a publisher with the Oxford University Press for seven years. And then there was a Karnad who spoke his mind on issues social, cultural or political and quite often joined hands for a public cause. All this apart from the public positions he held with distinction. Some of these were parallel pursuits which he accomplished with the ease of a motorist switching lanes on the highway. But he was, without a shadow of doubt, a key figure in theatre.

Girish Karnad’s plays carried the force of present-day themes with a deeper gaze into the past. He wrote 15 plays, directed about a dozen films, TV serials and documentaries, and donned makeup for over 90 films in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. In his pursuits, he straddled two spheres: mainstream and arthouse as an actor; Kannada and English as a playwright.

As a director, he picked literary works — U R Ananthamurthy’s “Samskara”, S L Bhyrappa’s “Vamsha Vriksha” or the classic Sanskrit play, “Mrichakatika” by Sudraka — but had no qualms with the song-anddance routines of Bollywood. In his view, Hindi cinema could ward off the invasion of Hollywood because of its popular song-and-dance tradition.

Seldom has India seen such multipronged talent. But one aspect of his personality that remains etched in Indian minds is of a resolute, clearthinking liberal. He was amongst the most vocal critics of hardline Hindutva and police investigations had indicated that he was on the hit-list of a farright conspiracy. “If speaking up means being a Naxal then I am an urban Naxal,” he had said after he was seen sporting a placard around his neck at an event in Bengaluru. That was Karnad in his role as a champion of free speech.

Deepali Singh (DNA; June 8, 2019)

On Wednesday, Bharat opened to a resounding Rs 42.3 crore at the box office, making it superstar Salman Khan’s biggest Eid release till date. Along with the Dabangg Khan, it’s also Katrina Kaif’s achievement, who, as Kumud, plays his love interest in the Ali Abbas Zafar directorial. The actress, naturally, is over the moon with the response the film has generated and also grateful for the love that the audience always showers on her and Salman’s jodi.

“Ali and Salman have such a successful pairing with Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai and now, with Bharat. Salman and I have Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai and now Bharat. But it doesn’t make us complacent. In fact, it makes us more conscious, that so many people have come and seen us on screen. Now, the story has got to deliver a better and newer experience and take it one dimension higher,” she states. Over to the actress...

The film has opened to such good numbers. Are you happy with the response?
Yes, all of us are extremely happy. Bharat has truly been a team effort. Everyone working on the film has put in their best, starting from Atul (Agnihotri) who bought the rights for the remake of Ode To My Father. It’s always been a passion project for Atul and Alvira Agnihotri who are the producers. There is a lot of heart and passion behind the decision to make this film. I loved the script from day one. It was a joy to be on the sets. I was having such a good time playing the character; I felt confident that people would respond positively to it. I was able to find the enjoyment and connection with the character.

You’re finally getting appreciated for your acting skills, something for which you got flak for in the initial years. But Zero, and now Bharat has changed that. Does it feel good?
Very much! Getting the right role and the right director to guide you and walk through the journey with you plays a crucial part. And of course, with each film and role, you try to take it a notch higher. You dig deeper within yourself and better yourself as an artiste. That’s the only way you can keep your interest alive in your work.

In the initial few years, there is a lot of glamour and other things about being an actor that excites you. At this point, it just has to be the role. Now, it’s about trying to explore the character and create something out of it. My greatest desire now, when I’m doing a film, is to see how much the audience can connect with my role.

You played an older character in Baar Baar Dekho (2016) and the film didn’t work at the box office.  Was there any apprehension in your mind about sporting grey hair again? 
On the contrary, I loved it! I was so excited to get that look right. Ali and I went to London from Malta after shooting the schedule there. We met the prosthetics team and attended their workshop, which was absolutely fascinating. Ali had shown them references of Nafisa Ali ji and Rekha ji to show how gracefully and beautifully these ladies have maintained themselves. He was clear that we wanted the look to be delicate. We also used my mother’s pictures as a reference. We had a three-day look test, which lasted for eight-nine hours daily. We tweaked each look to see how it appeared on camera. Once we got that right, I felt so comfortable in my skin. Later, it was a whole new experience to find the right body language and attune to the mindset of a senior citizen. It’s the pace at which you move, even if you’re active. But there is a certain stillness you reach in your mind and body. That was the main thing for me.

While there have been positive comments, there has been some criticism about your look as well, especially the curly locks...
Honestly, I’ve only seen positive comments. In fact, the most compliments I have received are for that. I think it’s just worked fantastically for the character.

While Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ exit from the film had created headlines, even now, Salman’s comments about her are making news. Have you spoken to Priyanka on what’s your take on the situation?
Priyanka is a dear friend of mine and this is a professional decision of hers. Everyone respects that. Very frankly, these are just highlighted things in the media. This is a complete non-issue for me, for Priyanka, for Ali and for Atul and Alvira. We all know how Salman is. He likes to joke around. Honestly, it’s a non-issue for him as well.

Next, you have Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi with Akshay Kumar, another star with whom you share a great on-screen chemistry. Do tell us about that.
It’s been eight long years that I worked with Akshay, so I’m really looking forward to being back on set with him. Rohit is another person whom I admire a lot. He’s worked his way up from the ground and built this huge empire and brand of cinema people have come to follow. And I’m hoping we can create something great together. Akshay and I have always tried to do something nice on screen and that’s the effort this time as well.

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; September 6, 2018)

His filmography is dotted with stories of psychopaths, crazy lovers and trigger-happy gangsters. With that, filmmaker-writer Anurag Kashyap has carved out a dark space for himself in Bollywood. After 25 years in the movie business, he’s realised he doesn’t have a point to prove anymore. With an urge to reach out to different sets of audience at different places, Anurag has found a method to the madness that ensues each time he decides to narrate a story. Excerpts from a conversation about complex relationships and his upcoming love story Manmarziyaan...

It’s been reported that you agreed to direct Manmarziyaan on the understanding that Aanand L Rai would produce Mukkabaaz...
The film happened out of the blue. I wanted to make Mukkabaaz and Aanand L Rai wanted to make Manmarziyaan. I was aware of the project. We spoke over the phone, met and exchanged scripts, and decided in the next meeting that we’d make both our films in quick succession. Manmarziyaan was partially shot but I didn’t want baggage. I got the freedom to start it afresh. I cast the film differently. It all happened thanks to the film’s writer Kanika Dhillon, who has stayed with it with three different filmmakers interpreting it in their own way. She and I agreed that we could see the story from Rumi’s (Taapsee Pannu’s character) point of view and threw out everything that was not needed. It is my dearest film and it depicts relationships the way I see them.

You’ve begun to do things differently with your films now. You seem to be exploring your stories a lot more softly, as compared to before. What’s prompted you to change gears?
I still remember Taapsee glaring at me and saying, ‘Listen, love story hai but please, U/A rating chahiye, A nahin’ (laughs!). I have done things the way I haven’t done them before because this is how I wanted to narrate a love story.

Your cast even joked about the fact that Manmarziyaan didn’t have a serial killer or blood and gore…
It’s a conscious change, which started with Mukkabaaz; of course, not many saw that film either, so I'm not sure if they’ve realised it. I wanted to make a film to reach out to a larger audience. I’ve seen Iranian films, which attempt all kinds of subjects, but don’t get abusive or offensive while narrating them. Also, it’s not like I write the expletives in the script; actors think Anurag ki film hai, muh mein aayega toh bol denge, and that is how it has happened on most occasions. I controlled that in Mukkabaaz consciously. Many people tell me they’ve seen my films but I wonder where. The numbers of my films are usually dismal at the box office. It took me 25 years to figure out that I have a wide audience, but people watch my films at their own pace. By the time they reach cinemas, my films are off. So, now I have become very determined, and I don’t want to prove a point to anyone. I want to make films more responsibly like Rajkumar Hirani does. I don’t want to change what I say, but I want to say it in a manner that people listen.

You’ve been fairly open about your relationships. Have you put your personal experiences into this love story?
I can make romance more real than most people, because I put all my experience into it. Here, the script belongs more to the girl than the guys. It’s a coming-of-age story for Taapsee’s character. I’ve always seen that there is a clear distinction. Girls of a certain age like boys who are like Vicky’s character in the film, and after a point, they transition to boys like Robby, which is Abhishek’s role. When Kanika and I would discuss scenes, I would tell her, ‘Yaar mere saath to aisa hua tha’ and then we’d tweak things keeping them very realistic. For me, romance is not filmy. It has to be believable; it has to be messy and grey because love in real life is like that. Right now, we have this need to understand things and so we try to define them with different words. I just let things be without defining them. If something like love could be easily defined, then what’s the point? I like complexities and the contradictions in my life.

Have your relationships been very complicated?
On the contrary, there haven’t been any complications in my relationships. Look, people try finding reasons for my break-ups. When I started dating Kalki in 2008, people said I dumped my wife Aarti Bajaj for her. The truth is that Aarti and I separated in 2005. Aarti understood my need to move on and we divorced. People miscalculate the timelines of my relationships. It’s important for people to address what is not working between them. As individuals, if we’re barely spending 15 days in a year together, why are we a couple? Also, those days, I had several twitter brawls which also took a toll on the partner. Today, we all hang out together. Aarti edits my films and Kalki is a friend. Ownership becomes a problem in relationships. Manmarziyaan addresses that. Being in a relationship doesn’t mean you own each other. This is how I look at the relationships in my life, and that’s how I’ve put it in the film, too.

You’ve chosen to narrate Manmarziyaan from Rumi’s (Taapsee’s character) point of view. There has been a gradual surge in the number of women becoming the crux of narratives. What’s your take on that?
Gulaal, Dev D and Gangs of Wasseypur — my films have always had strong roles for actresses. It’s all interconnected. The society gets the cinema it votes for. What do people want? A pretty heroine and a macho hero who mirror aspirations people can’t fulfil by themselves. As an audience, you will get the cinema that you pay to watch. The ones who complain about ‘mainstream’ cinema are not the ones who go to cinema halls to watch a sensible film. They’ll watch it online, and their representation in the ticket buyer crowd will remain low. The kind of cinema made is dictated by the kind of audience that’s ready to pay for it. If you want something hard-hitting like Mulk to be made more often, then you have to vote for it by going to a cinema hall and watching it there. I meet so many people who want to make such good films but I also know that no one will fund their films because no one watches these films in cinemas.

Director Rima Das had pointed out that her film Village Rockstars doesn’t have buyers although it has won a National Award.
Even if a studio releases it, no one will watch it because it’s an honest piece of work from Assam, which no one is interested in. The ones who complain about the lack of a content-heavy film should first make an effort to get such films released, watch it and influence others to watch it too. I am talking about the people within the fraternity who need to do that. Phantom Films also has a distribution wing but they, too, don’t want to do it. They grudgingly released The World Before Her and Katiyabaaz, but their reluctance was evident. This cycle will take very long to change. Thankfully, filmmakers have alternate platforms for the other kind of cinema to survive. It has set me free as a storyteller. What I can’t make as a mainstream film will go to other platforms.

Do you think excessive censorship has driven filmmakers to seek alternate spaces?
I’ve fought the Censor Board all my life but they are not a problem really. They were a problem when I didn’t know how things worked. When Paanch was rejected, I was told, ‘Yaar tum halla machao’. I did but I didn’t realise that the Board works in four stages and if you go up to the fourth stage, your film will definitely get cleared. The marked difference between consumers is actually the reason why filmmakers are looking for alternate platforms. I remember Gangs Of Wasseypur had a short run at the box office because it was caught between Ek Tha Tiger and some Sunny Leone film. Although it was doing well, GoW went out of cinemas because there was a bigger audience waiting for the other films. Today, most people have seen Gangs…, but there won’t be a Part 3. Mera dimaag kharaab hai kya? No one goes to watch such films in theatres. I made a show for an alternate platform and my audience there was far bigger.

Don’t you think filmmakers are also to blame for the kind of cinema consumed by most of the audience today?
Kitne saal se log koshish kar rahe hain but nothing changes. A lot of other things need to change before that. According to a report, 84 per cent of our population lives at 5.5 dollars or less, for a day. Education is the only key, but no government will take it on itself to provide basic education because the lack of it makes it easier to manipulate people. If people are educated, they won’t believe half the things that are said. So, cinema toh door ki baat hai. So many filmmakers have tried making different kinds of cinema, but everything boils down to business.

Do you think episodes like the Padmaavat controversy force storytellers to seek platforms that are not regulated by the authorities yet?
It’s a different atmosphere in the country today. Everyone is scared to stand up and speak and I don’t resent people for not standing up. Whenever people have stood up, their bank accounts are frozen under some pretext or they’re dragged into issues which take the attention away from the discussion. The media and the filmmakers are all pawns controlled by the powers to be. I have chosen to fight through my work which is better than fighting on social media or with a fist fight. Everyone thinks I am like the films I make — I am not a dark intense person. I am a straightforward realist.

What do you plan to make after Manmarziyaan?
Anticipation destroys my work. It’s a harsh lesson I learnt, thanks to Bombay Velvet.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; December 20, 2017)

Salman Khan’s Tiger Zinda Hai, which releases this Friday, is a sequel to his hit espionage thriller Ek Tha Tiger. It has all the ingredients that go into a Dabangg Khan film — high-octane action sequences, romance, and emotion. Most importantly, the movie brings him back in his macho larger-than-life avatar, which is much-needed after his previous outing as the slow-witted man-child in Tubelight failed. Now, Salman vows that he is done with different kind of cinema. Interestingly, all his forthcoming films are sequels of tried-and-tested hits. Excerpts from our chat with the one-man industry...

Why did it take so long to come up with a sequel to Ek Tha Tiger?
The recall value of Ek Tha Tiger (ETT), Dabangg, and Wanted is so strong that it is easy to pull off a sequel, but that’s only if your script is better than the first one. Sequels should not be like proposals; they should have something definitive to convey. Until such time, you should not touch it. The sequel of ETT has taken five years, though it could have been made earlier. It’s not as if there were four-five scripts (and nothing happened), they came up with only one script and that was it. The first thing I heard about the sequel was its title. When they told me it was going to be called Tiger Zinda Hai (TZH), I said done!

Kabir Khan directed ETT, but Ali Abbas Zafar is helming TZH...
(Cuts in) Yes, the first thing I told Ali was that Kabir had invested a year-and-a-half and given two-and-a-half hours screen time to Ek Tha Tiger. He had set the characters so well — Tiger, Zoya, and Chinoy. All Ali had to do was to take it to the next level. He had to not only make a film completely different from Sultan, but also make Tiger bigger. I told him ‘you have to get the plot right, the mission right, everything else — romance, gaane-waane ho jayenge’. Everything has to be there and on a larger scale. He said, he has the best plot ever and everything fell into place.

You are reuniting with Katrina Kaif five years after Ek Tha Tiger. How is it working with her now?
Katrina is the most hard-working girl that I have come across. She is sincere, dedicated and sharp. Sometimes people are so beautiful that you don’t give them credit for their work. That’s what has happened with Katrina. Her beauty takes away from her work. While, sometimes with those who are not so great looking, you say, ‘kya kaam kiya hai’. People who are really good looking on screen, you say star hai.  For this film, I don’t see anyone other than Katrina fitting in. She trained for her action sequences for four hours every single day.

Your last release Tubelight in which you played a man-child did not do well. Looks like your fans don’t appreciate you moving away from your image...
Yes, I got to know that in the last film. But I have known this earlier because of Kyun Ki and Tere Naam. However, when the script of this film (Tubelight) came to me, this was my reading of the film — I thought times have changed. People want to see me in something different — they say ‘you take your stardom seriously’. Now, I have realised that my fans want to see me in the same kind of cinema that I have been doing. So, that is exactly what they are going to get. Starting with Tiger Zinda Hai, Bharat, Race 3, Dabangg 3 and the Kick sequel, I will give my fans exactly what they expect of me. Frankly, even I like doing these kind of films. In fact, I like watching these kind of films. Films like Tubelight, I can watch on TV — badi emotional hai rula deti hai. Main kyun jaaon theatre rone ke liye? Emotions will always be there — our films don’t work without them. But if the entire film is so emotional ki theatre ke bahar nikalte hi your eyes are swollen, I wouldn’t want to go there.

But Tere Naam did well..
Yes, the first half did well because the character was superb. So, they tried Kyun Ki after that, but I told them there was no emotion in this, ‘You are making a depressing film’, and that’s what happened. Similarly after Bajrangi Bhaijaan, they thought we should do something with emotions and Tubelight happened jaha pe bhai peet rahe hai. Woh accha nahi laga fans ko. But when you see these films on TV, you will like them. When Andaz Apna Apna released it didn’t do well, but when it is shown on TV nobody changes the channel, same thing with Hello Brother. These films still get high TRPs on TV. When you see Tubelight at home you will love it.

What went wrong with Tubelight according to you?
The release date was not right. On a festive release date (Eid) you should give a festive film only, and not make people cry in the theatre. My fans were trying to find moments where they can celebrate, throw coins and do dhamaal masti. But they didn’t get that! The film did well, but in my standards it was a disaster. Meri dua hai ke har ek ki aisi disaster ho!

Do you feel you can find a middle path and do films like Dear Zindagi and Secret Superstar where Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan respectively had small but strong roles?
I have not gotten any film like that. Earlier, in some films I have done guest appearance and all, but it didn’t work. My take on this is when the audience is spending Rs 650 or Rs 950 on a ticket, they should get to see what they are going to see. If the whole publicity is going to be in my name, and I am there only for 25 minutes, it doesn’t make any sense to me. If I am in a film I should be there the way people expect me to, otherwise don’t publicise it as my film!

You were to co-produce Kesari with Karan Johar, but you backed out. Why?
Karan has his home production and I have mine. He had come to me long back with the project, but he did all the work from casting to everything. I thought just adding my name was not right.

There are reports that your brother Sohail Khan wants to make a sequel to Partner. Is that happening?
I am not aware of it. We did talk about it some time ago, though. However, Sohail and I are working on another film, Sher Khan, next year. I have started working a little harder and more than I was earlier, now. Fans want to see more of you. Usually I do two films a year, plus I am seen on TV where they get to see their star free of cost hosting shows.

Will you be hosting 10 Ka Dum next year?
Yes. That’s where they will get to see the real me.

What about Bigg Boss. Will you be hosting that also?
There will be 10 Ka Dum, then Bigg Boss, then 10 Ka Dum (laughs).

Comedies are doing well lately, Golmaal Again was a huge hit. Will we see you doing a comedy any time soon?
Yes, the genre is doing very well and I would love to do a comedy, something like Ready. A family comedy where Anees Bazmee meets Sooraj Barjatya!

Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; November 21, 2017)

What about the show, The Voice India Kids attracted you the most?
It’s a strong brand with a unique concept. The coaching panel comprises legendary musicians. Sharing the platform with them is an honour.

Was it difficult for you to break into B-Town?
I didn’t have any connections in Bollywood. The first person I met in Mumbai was Salman [Khan] sir. He assured me that I’d be singing for his films. When the song Laapata (Ek Tha Tiger, 2012) released, multiple offers started coming my way.

So, do you consider Salman Khan your godfather?
He is my guiding angel and godfather. He gave me a chance to sing for his films and guided me along the way. After my parents, I go to him for advice.

Your voice is often confused with that of Shreya Ghoshal. How do you react to that?
It’s a compliment. But, I find it unfair for Shreya ji. She has been in the industry for almost 10-15 years. It’s unfair to compare a junior like me to her.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.
I’ve recorded 218 songs for films. They are lined up for release. I’m also working on a single.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 15, 2017)

The last time Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif danced together was in the ditty Mashallah in Ek Tha Tiger where the two shared a crackling chemistry. Now, the duo is pairing in the sequel, Tiger Zinda Hai. Once again, they will be seen shaking a leg together to the high-energy track Swag Se Karenge Sab Ka Swagat, which is the first song to be released from the upcoming film.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar says, “In Ek Tha Tiger, everyone loved Salman and Katrina’s chemistry, so for us, it was a challenge to push the envelope in terms of how they look and how the song is going to be. A lot of attention has been paid to bring out their chemistry, how they are styled, and the locations. They look the best they have looked together.”

For the number, Ali roped in 100 dancers including trained ballerinas, hip-hop and Afro-dance hall performers from Greece, France, Trinidad and Tobago, among other countries. The song is shot on a picturesque beach in Greece.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 8, 2017)

When you have former lovers Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif as leads, you might be tempted to focus on the romantic arc of the story. But director Ali Abbas Zafar was certain that Tiger Zinda Hai would be a strong narrative about undercover agents. Even though Khan and Kaif’s onscreen love story was the focal point in the 2012 prequel, Ek Tha Tiger, Zafar insists that he consciously steered clear of the subject to make a larger statement about the rise in terrorism around the world.

“Ek Tha Tiger was essentially a romantic story, where you saw Salman and Katrina’s characters as lovers. But in Tiger Zinda Hai, you will see them as agents. The scale and action sequences are more real and gritty. The film talks about many important issues that are affecting us. The romance is not the focus,” he says.

The real-life incident of 46 Indian nurses being taken hostage by the ISIS in Iraq in 2014 serves as the inspiration for Khan-Kaif’s Christmas offering. However, the director clarifies that while the 2014 rescue mission was his reference point, he has developed a fictional story around the event — one that his leads “reacted very strongly to.” “When Salman and Katrina heard the story about the rescue mission and what happened to the nurses in those 10 days, they were instantly sold on the idea.”

While the director had penned the script as a standalone film, he later realised that his story serves as the natural progression to Ek Tha Tiger. He reveals, “My story had two intelligence agents. Since there was already a movie where Salman and Katrina played agents, we decided to merge those characters with the new story.”