His roster is full, but that won’t deter Salman Khan from picking up interesting projects, especially ones that talk of National history. The actor, who kicked off his new film with A R Murugadoss this summer, has his calendar booked till early next year. Ideally, his next film was supposed to be the Vishnuvardhan-directed venture, The Bull. Rumours suggest that certain portions of the film have to be rewritten because of the current political strain and conflict between India and Maldives.

Produced by Karan Johar, The Bull revolves around the events of Operation Cactus, which occurred on November 3, 1988. “During this operation, the Indian Armed forces aided the Maldives government in regaining control after a coup attempt, orchestrated by businessman Abdullah Luthufi and the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The forces swiftly incapacitated the mercenaries, ensuring the restoration of authority to President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government within a matter of hours,” shares a source.

The makers are now trying to fictionalize a few parts of the story. The source adds, “It’s still a heroic tale, but instead of keeping the references direct, it is safer at this point to make changes to the geographical specifications of the story. The director wants to stick to the real story [and will use] the details of the operation. The rework is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In all likelihood, Salman will start the film in 2025.”

In 2024, Salman Khan fans will miss seeing him on the big screen. Behind the scenes, however, it will be a busy year for the superstar who is set to kick off the shoot of Bull — his first collaboration with filmmaker Karan Johar after the cameo in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) — in mid-February.

In Vishnu Vardhan’s directorial venture, Khan will play Brigadier Farukh Bulsara, who led Operation Cactus in 1988 in the Maldives. While the team conducted the mahurat shot in Mumbai on December 29 (Spreading positivity, Dec 30), we hear the actor will undergo extensive physical prep, even training with paramilitary forces, before he steps into the shoes of the Armed Forces officer.

January promises to be gruelling for Khan, who will work towards attaining a lean frame, in keeping with Brigadier Bulsara’s look.

A source tells mid-day, “Right at the start, Vishnu Vardhan was sure that the actor would have to create a look distinct from his larger-than-life on-screen persona. He will sport a relatively leaner physique. It was also decided that he will train with the paramilitary forces in Mumbai. That will not only aid his physical transformation, but also help him get in the mindset required to pull off the character.”

On the cards is a diverse range of exercises that is adopted by the paramilitary troops to address the multifaceted demands of their roles. The source adds, “His routine will include cardiovascular exercises like running and swimming, strength training as well as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and circuit training. He will also be familiarized with obstacle course navigation that sharpens coordination and adaptability, and tactical drills.”

Bull will offer a retelling of Operation Cactus wherein the Indian Armed Forces, on November 3, 1988, assisted the Maldives in reclaiming control following a coup attempt led by businessman Abdullah Luthufi and the People’s Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). The Indian forces efficiently neutralized the mercenaries and restored the control to President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government within hours. 

While the screen adaptation was originally imagined as a Shahid Kapoor offering under a different banner, Johar and the Shershaah (2021) director are now bringing the story to celluloid. The director is expected to begin table-reads with the cast by January-end.

“The rest of the cast is currently being finalized. The film is about a leader and his camaraderie with his troops, so bonding between the cast is key to the film’s making. The cast will have multiple table reads and workshops. The actors, who will comprise Salman’s on-screen troop, will also train with paramilitary experts,” adds the source.

A chunk of the drama will be shot at Film City in Goregaon and Mehboob Studios in Bandra. Khan has apparently allotted bulk dates till August.

At a press conference a few weeks ago, Salman Khan, in his say-it-like-it-is manner, had told the media that it was the first time in years that he has no film in hand after Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (KKBKKJ). Of course, filmmakers are making a beeline for him.

But sources close to the superstar say that after the underwhelming response to his passion project, he is in introspection mode, and has decided to take a break from signing anything new until Tiger 3 hits the screens in November. Khan apparently wants to gauge the audience’s reaction to his Diwali release, before cherry-picking his next.

Word on the street is that six projects have been offered to the actor, including Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ki Shaadi, and Karan Johar’s yet-untitled production. A trade source says, “If Salman doesn’t sign a movie until November, it means he may not have an Eid 2024 release. While he has been flooded with offers, he is reflecting on his choices after KKBKKJ is struggling to touch the Rs 100-crore mark after 10 days of release. His previous Eid offering, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai [2021] that had a hybrid release, too had not made much noise. So, after much thought, Salman felt that rushing into a project only to meet the Eid 2024 deadline would be wrong. He’d rather take his time to find a worthy film.”

Khan will, however, remain one of the busiest stars in the coming months. He is expected to shoot the Tiger 3 portions with Shah Rukh Khan, who has a cameo in the Maneesh Sharma-helmed spy thriller, in the third week of May. He will also focus on the next season of Bigg Boss, and the Dabangg Tour, which is currently in the planning stage.

The source adds, “On the film front, besides Barjatya’s drama and KJo’s next to be helmed by Shershaah maker Vishnu Vardhan, the actor has been offered Atul Agnihotri and Nikhil Namit’s next, Arbaaz Khan’s Dabangg 4, Sohail Khan’s Sher Khan, and Pawan Putra Bhaijaan. As of now, they are all on hold. But Salman is whimsical; if he finds an exciting story, he might just announce his next before Diwali.”

Having starred in films such as Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014), Badrinath Ki Dulhania (2017) and Dil Bechara (2020), Sahil Vaid now feels “at home” in Bollywood, and add to that one controversy. The actor claims he was misquoted in a recent interview as saying that he “regrets” doing such a small role in his latest outing, Shershaah.

“Initially, I thought the role was very small. But, when I read the script and met the director (Vishnu Varadhan), I had no second thoughts. It was a no-brainer,” he tells us.

But, was he okay to take up a role with this kind of screen space, given the repertoire of films over the years? “That’s exactly why I used the word reluctant,” clarifies Vaid.

“When I learnt about the story, I had to be a part of this film. There are some characters you just have to do, as an actor. Sunny (his role, late Captain Vikram Batra’s best friend) was there at the shoot in Palampur (Himachal Pradesh), he said I’ve done complete justice,” adds the 34-year-old, who believes ego should be kept aside for such important parts.

His journey so far, Vaid feels, has been pretty smooth. “I believe it’s necessary for actors to keep doing what they are doing. A lot of times, big names have stopped working and say, ‘Ab chhote roles nahi karne, want to do big roles’. They keep telling me that was kind of their end in the industry,” signs off Vaid, who will next be seen in Satyameva Jayate 2, starring John Abraham.

The glowing reviews of Shershaah are perhaps the perfect culmination of Sidharth Malhotra’s five-year journey with the film. The actor, after all, has been attached to the project ever since producer Shabbir Boxwala, in 2016, acquired the rights to bring the late Captain Vikram Batra’s story on screen. Given the rousing nature of the story, it is not surprising when the producer reveals that several actors, including Salman Khan, had expressed interest in the biopic.

Boxwala, whose friendship with Khan goes back a long way, recounts, “Salman approached me at a stage when I was in talks with Junglee Pictures. He wanted Shershaah to be Aayush’s [Sharma] debut film, and wanted to partner with me on it.”

However, Boxwala’s hands were tied at the time. By then, the producer had suggested Malhotra’s name to the Batra family for the role of the Param Vir Chakra awardee — an idea that was unanimously seconded by them. He had also arranged a meeting between the actor and the Batras. “It would have been highly unethical to drop him for another actor. When Captain Batra’s family gave me the rights, it was a big moment for me. They showed immense trust in me, and I didn’t want to go wrong at any step. I explained [my predicament] to Salman, who was understanding. Aayush was sweet and sportingly said that playing a double role in his debut movie might be [a tall order].”

Making Shershaah has been a long journey, with studios and directors changing hands, but Boxwala insists it has brought him immense satisfaction. “From Junglee Pictures, the film went to Dharma Productions [in 2019]. It didn’t take Karan [Johar] more than five minutes to say yes to the project. Director Dennis Lee came from Los Angeles to helm the film, but things didn’t work out. Vishnu Varadhan [director] was suggested by my writer Sandeep Shrivastava.”

When he came on board Shershaah, Sidharth Malhotra knew his first obligation was towards the late Captain Vikram Batra and his family. With the Amazon Prime Video offering slated to premiere tomorrow, the actor says, “The family’s is the only review I am nervous about. I owe it to them to do my best and give them a version that does justice to their son’s story.” He adds that Batra’s brother Vishal had seen the earlier cut of the biopic. “He got emotional and said ‘I had already seen my brother off duty. But in my mind, I couldn’t [conjure] a visual of him fighting for the country. Now, when I think of [him on duty], I see your visuals from the film in my mind.’”

Helmed by Vishnu Vardhan, the film celebrates the valour of the Param Vir Chakra awardee, who, at 24, was martyred during the 1999 Kargil War. Malhotra says the team was mindful of not falling into the tropes of a larger-than-life Bollywood movie. “It was a conscious effort to play the character authentically. It would lose its appeal if I portrayed him like a typical hero. The attempt was to make it a part-documentary, part-Hindi film. The idea was to make it close to reality, and yet keep his heroism intact. Even the filmy dialogues used in the trailer are the actual lines that Vikram Batra had said.” 

Of late, war dramas in Hindi cinema tend to have a jingoistic approach. But the actor insists they have actively steered away from adopting the tone in the Kiara Advani-starrer. “Sandeep Shrivastava [writer], Vishnu Vardhan, Dharma Productions and I have consciously made an effort that the scenes do not digress from his life story. You cannot sugar-coat war. There [was] a battle; we fought with our neighbouring country, and whatever interactions they had with the enemy are documented. Our attempt is to [evoke] a sense of patriotism or inspiration through Batra’s life and his comrades. It has got less to do with the enemy or the politics, and more to do with what went on in the [soldiers’] heads and hearts.”

Captain Vikram Batra was all of 24 when he laid down his life in the Kargil War in 1999. The stories of his bravery and the catchphrase ‘Yeh Dil Maange More’ used by him as code to relay the capture of Point 5140 on the Tololing Ridge have inspired soldiers and awed the citizens of our country over the last two decades. He called Palampur in Himachal Pradesh his home, where he lived with his parents, twin Vishal Batra and sisters. During his college days, he fell in love with Dimple Cheema, who chose to stay unmarried after Captain Vikram Batra’s death on the battlefield. The Batra family felt Sidharth Malhotra resembled their son, who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously, and hoped that he would essay the part in the biopic on Captain Vikram Batra’s life.

The actor took the plunge wholeheartedly and focused on the film right from its inception. The movie Shershaah, which is jointly produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Kaash Entertainment, will premiere globally on Amazon Prime Video on August 12. Calling the film his “first passion project”, Sidharth talks about why this is more than another commercial venture for him, the challenges he faced to see the project get made with the same passion that he had and how doing justice to the expectations of the martyr’s family is a huge responsibility. Excerpts:

Yes, it’s a huge responsibility and it’s a great matter of pride to play a national hero. Captain Vikram Batra laid down his life for all of us, and for that matter, that holds true for all martyrs. This is a film for them, and we owe it to them to remind the people of India of the kind of sacrifices the Armed Forces make so that we can live in a democracy. That’s the pressure and responsibility that comes with this kind of a role and one has to accept it.

It’s such an incredible life story of a real-life hero that it’s close to impossible to accommodate everything in two hours. He was predominantly a very lovable Punjabi guy, who eventually became a great leader. We concentrated on how Captain Vikram Batra became Shershaah. He gave the last many years of his life to the country, so we have focussed on that. My approach as an actor was to focus on the specific qualities he displayed. For instance, we have a particular scene from his college days which brings out an aspect of his personality, then we go on the battlefield, where we show his leadership qualities and ability to inspire, laugh at danger and move ahead with confidence. The film shows jhalaks and moments from his life. We hope that through the film, people understand the various aspects of his personality.

When Vishal Batra (Captain Vikram Batra’s twin brother) met me with (producer) Shabbir Boxwala, it was a completely different team with a much bigger script. I told them that we need to work more on this, and get a better version of it. We spent almost two years in that process, and I kind of took over this film, saying I want to make it in a certain way. Then we got Sandeep Srivastava as a writer, Vishnu Varadhan to direct the film and Kiara Advani to play Dimple Cheema (Captain Vikram Batra’s fiancée) on board. Since I was involved with the film from a very early stage, I am far more attached to this film. Shershaah is my first passion project. I approached Dharma Productions to back it, so there was no need for me to produce it. But if that hadn’t worked out, I would have definitely been involved as a producer because I wanted to retain the authenticity of the project. I didn’t look at the film from a commercial point of view. Firstly, because of the amount of time that I have spent on it, and also because when I met the Batra family, I just felt a connect with them immediately.

When I met them, it was an emotionally-charged moment for everyone. I felt this could be my family. I come from a similar cultural background, and it could very well be my uncles and aunts there. My grandfather was a part of the Armed Forces and fought in the Indo-China War, I could have very well joined the Indian Army if I wasn’t an actor. My daadu got injured on the battlefield and took early retirement. My family has seen the kind of sacrifice that the Armed Forces have to make. You know, two years after I was approached for the project, I had a conversation with Vishal Batra when I expressed that the film needs to be in better hands. He was gracious enough to give me that responsibility and trust me with it. That’s why I am so emotionally attached to the film and I feel I owe it to the family to ensure that their brave son’s life story is portrayed authentically. It was always on my mind that for their family this is not just a film, it’s the life story of their brave son and brother, and I am extremely anxious to know what the family says and thinks when they see the complete film.

I must tell you that most of the dialogues spoken in the film are close to what Captain Vikram Batra said. That’s because of some great research by Sandeep Srivastava, our writer. When you see interviews of his comrades and juniors, they would often say, ‘Yaar, jab Batra saab lead karte hai hume bahut confidence milta hai. Woh aage se lead karenge aur humein batayenge ke kya karna hai.’ He had that love from all his subordinates. They trusted him with their life. They knew that he would put his life on the line for them. That was the quality that earned him the name Shershaah. It’s one thing to give directions, but he really walked the talk. You might think that some dialogues are very filmi, but he was also a very filmi person in real life. He was very influenced by Hindi films at that time, and he showed it, whether it was in his love story or dealing with his comrades.

Their love story makes you believe in love. They committed to each other in college, and unfortunately, he passed away and she chose not to marry and live with the love that she felt for him. In today’s day and age, it makes you believe in true love. It’s a unique story of that first love, which is innocent and pure. I feel it adds to the appeal of the film because most of what you see is true.

Back then, I lived in Delhi and we would often watch the news about the Kargil War on TV. I remember seeing these jhalaks of the famous interview of Captain Vikram Batra on TV, which is an iconic interview. It’s a surreal feeling that 15 years later, I am living and playing the person who I saw on the television screen of my house so many years ago. It’s been a long journey. I learnt that it was nowhere close to what I saw on television. There was so much more to be told.

We are all going through tough times because of the pandemic. This is the new norm. I look at it from the point of view that this film is so special to me that I want the maximum number of people to see it at one point. Today, that’s only possible through Amazon Prime Video, where people can watch the film from the comfort and safety of their home, and not just in India, but around the world. Something that probably wouldn’t have been possible with a theatrical release. The digital release will give us a massive reach, and that’s what every actor and creative person wants.

I hope the film inspires the youth. Captain Vikram Batra was only 24 when he sacrificed his life for the country. With this film, what comes into focus for the younger generation is to find that one thing that can inspire and drive you in your 20s; it could be anything. The question you need to ask yourself is, do you feel passionately about anything in your life at 24? If you do, then give it your all and it will manifest itself.