Jaggu dada, as he is lovingly called by his fans and most people in the industry, is an actor who even after almost four decades in the industry enjoys immense popularity. From playing the quintessential Bollywood hero to making a smooth transition to strong supporting roles, his is a success story worth writing about. Jackie Shroff, aka ‘Bhidu’, was recently seen in the Bollywood potboiler Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai. The film that saw a digital release in India on May 13, was screened in theatres in over 40 countries. In a chat with BT, he talks about social media, staying relevant, and of course, Salman Khan, among other things. Excerpts:

I have known him as a model and then as an assistant director, who handled my clothes and boots, when I was shooting for Falak (1988). He used to look up to me and is like my little brother. When he was an AD, I used to show his photographs to the producers I was working with. Finally, K C Bokadia’s brother-in-law gave him a break in Bollywood. It was Maine Pyar Kiya that catapulted him to stardom, but I feel that I was instrumental in him getting a break in the industry. Toh aise dosti shuru hui… well, dosti itni nahi hai ki we are very close, but he keeps coming up with films, aur jab bhi kuchh bada aata hai toh he thinks of me first. This time around, he came up with an action-comedy like Radhe..., which is directed by Prabhudheva. Comedy is something I have stayed away from, maybe because the writers didn’t think I was comical enough. When I learnt that Prabhudheva wanted to cast me in his film, it took me back to the time when he had choreographed a song for me in Gardish (1993).

Prabhudheva was also my co-actor in Agni Varsha (2002). So, he has worked with me as a dance director, co-actor and then, I saw his film, Wanted (2009). So, I thought that if this guy has offered me a role, I should do it...because a man who can make me dance, can also make me do comedy (laughs!).

None, both of us are still the same. Main aaj bhi daal, chaawal aur ghee khaata hoon. Uska bhi apna ek pattern hai, wohi karta hai. Insaan basically badalta nahi hai. I don’t think he has changed. We continue to call each other Jaggu and Sallu. The day he calls me ‘Mr Shroff ’, I will know that our equation has changed.

I have done films for my friends, for money or because of the banner. Sometimes, if a camera assistant or an assistant director comes up with a script and says that I could make a difference to their film, I give my nod. There have been times when there was no money involved, and there have also been many instances when the role prompted me to take up a project. But, I could never say ‘no’ to anybody. Also, I look at a film as a table or chair. A chair has four legs, and if I am one of the four holding it up, it’s more than enough for me. Subhash (Ghai) ji had told me in the beginning that it’s always the strength of the role that matters, not its length. A strong character is the spine of a film. It also helps that I am in touch with reality. There was a phase when I would sing ‘Goriya Re Goriya Re’ as a hero and this, too, is a phase. I kept going with the flow and never complained, ‘Now, they are not giving me a song, or I have got just one song’. I know that I don’t have to sing or dance to be noticed.

I am very receptive, and that’s courtesy my background and upbringing. Bade bade gharon ke drivers ke bachhe mere dost hote the, aur bade seth ke bachche bhi mere dost hain. We would all play together. During my growing-up years in the chawl, main neeche se neeche bhi dekh liya aur oopar se oopar bhi dekh liya. Human beings are all the same, only their labels differ. Bas maine label ko dekha hi nahi aur na mujhe dikha. It’s all about adjusting yourself, being respectful and receptive. Treat a human as a human. Talking about staying relevant, I have kept my eyes open, and I feel that my heart is still young.

I feel like a teenager even at this age. I try to learn from the current generation instead of saying, ‘Apne time par alag tha’. Aaj bhi apna time hai aur kal bhi rahega. One should blend like water with every colour that life offers.

Well, the legendary Bachchan saab still keeps playing such characters, which is inspiring for artistes like me. In today’s films, actors of my generation may not be singing or having as much screen time, but that doesn’t mean that their role is not integral to the plot. Chunni Babu in Devdas (2002) was rejected by a few actors, because Shah Rukh Khan was playing the title role, but that didn’t bother me.

“Salman (Khan) was keen to work with Prabhudheva and we were developing a script with him in a triple role of a dude father, his son who’s an introvert and Salman Khan, the star, who arrives where the duo is living for a film shoot,” reminisces Boney Kapoor, admitting that while on paper the comedy seemed like a great idea, it wasn’t turning out the way they had envisioned.

Meanwhile, Prabhudheva had started filming Pokkiri, the Tamil version of Mahesh Babu’s 2006 Telugu blockbuster, Pokiri. Two actors from the Hindi film industry had seen the original and passed it over, but Prabhudheva believed it was the perfect film to bring Salman back into the action genre and urged Boney to see it before his Pokkiri released and someone else evinced interest in a Hindi remake. “So, one day, around midnight, Sri (his late actress-wife Sridevi), and I sat down to watch it together. We loved it, and with the then recently released Casino Royale showing James Bond engaged in hand-to-hand combats, we believed it wouldn’t be long before the masala movies of yore, with lots of maar-dhaad, would return to the mainstream. Hoping to be one step ahead of the competition, I coaxed Salman to see Pokiri,” the producer recounts. To their delight, the actor was equally impressed and Boney immediately air-dashed to Hyderabad to buy the rights from the Telugu film’s producer-director Puri Jagannadh. And Wanted happened!

He is, however, quick to add that they had toyed with a number of titles before fixing on Wanted, then, realised it was already registered with Firoz Nadiadwala. “So, we started looking for options, but ended up coming back to Wanted. At one point, I had decided to call it Wanted: Dead or Alive. Fortunately, Firoz gave me what I wanted,” Boney chuckles.

To play Salman’s leading lady several actresses, including two A-listers, were approached, but things didn’t work out. Ayesha Takia had impressed in Socha Na Tha and Boney had her in mind for a film he was planning with Salman and Saif Ali Khan on the lines of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 psychological thriller, Rebecca, with Nikkhil Advani. “Nikkhil got busy with Salaam-E-Ishq and that film didn’t happen, but I then signed Ayesha for Wanted,” he narrates.

The film also introduced a new villain to Bollywood, Prakash Raj, who was already a big name in Tamil and Telugu cinema. He had done only a couple of Hindi films, including Boney’s Shakti: The Power, before this. So, Wanted was his big break. “I had approached some of the conventional villains, but they had issues with a particular scene where watching Salman decimate his entire army, Ghani Bhai wets his pants. We conveyed the ‘accident’ through sound, but they still objected to the scene. I pointed out that we used terms like ‘you will s**t in your pants’ or ‘p** in your pants’ in everyday conversation, but they were unconvinced. That scene got the maximum taalis in the theatres after the film’s release,” Boney beams, adding that they filmed Prakash Raj’s introduction and a few other scenes in Thailand.

The song “Dil Leke” was shot in Greece. On the second day, Prabhudheva got the news that his son, who it was believed had recovered from cancer, had gone into remission and had to rush back to Chennai.

His brother Raju Sundaram finished the song with Prabhudheva’s signature step. He also choreographed “Jalwa” while Vaibhavi Merchant did “Le Le Mazaa Le”.

The film was shot over 208 days with Salman himself filming for around 165 days, in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Surve Farms near Pune and Binny Mills in Chennai. It released on September 18, 2009, and was applauded not just by the aam janta but also the critics. I remember, during an interview with Boney, both his phones were ringing non-stop, with distributors from across the country sharing box-office figures. Single screen theatres that had been on the verge of shutting shop got a new lease of life, with many exhibitors having to get new ‘Houseful’ boards to proudly display outside their cinemas. “I just wish we had got a ‘U/A’ instead of an ‘A’ certificate. Then, the business would have been double. I know many families went to see Wanted , then, on learning they couldn’t see it with their kids, bought tickets for Dil Bole Hadippa!, which opened on the same Friday,” Boney shares.

Eleven years have passed, but Salman’s “Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, toh main apne aap ki bhi nahin sunta” still resonates. “The script of No Entry Mein Entry and the idea for a Wanted sequel are locked. Aur mera yeh commitment hai that I will make both films soon,” promises Boney. 

Prabhudheva on his equation with the actor, with whom he has signed a third film even before release of new Dabangg
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 9, 2019)

The successful duo of Salman Khan and Prabhudheva, who had earlier collaborated on Wanted, which resurrected the former’s career after a dry spell, are back for the second time to carry forward one of Bollywood’s most successful franchises, Dabangg. With less than two weeks to go before the third instalment unfolds, the 46-year-old director admits he is nervous. After 25 years in showbiz? “Yeah, the only thing that has changed in all these years is that from the outside, I look composed, but inside it’s still the same,” he laughs.

What changes has he noted in Salman since they first worked together? “There are changes in him as an actor; he knows everything about the film and not just story and screenplay. But personally, he is still the same,” Prabhu shares. And has the equation between them changed? “There is huge respect for each other,” he says, adding that their contrasting personalities make their combination work.

Talking about Dabangg, the story and the characters come with certain preconceived notions and attitude. How did his distinctive style gel with what was on the template? “I don’t know how, but it mixed well and is visible on screen. I believe that the story and screenplay lead the director, and except for tweaking my style slightly to accommodate Chulbul Pandey’s antics, I didn’t have to adjust much,” Prabhu smiles, pointing out that the actor, who has been enacting this character for nine years now, knows him way better and also how to play him the best.

There have been speculations around Sonakshi Sinha’s Rajjo, with many believing that this time around, she will be seen as a mother with a young son. On this, Prabhu is reticent, saying it is something for which audience will have to watch the film. But he confirms that Sona is playing a “young mother”.

He is all praise for the film’s second leading lady, Saiee Manjrekar. “She is a new girl. So, she was curious about whatever we did. When we tied her or put glycerine in her eyes, Siaee wanted to know why we were doing so and what had happened to justify it on screen. It’s a normal reaction, and given the innocence of her face, she didn’t have to act much. Her face is her asset; plus, she is a hard worker and a born star like so many others of her generation,” he applauds, pointing out that youngsters today are so brilliant that you just need to guide them a bit and they will pave their own way. “By the second or the third film, they will be teaching us.”

Dabangg is known for its chartbusters and hook steps. Prabhudheva, too, is known for his moves. How did the idea of taking the belt off, followed by the hip-swing (for “Munna Badnaam Hua”), come about? “The bulb in my head just went on,” he grins. “Salman comes up with different ideas, too. He showed me the move from 'Hud Hud Dabangg' and I was like, ‘what is happening,’ because I couldn’t see anything moving... till he asked me to look down at the hips,” he guffaws.

Prabhu is involved in “Munna Badnaam Hua” not just as a director and choreographer, but he also features in it. After dancing with Madhuri Dixit and Sonakshi, how was it matching steps with Salman again? “As a choreographer, I have worked with all kinds of dancers. Each of them has their own style and that’s why we like them. I enjoyed working with Salman, I didn’t face any difficulty,” he avers.

Salman is known to have temper issues with directors. Recently, Inshaallah with Sanjay Leela Bhansali ground to a halt before it could take off. Meanwhile, Prabhu has worked with him in Wanted and Dabangg 3 and the duo has already kicked off a third film, Radhe. So far, it has been smooth sailing for them. What’s the secret? “It doesn’t happen with anyone,” Prabhu shrugs off the question, going on to rave about Salman’s big heart and how he can get reputed people on board his projects and at the same time help those not doing so well, hiring struggling actors for certain roles because they need work. “I find it easy to work with sir because he listens to you when you tell him something isn’t going right and should be done differently. Even if the shoot runs late into the night, he doesn’t fuss about it. He is super cool. Even I am cool, but he is way cooler.”

He goes on to share an incident from the shoot of the Dabangg 3 climax. “It was a big and expensive set depicting a stone quarry. Sudeep (antagonist) had injured himself during a fight scene and was in pain. Everyone was worried because of the expenses, but in two seconds sir decided to cancel the shoot that day, saying the health and comfort of his team comes before anything else,” he marvels.

The buzz in the industry today is that Salman likes Prabhudheva best, as he offered him Radhe while they were still working on Dabangg 3. It’s rare for him to start another film with the same director while still working on one. “His trust in me is unimaginable. I don’t need to say anything, he has proved it. Everybody knows now, and it makes me feel all the more responsible because with every step, I have to prove his trust right,” the filmmaker says earnestly.

Prabhu is known to complete his films in three months and Salman is running on a tight schedule with Radhe, which he has announced as an Eid 2020 release. Could that be one of the reasons why the actor went with him? “Maybe,” Prabhu says.

Radhe was being hyped as a sequel to Wanted, but later, it was clarified that the project is an official remake of the Korean film The Outlaws. However, Boney Kapoor has always said Wanted 2 will happen. Quiz Prabhu on the matter and he says, “Wanted is Salman and Boney sir’s project. Only they can decide when it will happen.”

Apart from Radhe, the actor-choreographer-filmmaker has Street Dancer 3D, which is gearing up for a Republic Day 2020 release, as a cast member. Prod him on his part and he confides with an embarrassed laugh that even he doesn’t know the story. “When Remo (D’souza, director) calls next, I’ll have to ask him now,” he chuckles. The dance film features a recreation of his iconic song “Muqabala”. What was his reaction to it? “I can’t compete with (the ’90s) Prabhudheva,” he guffaws. “That is exactly what I told the makers when they asked me to perform on the new version.”

Aware that his latest offering as Chulbul Pandey comes amid high expectations, Salman promises Dabangg 3 will be the 'biggest of the lot'
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 24, 2019)

While Dabangg (2010) and its sequel were separated only by two years, Salman Khan acknowledges that it has been a long wait to Dabangg 3. As he released the trailer of the third edition of the cop franchise yesterday, thus marking the return of Chulbul Pandey after seven years, the superstar said that the venture kept getting pushed due to his chock-a-block date diary. "We had locked the story long back, but I wasn't able to do it due to other commitments. With every film, I try to give the audiences a little more than what I offered in my previous outing, in terms of comedy, action and drama. I have worked 10 times harder on this film."

If Salman and Sonakshi Sinha reprise their characters from the blockbuster franchise, the latest offering also sees Saiee Manjrekar making her Bollywood debut. The actor added that they trusted Prabhudheva with the directorial responsibility, knowing that the film would arrive amid sky-high expectations. "Usually, sequels don't fare as well as the first film. But we have worked hard on this one. Dabangg 3 should be the biggest of the lot. It has lot more than just masala." A few days ago, Salman released the teaser of his next, Radhe. Considering the film borrows its title from his character in Wanted, speculations have been rife that it's a sequel to the 2009 film. He dismissed the idea, saying, "It is a completely different movie and has nothing to do with Wanted."

Bollywood is going through a great phase at present. So many different kinds of subjects are being attempted and are getting commercial success. Masala films continue to do well and the era of single screens, whistles, claps et al is very much thriving, albeit only in certain parts of the country. But 10 years ago, things were gloomy for the industry. The films were getting success but there used to vast periods of drought in between two hit films. Also, while footfalls in multiplexes were steady, in single screens, it was poor. The multiplex strike of April-June 2009 had further crippled the business of single screen cinemas.

But then came Wanted, which ushered in a new era. In producer Boney Kapoor’s words, “It brought back the concept of hero, something which was in vogue years back when Amitabh Bachchan used to play such characters. Somehow such cinema had become extinct.” Superstar Salman Khan played the lead role who, just like the industry, was also going through a tough time. Wanted put him back in the big league. Till today, he’s following the ‘Wanted’ formula of making mass-friendly, action entertainers (and with him doing away with his shirt in the finale fight) and now not just single screens but even multiplexes are lapping it up.

10 months before Wanted, Aamir Khan-starrer Ghajini was also an attempt in reviving the testosterone-driven cinema. But it was not a complete action film and had other elements too. Wanted, meanwhile, had action in adequate doses and catered to the single-screen audiences who went crazy over the film and how. On the joyous occasion of Wanted’s 10th anniversary, we go down memory lane and bring back some not-so-known trivia about the film, including how Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan emerged as an angel for producer Boney Kapoor in times of crisis:

BEFORE RELEASE:

1. Wanted was earlier titled Wanted: Dead Or Alive. The makers were in favour of simply Wanted as the film’s title. However, a producer down South had the rights who asked for a huge amount of money to part with the title. According to unconfirmed reports, it was Salman Khan who paid for the title from his own pocket.

2. Not just Salman, but even his father Salim Khan made a major contribution to the film. The B4U group had filed a case against Boney Kapoor in the High Court and demanded a stay on its release. In September 2006, Boney had signed a MoU with B4U for a joint venture for which the latter had extended an advance of Rs. 10 crore to acquire rights of the former’s five films. The price of these films wasn’t fixed and moreover, B4U and Boney couldn’t reach an understanding. Meanwhile, Boney Kapoor was in a debt trap and in the absence of any funds from B4U, he joined hands with Sahara One Motion Pictures and produced Wanted. B4U hence moved the High Court which upheld that Boney can’t create third party rights to his films. It also directed him to furnish Rs. 10 crore as security deposit. Fearing that Wanted’s release may suffer, Boney moved the Supreme Court which allowed the film to release on its scheduled date. But it was told to deposit Rs. 2 crore within a week. Raising Rs. 2 crore was a difficult task for Boney and this is when Salim Khan stepped in. He immediately lent him Rs. 1 crore. Boney was moved to tears at this gesture. Salim saab however felt it was the most apt thing to do and stated, “I know people who have crores lying in Swiss banks and benaami accounts but they will not help you with even a lakh when it comes to the crunch. In fact, if you tell someone that you are looking for monetary help, that is the surest way of driving them away from your life. I think most of us are born selfish.”

3. Wanted began the trend of having Eid releases for Salman Khan. Barring 2013, Salman has had a release on this festival every year from 2009 to 2019 and is also scheduled to have a film coming on Eid 2020 as well. But it’ll be interesting to know that initially, Wanted was to arrive much earlier. The multiplex strike pushed it ahead, just like most films. Till April 2009, Wanted was to hit screens on July 3 and it was also to clash with Dulha Mil Gaya, which featured Shah Rukh Khan in a supporting role. Then it was moved to August 7. Later it got a release on September 18, 2 days before Ramzan Eid. The teaser was released with Love Aaj Kal, that came out on July 31.

4. Another minor jolt suffered by Boney Kapoor is when the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) gave the film an adults-only certificate. Several industry insiders, trade and even audience were left shocked since the film had violence but it was not too gory either. There were fears that it might restrict the film’s appeal. Even Salman in many interviews expressed his disagreement with Wanted’s ‘A’ rating.

5. Salman Khan promoted the film extensively. From the promotions itself, it was evident that Salman’s ‘re-birth’ has happened with Wanted. Even in the songs, he seemed in top form after a long time. His dance steps in ‘Mera Hi Jalwa’ was quite appreciated. He said in an interview, “It’s really amazing to see the dance steps I have done. I can’t believe that it’s me in the song, dancing like this, yakeen hi nahin hota ki aisa bhi kuch ho sakta hai!”

6. Salman Khan also used his game show on television, ‘Dus Ka Dum’ to promote Wanted. In a rare move, Boney Kapoor’s wife, the late Sridevi made an appearance in the memorable episode along with Boney, director Prabhudheva and actress Ayesha Takia. Without Sridevi’s knowledge, Salman sneaked in two of her paintings and presented in front of the audiences. Sridevi surprised one and all when she said that for one of the paintings, she used the tips given by Salman. What also made this episode special is that Boney and Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi, who is now also an actress, was present in the audiences’ section and Salman lovingly addressed her and her younger sister Khushi as two other beautiful creations of Sridevi.



AFTER RELEASE:

1. Wanted released in 1400 screens and its first day collections stood at Rs. 5.10 crore. It was the ninth biggest opener of the year but emerged as the fourth biggest grosser of 2009 as it collected Rs. 60.24 crore in its lifetime.

2. It was the massiest film of 2009 and after a long time, such a film had come in cinemas. As a result, his traditional fan base was out in full force. Around 70% of business in the first week was done in single screens, as per a report.

3. In Mumbai, Ankur cinema in Govandi had to paint a ‘Housefull’ board because they didn’t have one. Theatres in South Mumbai like Liberty and New Empire had to dig out the ‘Housefull’ board from their storage rooms as they didn’t need them for a long time. The scenario was similar in many single screens across the country.

4. Manoj Desai, executive director of G7 Multiplex in Mumbai, popularly called as Gaiety-Galaxy cinema complex, was heard saying, "Wanted has got the film industry and also the single screen cinemas out of the ICU. The film has got 100 per cent collections till now and it is only going to get better."

5. Boney Kapoor reported that in Rishi theatre in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, a gun firing took place between two sections of Salman Khan fans. It led to a riot-like situation and police had to resort to firing outside the theatre to disperse the crowd.

6. In Paras cinema in Jaipur, the cops had to request the theatre management to sell 200 tickets less to keep the audience in control.

7. In the biggest theatre in Hubli, Karnataka, almost 5,000 people gathered outside to buy tickets.

8. Unlike the norm, Wanted was released in all 3 theatres in Kanpur and police protection was adequately provided.

A lot of films’s tenth, twentieth, twenty fifth anniversaries are celebrated nowadays and many of these at times seem unnecessary. However, Wanted deserves to be feted as it was the first step in making our industry bigger and better. Today, most of the films in the Rs. 200 and Rs. 300 crore club belong to the action masala genre. Hence, Wanted is responsible for opening the eyes of the producers that such films are not dead, as believed then by many, and that they’ll always have an audience. May we have many such pan-India flicks in the future too!

As told to Nishi Tiwari (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 26, 2019)

My first film with Salman Khan was Wanted (2008). Many tell me that I am his lucky mascot, I don’t know if that’s true, but Wanted changed the course of Salman’s career.

I’ve always believed that dressing him up is more about dressing up a personality... a star... rather than just an individual. The entire country emulates him and everyone wants to wear what he wears on Eid. So, you have to be more conscious as a stylist.

I remember making a floral, printed pathani kurta which he wore on Bigg Boss. Soon after, I went to a wedding and saw many guys wearing similar kurtas. Salman loves wearing pathanis, and looks so good in them. This year, on Eid, he wore a pathani kurta which I had picked up from a local market in Dubai. It has typical Afghan embroidery which looks a lot like Indian phulkari.

Another time on the reality show, we got a jacket by a designer called Asa and put a pair of love birds on the back. The jacket made another appearance during the screening of Bharat earlier this year, when he paired it with a pair of jeans he’d got from the US. The zip detail at the hem was added by us. While buying denims, the most important thing is the fit and Salman can just look at a pair and tell how it will fit. I am always on the lookout for young, trendy designers in India and abroad for him. Salman likes jeans by particular brands and jackets in classic leather styles. He has so many of them that there is no place in his wardrobe anymore, even though he gives a lot of them away. I recently worked with him on Bharat, which was challenging. I had done a few period films before, but not on such a massive scale be it the detailing of 1947, right from the badges, hats and shoes to the fabrics used in that period. As an actor, if Salman sees something that catches the eye, he keeps it in mind. Once, he told me that his ex-secretary used to hang his glasses on the back of his shirt. It would irritate him at the time and he would tell him, “Why do you do that? It looks stupid!” But he incorporated that quirk in Dabangg’s Chulbul Pandey and made it iconic.

Now, that he is 53 and not 23, I try to keep his fashion style a little more mature. So, for formal occasions, I give him a suit and it really looks good on him. Ditto for weddings. The suit he wore for Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’s wedding reception earlier this year was an in-house creation. We pick up fabric, mostly Italian, from abroad for these suits.

Salman Khan says Boney Kapoor's Wanted and No Entry sequels are not on his filmography currently; will start work on brother Sohail's next
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 15, 2018)

Salman Khan will soon start shooting for Ali Abbas Zafar's Bharat, co-produced by brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri. It's also believed that he will juggle the schedule with Dabangg 3, directed by brother Arbaaz Khan. While producer Boney Kapoor's Wanted 2 and No Entry Mein Entry were also in the pipeline, sources suggest that the star has put them on the back burner. He is likely to start work on brother Sohail Khan's next directorial venture, Sher Khan, instead.

A source tells mid-day, "Writer Kona Venkat, who scripted Salman's No Entry (2005) and Ready (2011), has finished writing Sher Khan's script. It's an out-and-out commercial drama. As soon as Salman Khan returns from the US and Canada leg of the Da-Bangg The Tour in July, he will start shooting for Bharat, followed by Dabangg 3. Sohail is currently busy with the pre-production work of Sher Khan. Once he is done finalising the cast, Salman will start shooting for it."

Khan, who is flooded with offers, says Boney Kapoor's films are not on his calendar yet. "There is no Wanted or No Entry sequel happening," he says, adding, "I'm doing Bharat, Dabangg 3 and Sher Khan. I want to do something that I instantly like. I take up films only if they excite me immediately. If something is narrated to me and I am like, 'I will tell you tomorrow' or 'I need some time to think', it's never happening."

When contacted, Kapoor sounded annoyed. He said, "You have already heard it from Salman, so you should go with his word. I don't want to comment on this further." Meanwhile, talking about his other projects, Khan says, "I am waiting for the Kick 2 script to be finalised. Then there is a dance film with Remo D'Souza and one with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He will narrate the script to me soon."

MUMBAI MIRROR (September 18, 2017)

Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 1, 2017)

Actor Inder Kumar passed away last week. One of his most memorable roles in recent times was in Wanted.

Director Prabhu Dheva says, “I remember Inder was so disciplined and had a terrific physique. Inder came into Wanted on Salman Khan’s recommendation. He played Salman’s friend, and we all know what shape Salman is in.

Inder had to look fighting-fit to match up to Salman. I remember how Salman would make sure that he would work out. After Wanted, I was not in touch with him. Inder was committed to his role in the film. He would come to the sets on time and do his work really well.

In fact I wanted to work with him again... Now he is gone. The entertainment industry is scary. When it favours you, it gives you everything. When it doesn’t, it takes away everything. I feel sorry about his going so suddenly. I should have tried to give him work.”

Salman Khan in an exhaustive interview with mid-day talks about not-enough money, need-based love, luck, lawyers, and a full turnaround in his pictures and persona
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; June 25, 2017)

So you've probably seen the video that viral recently, where Salman Khan cycles down Bandstand, calling out to Shah Rukh outside his house, Mannat. It gives us strange pleasure to report that he was on his way to meet us at Hotel Taj Lands End that afternoon. Unpredictable, crabby even, Salman hasn't traditionally been a journalist's delight. Unlike the quotemeister SRK. On this day however, spiffy, chatty, Salman seemed the most relaxed, warmest version of himself: a pleasant surprise. As has been his career lately, the turning point of which we were hoping to needle and nail. What wasn't a surprises how this interview got conducted: Salman, preferring to stand, and chat over smokes (thin Davidoff Lights), pacing up and down the banquet hall, once in a while walking behind the befuddled interviewer, but always entertaining, and rarely sticking to a script. This is the Salman we still know, and he rarely disappoints.

You said in an interview recently that there was a time when you were losing grip on your career, you got back, and turned tables around. What was that time?
There was a time I wasn't getting the best of films. I was only doing films from the best I got offered. Even though you work hard on those films, there's the producer and director who don't let you do much. That was a disheartening time for me.

Roughly when was this?
My creativity at that point in time was more like 'koi ghont raha hai mujhe (someone's choking me)'. As it is I've picked a script that I think will be an average film. If they let me work on it, at least I could take it to the next level. That didn't happen for me. I got fed up one day and said I'd rather not work at all. But then I realised, if I don't work, how will I survive? So I went about it like a daily 9 to 5 job.

And then I saw one film (of mine), and felt this is really not working, man: 'Yeh ek baar chhap gaya (It's in print once), it's going to be there for life.' That's when I got my act together, said now whatever I do, I won't do it for the money, or that I have dates (available on my diary), or a friend is a director/producer. I would do a movie only for scripts. If I don't get those scripts for the longest, I'll do stage shows, TV, but I will not do a film. No way!

That said, my dad (screenwriter Salim Khan) once asked me during that phase: "You're the highest paid actor in India, but how much money do you think you have?" We went into the numbers, and he said that today, if there's a medical emergency in the family, and if money can save the person, we would not have the funds to make it happen. Because, after all the court cases, lawyer fees, etc, money used to come, and the same money used to go. Coming, going, coming, going… It started from magistrate court, then sessions court, then High Court, then Supreme Court; 20 years, bro! And people are thinking: Look at this upstart; he's romancing the hottest women, smiling (on screen). Arre, that's my job!

If we just go back a few years, 'Bodyguard', 'Ready' (both 2011), were your biggest blockbusters. Those films are impossible to compare with, say 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan', 'Sultan', or even 'Tubelight', for that matter. How do you explain this vast difference?
Every six to seven years, the whole writing scenario changes, with new writers coming in. They write their first few phenomenal scripts, taking off from their personal lives, and experiences. And so it all looks new. But how many (such scripts) can you write? Six, seven, eight?

But jab ek writer ki chal rahi hai (one writer is having a good run), he gives his best in the first three scripts. After that, the quality drops. You can't keep creating. The same thing happens with music composers. To answer your question, I got lucky that the good writers or scripts started coming to me

You've said before, rather cheekily, that one thing no one can fault you for is acting, because you don't act at all.
(Laughs) That I don't know how to act.

But you're actually playing very challenging characters now. You've already called Tubelight your toughest film ever.
The screenplays, stories I'm picking up are helping me hugely, so you may think that was a (great) performance. But it was not a performance at all. It's just the screenplay of the film taking me forward. You're not doing anything (different) actually. But you're looking like a superb actor. People are crying and laughing with you. But it's not you. It's the man who's written it, making you look awesome in the film.

By and large, your core or rather hardcore audience has forever been satisfied with you simply showing up on the screen as yourself.
It looks like that, but no. When somebody works so hard (during the day), takes time off to watch a film because he likes you, you have this responsibility of always being slightly better than in your previous film. It's not a Rs 5 ticket anymore. They must take something back with them. They shouldn't say, "Arre, mazaa nahin aaya." That is one thing I keep in mind all the time: When a film releases, people should really want to watch the movie, and then they should really like it.

I don't panic towards the end of the film. I panic when I hear a script. If I go, "Accha theek hai; ah, that's nice," then I would never do it. I have to say, "This is the most awesome thing I've ever heard." And it's always the first narration. I don't read. I make the director or writer narrate it to me. If I read it then I'll visualise it differently. I want to see what the director's vision of the movie is.

If you go back to the old-world definition of a 'Bollywood' star, it's usually been an actor who plays himself, or who's himself a character, like Dev Anand, for example. The young leading men now play dramatically different roles, where you can't usually tell one character from the other. Audiences don't accept them otherwise. Yeah, it is really difficult.

In that sense, do you think you, or for that matter Shah Rukh Khan, are the last of the old-world Bollywood superstars?
It's not only that you get there, shoot a movie - rehearsal, action, cut, retake - and it's done. We've acted in, and produced so many films, so there are a lot of other things that we also take care of. We sit on the music, dialogue, story, setting, and very minute things, when we hear a script.

And then others come in, all of whom play a major part. So it's not one person's film. When you're working for so many hours under the sun or rain, and then there's lunch break, and the food's no good, then everyone's mood sours. So even the khanewala's (cook's) job on a set is as important as mine. The three meals have to be really good (laughs), otherwise everyone gets pissed off.

But you do know that if there isn't Salman in it, there is no big-budget movie, no matter how well the khanewala cooks.
I'm just saying that it's teamwork. What's the use of a focus puller, for instance, who shoots you out of focus in an action or jumping shot, and you have to keep doing it again and again? It's a bummer.

We've been observing you for almost 30 years. Not just your films, there's been a huge change in your public persona as well, lately. You were the unpredictable, aggressive type, or reported as that, up until a few years ago. You've mellowed like crazy. Was there a moment that changed you as a person?
Not really. I'm the same person. I still sit in rickshaws, walk, cycle; in fact, I just cycled here. There was, at one point in time, for whatever reason, a lot of negativity around me. I don't know what I did to deserve that negativity. And I never spoke about it. Later on, things automatically started clearing out. Till today, I'm told I'm the most misunderstood person there is. It's been 30 years that I've been here. How can I be misunderstood? If I'm indeed the most misunderstood still, then I might be the same person (that people think I am).

What gets your goat?
Now, say if someone comes and asks me something straight up, like this whole marriage shit. They're really not interested, you know that. They just want to chhapo that marriage thingy. That pisses me off. For me, I think marriage is a waste of money!

But you know why they do that. Fans want to read about you. That's what stardom's all about.
If you make a name from writing about someone, or your editor pats you on your back, or your viewership goes up, then at least show that man some respect. Because he's taken time out for you.

There are, I think, around 64 million people on my own social media platform. I can do everything there, and you'll pick it up anyway. When I tweet, it goes viral. I actually don't need to come and do this (interview) anymore. But I do it, only for the fact that there's a person whose profession this is, and from there, it goes out to fans, even if they are following me on social media.

Now it takes three minutes for me to stand and pose for photographs, "Baba, left, Bhai, right; left, right, left right." And kad-kad-kad-kad (makes clicking sounds). Now these pictures won't be fun, or great anyway, but still we all do it. It'd be very easy for me to carry a photographer along, and put all pictures up on my social media. But what's the use? You don't want to do everything.

I can't also buy the theatre, and pick up land and cultivate corn and potato for the samosa and pop-corn for the cinemas. Yeh kya baat hui? My job is to act. Let others make a living too. That's what I think.

Well, there's acting and there's stardom. One of the things we noticed, for example, with the new Forbes' highest earning entertainers list that just came out…
You know Shah Rukh and I were speaking last night, and we said, "Yeh kya (Forbes' list) hai? Hamesha, we fall short of money to buy this or that…" I still haven't been able to buy my house. I used to fall short by a few lakhs before, and then it became a crore, then few, and now I'm short by quite a few crores to buy my own place. And then this Forbes' list!

We'll come back to that. What I was talking about is that the Forbes' list of highest earning entertainers in the US is almost full of musicians. Hollywood studios just displaced movie stars with super-heroes, franchises, reboots and disaster films.
That's why I started singing (laughs).

Well they actually killed stardom there. And here, the top ones who can guarantee footfalls in the first weekend - you, Aamir, SRK, Akshay, Ajay - are in fact all pretty much from the '90s. Practically none, if hardly any, from the new lot.
I'll speak about myself. Starting out, I never saw myself in the scripts that came to me. I'd get worried. People would narrate subjects to me and I'd visualise Sanju, Jackie, Sunny. This happened to me for two years. And then came Maine Pyar Kiya (1989).

I used to earlier approach people with scripts that I'd written to direct. Which is what I wanted to do. And everyone would tell me I should be an actor. My father once said, "Yeh sab tumko tarka rahe hain (they're fobbing you off). Honestly, can you play a lawyer, a police inspector, a mohalle ka dada, who can take on people?" I said no. "Then what'll you play? A romantic hero? How long will that run? Couple of years. And then?" It made so much sense to me. Because back then, all the main actors, VK sir (Vinod Khanna), Amitji, Dharamji, were all 'men'. I was a 48-kilo li'l boy. That's when I really started working hard.

From then until now, if you see, all of us boys (from the '90s) have just grown. We're all in our 50s now, and we're still jumping, and it hurts, like crazy. But we're still working hard on ourselves because we know the value. We know a time when we wanted work, and we didn't have any.

And we all see the last 30 years like yesterday: "Kal kaam maang rahe thay yaar!" Till today all those people we've worked with - who may be nobodies now - once they come into the room, we stand up. That's the brand of men I'm talking about.

Also they've constantly upped the game.
Yeah, and so when new directors come in, you just have to learn to pick the right kind of scripts.

Which explains your $37 million per annum of personal income on the Forbes' list! Coming back to which, what do you do with that money; from what we know, you still live in a one-bedroom at Galaxy apartment.
I don't have that money. I seriously don't have that money. I was going through it and going, "Yeh paise kahan hai, bhai? Kidhar?" When a film makes Rs 500 crore, only a very nominal amount from that comes to you. It's just that your business is worth Rs 500 crore.

That said, one of the things we used to find cool about you is you never cared for others' opinions, or for money. As you mentioned, you'd just sign up films with friends or family, and make them work. Now you seem like a very astute businessman. Your Being Human products are in every mall we go to…
I'm the worst businessman ever. When you buy an Armani or Versace, the money goes to them. But with Being Human clothing, we have a partner who takes a certain amount. From what comes to us, we pay taxes, and then it goes back to Being Human. The same thing with cycles, jewellery… Our business interest is towards what we can put into the charitable trust. We were already putting in a lot. But if I ask a friend for help, after a couple of times, he'll back off, and I'll lose a friend.

So yes, there is money coming in, because of who I am today. Because my fans go to theatres to watch my movies, or shows, or television, that brings in ad revenues. And then you choose to give back. And my parents have done this all their life. It's just that we have a brand name to channelise the whole thing.

Are you coming out with Salman cell phones as well?
Not Salman cell phones (laughs). We're launching phones, yes. Even with cycles, we started with just 300, and they sold out. Now we've placed an order for 4,000.

Those are Being Human cycles. So there'd be Being Human cellphones?
Being Smart cellphones. It's a no-inventory business model. You go to the Being Human retailer, pre-order it, and that's what we supply. Not an extra phone is manufactured. Our overheads are zero.

The foundation is run by my father (Salim Khan), Dr Sandeep Loretta, Baby (Alvira) and Arpita [sisters], that's it. Even with the clothing line, Mandan (my partner) has got his staff, but we have only two people from our end. The same with cycles - there's Atul sir (brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri), and Deval. As with jewellery - only Arpita's handling from our end, and they (PNG, partners) have their own crew. And this works only because it's taken us 30 years, with all the negativity around, to build trust: "Ki yeh humko dhokha nahin dega." That could change anytime.

So you're not really sitting in the office and looking over it like a pucca businessman?
I'm working all the time. I'm shooting, there's work on scripting, producing. Then I've got five court cases going on. I also need to spend time with family. Then I approve the entire clothing line. Arpita and I approve the jewellery designs. Soon we'll start work on gym equipment. These things take a lot of time. But then the people I'm working with I've known for the longest.

So with cycles, for instance, some parts are manufactured in China, and my childhood friends - Ash and Jaggi - are doing it, because that's what they do, based out of Dubai. I used to know Jaggi when I was 12. He used to deal in cars. Back then he'd hold my finger while driving in a Mahindra jeep. I'd be on a cycle. And he'd take me around. We've still not left hands.

Coming back to films, tell us something about the romantic angle in your latest, Tubelight.
(Gets close; gently places his hand over the interviewer's on the desk). This is the beautiful romantic angle in Tubelight.

The reason I ask is even if it's a Salman action movie, there's always some lesson on love, especially for single people. I remember one sermon, when crowds went crazy in Wanted: "Don't chase girls. Chase money. Girls will chase you instead!"
Ah, yeah, chase money. True.

Do you have a personal idea or thought on love per se?
Yeah. I don't believe in love at all. I don't think there's any reason for the word 'love' to exist. The word is 'need'. It depends on whose need is more. Or who you might need at some point. But she may not need you at all. This can also turn the other way round, when you don't need her sometimes. So, basically, the need has got to be equal at all times. Which may or may not happen.

Then there is companionship, habit - that you've been together for so long - emotional connect, or the fact that both of you have flaws but you're aware of the larger picture, and that you're happy together. But 'love' is, essentially, need.

It's need-based or conditional, you mean.
Yeah.

How do things work when you're single, but extremely rich, famous, and powerful? Do you second-guess women, double-check if she may even be interested in you as a person at all?
Like I said, I don't have money.

Of course you do. Forbes can't get away with lying in their report!
Arre, Forbes ko kya pata ki mere kharche kitne hain? Every time the lawyers go to court for me, they charge as much, or even more, than I make. We do about, what, 10 appearances in a year? Inke ho jaate hain 70-80 appearances in a year! (laughs)

Fine, let's go with famous and powerful. Does it get harder to find women, or new friends, without assuming that there's an agenda?
Whenever you meet someone, they always put their best side or foot forward. Later, you get to know their flaws. You just need to balance this with the basic question: Would you able to live with it (the flaws) for the rest of your life?

Final question: You've been one of the top mass figures for almost 30 years. You also work in films where people go to vote every weekend. What changes have you seen in India, especially over the past few years, so far as the public, or their politics, or their reaction to public figures is concerned?
I think the younger generation is blessed with a lot of compassion and scruples. I'm fortunate to have a Hindu mother and a Muslim father. Nowadays I see a lot of youngsters for whom these things just don't matter - I'm Salman Khan, film releasing in Ramadan, and people go and watch Prem! All my life I've been Prem. So for them, there is no Hindu, no Muslim. It's just good people, or bad people; that's it.

Have you seen a change in that mindset, lately, or over the years?
It's changing. But soon as the younger generation starts growing up, it'll be a different world altogether. I see my nephews, who're so correct. When they see someone sleeping on the street, they take their clothes off, and part with their money. And I don't just see this in my family.

The general perception is that we're regressing as a society, with respect to openly expressing hate, bigotry.
That is because everyone wants to be really negative. But everything will change, especially on social media, the moment you're made to reveal your real identity, instead of hiding behind curtains. If you say something, whether under a real or fake identity, you ought to be held responsible for that. After that, all you have to say is, "Yaar, I didn't understand it, and I'm really sorry." You can be forgiven for it too.

Have you become more cautious as a public figure given the times now?
Obviously, I'll try and say the most correct things. To get your TRPs, you'll twist it around. The job (of being cautious) is not ours. The responsibility lies at your end. Just so your magazine or TV channel can make some money, you can't use bits and pieces from some place and turn things around. You know that you're doing it, and despite that, you do it.

If I've said something wrong, and you believe this is going to create trouble, why would you put that up? In fact it's your duty as a journalist to tell me, "Yaar, Salman, this is actually a wrong thing, and this is how it should be." Your job is to bring people together (through) your star. Unless he's (the star is) corrupt, casteist, communal, stealing from people, then you can bajao me.

Boney Kapoor, who has just won a 7-year plagiarism case against a writer who claimed he had written the original script, now plans a sequel
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 11, 2017)

In 2009, a local court in Meerut booked producer-director Boney Kapoor, his wife Sridevi, filmmaker Prabu Dheva and actor Salman Khan in a case of alleged copyright infringement and plagiarism for their action-drama, Wanted.

Petitioner Birbal Singh Rana, a local writer-director, alleged that Kapoor’s production house, BSK Network and Entertainment, had stolen his original script, Raja Bhai IPS, for their film. Birbal, in his petition claimed, that he had submitted his copyright script to the company in 2004, but it was rejected and later re-created for their own project.

The Wanted team denied the allegations, but in August 2010 the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, B D Bharti, directed them to be present before the court on November 22. When they failed to appear, a non-bailable warrant was issued against them, after which Boney took matters into his own hands and decided to seek redemption from the Allahabad High Court.

Seven years later, Boney has won the case against Birbal Singh Rana. On Tuesday, the Allahabad High Court acquitted the 61-year-old-filmmaker of all charges. It was also revealed that Birbal had been blackmailing Boney, demanding an out-of-court settlement of Rs 75 lakh. “This kind of extortion is becoming a practice by miscreants who target high-profile celebrities. There is no copyright violation of the idea, subject matter, theme, plot or historical or legendary facts. The applicant (Boney and Co.) are innocent and have not committed the present offence,” stated the Additional Government Advocate, RD Yadav, ruling in favour of the filmmaker.

When Mirror caught up with Boney ahead of the Justin Bieber concert, which he was attending with wife Sridevi and daughter, Jhanvi, he pointed out that he was among the first Indian producers in Bollywood to bring in the concept of Hindi remakes of regional films. “I have legally bought the rights to and remade 16 films. In the case of Wanted, I not only bought the rights from Prabhu Dheva who had directed the Tamil version, and eventually the Hindi remake, but also from Puri Jagannadh, who was the original creator and producer of the 2006-Telugu film, Pokiri,” he informed. “I was shocked when I got the first summons, more so when the lower court in Meerut accused us of copyright infringement without proper verification of the script. The petitioner then started harassing and blackmailing us, trying to extort money for no fault of ours.”

He goes on to add that this has happened to various producers, directors and actors who have been dragged to court on false charges. “Sometimes it’s just plain mischief and sometimes there are ulterior motives involved. It is sad because there have been genuine cases of deceitful filmmakers who have copied portions from other films unofficially, while others said they were inspired and such cases went unchallenged,” he grouses.

Wanted went on to become the second highest grossing film of 2009, bagging Vijayan Master the Filmfare Award for Best Action. A year later, Boney had announced his desire to spin a sequel. Buzz is, leading man Salman had also asked Prabhu Dheva to come up with a script for Wanted 2. He had also revealed that Prakash Raj who had played the baddie in the Tamil and Hindi versions, would be a part of the sequel.

Ask Boney if the impending court case roadblocked Part 2 and he exclaims, “No way! I would never let a case like this hinder the sequel. I will roll with Wanted 2 whenever I have the right script for the film. It is very difficult to imagine Wanted 2 without Salman,” he signs off.

On the actor’s birthday, After Hrs unveils the person behind the megastar
Faheem Ruhani (DNA; December 27, 2016)

The first time I met Salman Khan was at Film City around June 2009. I had never met him before this and certainly not for an interview. He asked me a question that no other film star had ever asked me. “Have you done a journalism course? Or did you just feel, ‘Chalo let’s interfere in other people’s lives’ and so decided to become a journalist?” Tickled by this introductory, pre-empted counter-question, I responded, “That’s exactly why I became one!” This response immediately earned me an offer from the actor to sit next to him, much to the amusement of his producer Boney Kapoor, who, even if a gun was put to his head, could not request his Wanted superstar to give me an interview. Next, details about my marital status and age were sought and I furnished all details obediently in the hope of getting that exclusive one-on-one-session I so badly wanted to land. There was no sign of an interview. Not yet.

INTERVIEWING SALMAN
Over the next couple of days, I showed up at the various locations he was shooting at. On the fourth day, I got a call to meet him at R K Studio in Chembur. I finally came face-to-face with Salman and an hour-long interview was granted. Over the next five years or so, between meeting Salman some 25 times and getting around 10 more interviews with him I got to know the actor a little better each time I visited him.

This would not have been possible if I hadn’t spent enough time with Bhai, as he is fondly referred to in industry circles. The fact that the actor is always seated outside his vanity van and not inside (where all stars are found), made it that much easier for me. On noticing me from far, he would wave out and invite me to join him on his make-shift table. I suspect that he liked the fact that I did not blabber too much and waited patiently for him to warm up, till I could ask him for whatever I wanted from him. Not that he was not aware of this.

BONDING OVER FOOD
I suspect that the actor liked me, somewhat. I had relatively easy access, not to him but to most of the film sets where he was shooting and I would land up without an appointment. Gradually, his team of assistants began recognising me and gave me the same respect that I would get from Salman. So even if the actor was busy in a shot or had not yet arrived on set, I was made to feel at home. And yes fed well. Always! Unfailingly! The legendary Khandaan hospitality was always upheld. I learned from someone close to him that at any given point of time the home cooked food that is packed for Bhai is enough to feed 25 mouths. There are just too many people who visit him on the set for various reasons!

BEING HUMAN
During several such waiting sessions I witnessed his numerous generous acts, which all those who know him too well will recognise to be true. Once, during a shoot of Wanted, four sweeper women from Film City asked him for saris. He asked them the total number of women sweepers in the studio and he promptly sent a unit hand to purchase 35 saris. At another time during a promotional press meet for Wanted, around lunch time he asked the film’s publicist Beena Ahuja to join him for lunch. Ahuja declined saying that she is vegetarian and that she wouldn’t be able to eat what he eats. Immediately, Salman sent one of his boys to fetch vegetarian food from his home in Bandra. Only when the vegetarian meal had arrived and Ahuja had begun to eat, did Salman touch his grub.

HELPING HAND
At another time on the set of Bigg Boss 4 in Karjat, while he was seated outside his vanity van he noticed a man with hefty skin eruptions all over his face and neck. He called the man over and inquired about his skin condition and that if he had sought medical help for it. When the man said that it was curable and would require surgery but he could not afford it, Salman immediately told his sister Alvira, seated next to him, to give his doctor’s number to the man. “Please go to this doctor and he will guide you further on how and where to get your treatment,” said Salman. Another journalist friend told me this story. Once, an old lady, queued outside his house, asked him for a computer for her son, since she couldn’t afford one. The actor called out his house help, “Arey woh laptop mujhe kisine diya tha, main kya karoonga uska, inko de do.” The actor admitted to this writer that he does not know how to type on a computer and rarely uses it.

NO FUSS KHAN
What sets Salman Khan apart from many others in his profession is the fact that he is a very real, earthy guy who has simple tastes. He has been spotted wearing the same belt over his jeans and t-shirt for countless public functions. I remember co-ordinating a photo shoot with him for a film magazine I was writing for at that time. Half an hour before the shoot his most trusted aide Nadeem phoned me to say that Bhai would do only three changes; I tried to bargain for four. When Salman arrived at Mehboob studio I noticed his t-shirt was slightly torn at the side. He sat on the chair outside Stage no 6 and directed the photographer: ‘Chalo, shoot the first change here only.’ To my luck, the picture was shot from an angle where the torn part of the t-shirt was not visible. Seeing the perplexed expression on my face, he laughed raucously and ribbed me further, ‘Ajay, we will shoot the remaining three changes in the same position.’ I gently reminded him that he had worn the same lilac t-shirt at the first-look launch of his film Veer. “Ajay, t-shirt ko computer mein black kar dena.” Thankfully, the actor was in a good mood and instead of the three changes he shot for seven! Not because it was a shoot for a well-known magazine but because it was lensman Ajay S’s first major shoot for a film glossy.

MIDDLE CLASS VALUES
While superstars of his stature have moved into bigger bungalows, Salman continues to reside in a 1 BHK on the ground floor of Galaxy Apartments where his parents live on the first floor. Salman did purchase a bigger apartment. When it was ready for him to move in, his dad Salim Khan handed him the keys and said that he wouldn’t move in as he was happy at Galaxy. Salman shot back saying that he would not move in alone and asked his father to sell the house. He is also a nature lover and loves spending time at his farmhouse.

All in all, there are many layers to the larger-than-life persona of the supernova and only individuals close to him have been able to unravel those. Be it his philanthropic ventures or his unstinted support to countless newbies trying to find a footing in B-Town — he’s time and again proved that there’s no one like him. Perhaps that indescribable and rare x chromosome in Khan makes him the enigma that he’s always remained and continues to be.