Salman Khan on Sikandar and doing action over the years: ‘Every bone in my body has been broken 2-3 times’ | Bollywood News

“Ab dekho uthne-baithne par koi comment nahi,” says Salman Khan, laughing, as he sits down to address the media ahead of the release of his Eid release, Sikandar. Directed AR Murugadoss, the film brings back the superstar in his signature action avatar on his staple festival. He cheekily brought up the comments around his weight in this group interaction, where he also talked about his ‘mass’ avatar, whether he was considered for Murugadoss’ 2008 blockbuster Ghajini, and how he faced rejection in early days because of his legendary screenwriter-father Salim Khan’s bratty reputation.Your films release on Eid, but they cater to all religions. Where does this secularism come from?It comes from the love and values I’ve received from my family. When my mom (Salma Khan) and dad got married, they obviously come from two different cultures and religions. There was no Hindu-Muslim contention there. The contention was that he was from the film industry. My nana had a problem with that, not anything else. Five years later, when Sohail (Khan, Salman’s youngest brother) was born, he said his life’s biggest make was not meeting Salim all this while. My mom once came back to her parents’ home after a fight with my father, so my nana said, “Dekho tumhari arthi wahin se uthegi. You can come stay here, but can’t abandon him. He’s your husband. He’s a good man. You should stay with him.” So I don’t know what magic spell my father cast on my grandfather.
There’s a dialogue in the trailer of Sikandar: “Tum log mujhe bahar dhoondh rahe ho, main tumhara ghar pe intezar kar raha hu.” Is that a hark back to your father’s iconic dialogue from Deewaar (1975)?Salim-Javed. It’s not a hark back, I’ve just twed that dialogue. There’s another dialogue in the film: “Ye Deewar ka Amitabh Bachchan nahi, jo feke hue paise nahi uthata. Iske mooh mein paise maaro.” So there’s a bit of reminiscence, a bit of keeping those dialogues alive. What else is there to it? It’s not a case of copyright infringement. I’ve put my father’s dialogue.
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There’s another dialogue: “Itni popularity toh hai, PM-CM ka pata nahi, MLA toh ban hi jaunga.” So, any political ambitions in real life?There’s another dialogue after that in the picture, “I’m not interested. Because it’s not my field.” So that’s also there. There’s one more dialogue, which you can see in the film. See, as long as someone doesn’t know governance and adminration, they shouldn’t even attempt it. I don’t even know how to do this job (acting) too well. I’m content with that.
Iulia Vantur has sung a rehashed version of Lata Mangeshkar’s iconic song Lag Ja Gale in the trailer. Was that your input too?
Music is very confusing now. Like we used an old melody in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023). But everyone started saying it’s an old song, old melody. A melody is a melody, sir. The music scene is quite different now. But I follow the same music that I follow. You can len to the music in the car and also dance with your friends to it.Story continues below this ad
Do you find it more difficult to do action films as you age?Every bone of my body has been broken twice or thrice. Every ligament has been torn 2-3 times. We didn’t even get to rest then. There were no body shots in this film. If there were, I’d have gotten lean in a couple of weeks. That’s not a big deal. I have a six-pack even when I’m not lean. My muscle is so huge that even if I get some fat, it starts protruding. People make an issue out of this, but it’s not an issue for me. If you get a six-pack but weigh only 55 kg, then what’s the point?
AR Murugadoss officially inaugurated the Rs 100 crore club with Ghajini. How do you think he has upscaled the action in Sikandar?It’s a little different here. Action is pointless if no emotion is attached to it. Obviously, you have to fight. But what’s the emotion to it? Emotion is primary. Akki’s film (Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty, directed Murugadoss and starring Akshay Kumar) had a strong emotion. Aamir’s film (Ghajini, starring Aamir Khan) also had a strong emotion. That’s the case here as well. There’s emotion, but also a lot of action packed into it.
Is it true that you were the first choice for Ghajini?I’ve also heard that. I’ve heard it from Pradeep (Rawat). We lovingly call him Ghajini since he played Ghajini, the villain, in the film. He’s a friend. I’ve done 4-5 films with him, like Jaagruti (1992) and Baaghi (A Rebel For Love, 1990). He said, “Murugadoss is so disciplined and sincere. How will Salman work with him? He’s so short-tempered.” He’s done five films with me and is saying this. He’s not met me since. If I do, I’ll ask him, “Bhai main tere par kab gussa hua?”
So many actors like Shah Rukh Khan (Atlee’s Jawan) and Sunny Deol (Gopichand Malineni’s Jaat) are turning to South directors to introduce their mass avatars. How would you describe ‘mass’?Story continues below this ad
The separation of mass and class has been wiped out. Even if you go to multiplexes, you can hear the audience whling. The amount they spend in black to buy single-screen tickets, from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000, they can very well spend as much to watch in multiplexes. But they ins on Gaiety Galaxy. Even the PVR-INOX loyals prefer to watch these films in Gaiety. They may not even get it the first time because the audience is roaring. So it’s important they watch it a second time.
Have you been in talks with Atlee for a film? Is that happening?
I don’t think that’s happening right now. It was happening at one point of time, which I was trying hard to push. But something happened. I believe it was the budget of the film. It’s a very high-budgeted film so it’s been pushed. I had booked the time for two films for that one. So now, I’ll do one film now and then another right after.
Do you think India’s tentpoles get as much critical acclaim as those in Hollywood?There, if you take a franchise that’s running, it’s been going on for so long. People have already loved 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and so on. They spend so much money on their films that every sequence is larger-than-life. Even we can do that, but I believe we’re minimum 20,000+ theatres short in our country. There are only 6,000 screens. I was shooting for Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) in Mandawa (Rajasthan). There’s no theatre there. I had to drive 2.5 hours to find a theatre. So there’s an extreme shortage of theatres. We need more theatres. Yes, there are these theatre ‘chains,’ but there’s no link there.Story continues below this ad
You really don’t see a dinction between mass and class cinema?No, I don’t. When I hear a script and I feel like putting everything aside and doing it, I do that. That divide is gone. It only applies to the ticketing. One is Rs 100-200, the other is Rs 600-1,500.
Do you think there should be a price capping on tickets?
I do want that. I want there to be capping on even the popcorn and soft drinks. Since people go to the theatre to watch your film, the producer should get a share out of it.
Have you always been cognizant of the value of money?Story continues below this ad
I don’t know if I am. I’ve never held on to money or deposited them in a safe. My hands are like this (turns his palms upside). My parents’ hands have also been like that. Money keeps slipping away. So we’re always in need of money. If someone reports something and a case comes my way, it doesn’t cause you much harm. But I have to visit lawyers. So my earnings are theirs. Then the rest of the income goes to Being Human.
When we were in school, we used to get donation forms for the blind, the deaf, and the mute. I used to get xerox copies of those. Whenever Rajendra Kumar or Sunil Dutt or any producers visited our home, we, and especially I, used to go to them with these forms and get Rs 50-100 from them. So we managed to earn a little then. We managed Rs 300-400 quarterly. After that, when I realised it’s not a good deed, then I began giving.
Empuraan is releasing three days before Sikandar. Are you concerned about this clash?This is the Mohanlal film? I love him as an actor. And Prithviraj (Sukumaran) is directing it? I think it’s an excellent film. It’s going to be a very good film. I request all MNCs to increase their salaries this month and pay bonuses so that they can watch Empuraan, Sikandar, and Jaat, which is also releasing soon (April 10).
A lot of South actors claim they are inspired your movies to make mass cinema. Why do you think that’s the case?I’ve known them. They’ve grown up in front of me, na. One or two years after me, Taarak (Jr NTR) and (Ram) Charan were just starting out. I knew Venky (Venkatesh Daggubati) really well. We’ve been friends for 30-35 years. I did a Thums Up commercial with Chiru garu (Chiranjeevi). So I’ve worked with a lot of them. I was one of the first actors from our generation to work with South directors, with Love (1991, directed Suressh Krishna).Story continues below this ad
They also respect me because they respect my dad. A lot of them get inspired him. Vijayendra Prasad told me, “Whenever I write something new, I watch your dad’s films first.” So dad earned a lot of respect in the South. In Mumbai, he wasn’t working with a lot of people. So when I entered the industry, a lot of offices kicked me out. But that gives you a lot of fire. If somebody is not so good with you, I say, “One day, you’ll come to me.”
If the script is good, I do it. I don’t hold any animosity because I’ve heard a lot of stories of actors like Dharam ji (Dharmendra), Manoj (Kumar) ji, Dev (Anand) sahab, including my father, who slept on footpaths and survived with the bare minimum. But we didn’t do that. We had our father’s Fiat and Mercedes. We can’t say we went through a bad phase. Even if our dad wasn’t working, how bad a phase could it have been?
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What do you think makes South directors stand out?
Technically, they’re very advanced. Emotionally also, they’re very advanced. They don’t make films out of other films. They bring their own reality to it. It’s not like all their movies work. You remember the ones that work the most. But there are also two films that don’t work every week. So it’s the same case everywhere.Story continues below this ad
Why do you think there’s so much unpredictability at the box office now?See, if it’s a good film, it’ll work. If it’s not a good film, it won’t work. If your taqdeer (destiny) is very good and the film is not good, the film will still work.
Aamir Khan told us that Rajkumar Santoshi is writing Andaz Apna Apna 2 are you’re onboard as well. Is that true?
I’m very excited. Usmei kya karna hai mujhe? Sirf “Ooi Maa” hi toh karna hai.
Do you think you can go back to comedies now that you’re a huge action star?I’m not able to find comedies like No Entry (2005) and Ready (2011). The next couple of films I’m doing are outstanding, but they’re not comedies. But I’m sure if Andaz Apna Apna 2 happens, then Rajkumar Santoshi will do a fantastic job of it.
Are you not doing No Entry 2?Story continues below this ad
No, that he (Boney Kapoor, producer) is doing with someone else (Arjun Kapoor, Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh).
Are you reuniting with Sooraj Barjatya?There are two films. I’ve to decide which one to do next. Barjatya sahab is doing a film now. I’ll do his next one.
Is there any truth to the sequel of Bajrangi Bhaijaan?Its sequel can be made. But the problem is that if it’s made, then Munni will talk. He (Vijayendra Prasad) is writing it, and a draft is ready.