Dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans, Salman Khan was in a good mood on the sets of actor-turned-director Puneet Issar's Garv, in Mumbai's Mehboob Studios.
The actor will play a filmi cop after 13 years. The last time was for the late Anant Balani's Pathar Ke Phool, which was Raveena Tandon's debut film. Salman claims the only difference between playing a policeman then and now is, "I was a boy then. Now I am a man."
Garv also stars Shilpa Shetty and Mukesh Rishi. It is scheduled to release in May.
Puneet Issar, better known as Duryodhan from B R Chopra's television series Mahabharata, debuts as a director in Garv. Issar claims that Salman has been very mature in the film. Salman quips, "He will obviously say that. He won't say I have acted immaturely after the completion of film."
There were recent reports about Salman travelling by a Mumbai local train from Churchgate. When asked, the actor exclaims, "Nahin, bhai! I didn't travel by train. I don't know who published this report. If you want, I will travel by local train tomorrow so that you can publish the right news.
"I travel by either bicycle or an autorickshaw. Don't be surprised if you see me in a rickshaw!"
The actor jokingly explains, "I don't have too many films, so I cannot afford petrol for my car. Money problem! And even if I could afford it, I cannot drive because the police has taken away my license." It may be recalled that Salman was involved in a hit-and-run accident last year, when he allegedly killed one and injured four people.
Though Salman plays a serious cop in Garv, he gets to sing the tapori number, Khaya piya kuch nahin, glass thoda baraana. Salman says, "Don't serious guys do tapori numbers? I have seen managing directors of big firms attending mujrahs. Why can't serious cops do tapori numbers in real life?"
The actor claims he is happy with the film; it has turned out to be a good one. "This is not a preaching kind of film but still manages to give a message," he says. "My character Inspector Arjun Ranawat is great. People will fall in love with him and his ideology."
Just then, a Pakistani delegation marches into Mehboob Studios to meet Salman. After exchanging pleasantries, a Pakistani lady thrusts her cell phone to a bemused Salman's hand and pleads with him to talk to her daughter in Lahore.
After recovering from the initial embarrassment, the actor says, "How are you, beta? How are you doing? This is Salman uncle here. I hope you are concentrating on your studies. Be a good girl. Tata, bye!"
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Mahima Chaudhry, actress It is just an accident. Just because a celebrity is involved, he is being targeted. They should think about why paramedics didn't come at the accident spot to the aid of those injured immediately. Politicians' sons go scot free. Salman is a wonderful guy. And I have seen him helping people he does not even know. | ||
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Pahlaj Nihalani, producer I do not know why such a big issue is being made out of an accident. Why is it being given a political colour? I have been reading in the papers about hit and run cases. Why is Salman's case so different? He has a heart of gold and has always helped the needy. Yes, he is emotional and hot-headed, but he is certainly not the bad man he is made out to be. He respects people. Politicians are spoiling the image of the police by making such irresponsible statements. | ||
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Puneet Issar, actor-director (directing Khan in a Cinevista film) I think the media is blowing this accident out of proportion. Why aren't people talking about Salman's good side? He is already miserable about what happened. I am sure he will look after the family of the victims till the end. I am not defending him. But I have known him from the last 22 years. He goes out of his way to help people. Babloo Mukherjee (son of comedian Keshto Mukherjee), and his friend had met with an accident, in which his friend died. But before he died, Salman had taken him to the hospital. I am sure Salman will get away, like Puru Raajkumar. | ||
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Kishan Kumar, actor It was just an accident. Why is it being blown out of proportion? These kind of accidents keep happening. I have been Salman's friend and I know he is a gem of guy.
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Adhiyaman, director (Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam) It is just an accident. Why are we making such an issue of this? If this had happened in the south [India], people would have burnt down the police station. Salman is a marvellous human being. If need be, the entire south industry will stand by him. | ||
Sunil Manchanda, producer (Tere Naam) Why are they crucifying the man? There are so many accidents nowadays. He is the first to pick up accident victims. There is an AIDS hospital in Bandra (a Mumbai suburb). He spends time with children who do not have anyone. I remember a lawyer had met with an accident in Panvel (a Mumbai suburb). Many motorists passed by. No one picked up the injured man. Salman stopped his vehicle, took him to the hospital and got him treated. Why don't people see his good side? Let the law take its own course. One accident by Salman and people want to amend the laws! |
 | |  Fifteen years ago, Salman Khan said Maine Pyaar Kiya to a girl. Now, he says Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya. This is one of the ways his new film, also starring Sushmita Sen, Katrina Kaif and Sohail Khan, is being promoted. When asked if he would say the same thing to a woman whom he had proposed to 15 years ago, he laughs. "Fifteen years is too long, buddy! I will say it in six months!" After a pause, he adds: "No, make it three months." The star spoke to Chief Correspondent Syed Firdaus Ashraf about Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, and much more. Excerpts: David Dhawan has the knack of making people laugh, thanks to senseless dialogues. David is a very impatient guy. He will say what he has to say over the phone. He will not listen to you. But when you are on the sets, he will give you enough space to improvise. Most of his work is done on location. He is very open to ideas. Since he was a film editor before turning director, he knows how to cut bad scenes. |
My comedy films with David have done well. I don't know whether there is a fear of repeating yourself and boring audiences. I don't know if this 'repetitive comedy theory' holds true for the Govinda-David Dhawan pair. But I can say that Govinda is the best actor in our industry. Shah Rukh Khan may feel jealous (smiles) but I think Govinda is a phenomenal and spontaneous actor.
Unfortunately, Govinda and I never got a chance to work with each other except for a brief appearance in Deewana Mastana. We had signed a film, Raju Rajaram, but it never took off. Among my films, my favourite comedy is Rajkumar Santoshi's Andaz Apna Apna (1994). The screenplay was phenomenonal. I really liked my one liner: 'Oui Ma!'The most hilarious scene is when I laugh at Aamir Khan while he tries to propose to Raveena Tandon in the restaurant. Aamir thinks I am drunk but I am laughing because I realise Raveena isn't a millionaire. Karisma, who is in love with me, is the rich girl.
One never knows what kind of films click at the box office. I thought Hello Brother was a very sweet comedy film but it did not work. When people see that film on television today, they love it -- especially when they see me turn into an angel.
Hits and flops are not in our hands. I was told that (Ramesh Sippy's Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor starrer) Shaan didn't click when it was released in 1980s. But people loved it when it was re-released recently.Even in Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, I never thought the song, Just Chill would work so well with the masses. Instead, I thought the other songs would click.
In MPKK, I play a doctor. I don't want to get married and so I always tell women I am married. I am single and fall in love very often.
The trouble comes when I fall in love with a woman and finally want to marry her. She tells me to divorce my wife, who does not exist. I begin my affair with a lie and have to lie repeatedly to protect the truth. It is not like my earlier film, Biwi No. 1 where I lie to be with a woman. Here, I constantly lie. Sohail Khan plays an interesting character. He always makes my life miserable. I had worked with him in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya and Hello Brother, where he directed me.He plays a struggling actor here. Whenever I am romantically involved with a woman, he spoils my mood.
When I look back at Maine Pyaar Kiya, I feel like laughing at my character in the film. I feel that if I could make it big, anyone can.
I still remember it took me 11 days to get a step right in the title song. Bhagyashree was teaching me. At that time, I was seeing Sangeeta Bijlani. When she came to the sets, she laughed and laughed. I just could not do that step. People told me that I replaced Aamir (as the top actor in the industry). But I never look at it that way. He was in his direction and I was in mine. It holds true for Shah Rukh also. I am not in number games. I am running on my own track.I am doing an English film called Marigold. It is a very funny film. It is a David Dhawan film with more class and subtlety. I hope audiences worldwide will relate to it.
Salman Khan played a police office in Patthar Ke Phool in 1991. Thirteen years later he returns to reclaim his khaki uniform for debutant director Puneet Issar's Garv: Pride And Honour co-starring Shilpa Shetty.
The actor talks about the film in detail:
What's Garv: Pride and Honour all about?
It's about a very honest cop. He has a family -- a sister, a mother, and a friend who is a Muslim. How two honest guys in that team get stuck and cornered by dishonest cops, dishonest politicians, and the junta who don't have the will to stand up to anyone is what Garv is basically all about.
people. There are a lot of temptations, a lot of power. He is not misusing them at all. He is funny. He has a good sense of humour. He is ruthless, yet very gentle, loving and caring. He has no mercy, but gets merciful.
All these qualities are very contradictory. But I think these are the right qualities a man should have. He should have love as well as hatred.You are born with these qualities. The way you use them, to what extent you take them and on whom you use them is totally up to you. If somebody is coming after my family I won't say, 'Theek hai, aap maar do' [go on, hurt them]. I will make sure that I reach that person before he reaches my family.
Does Garv send out a message?
There's no preaching in this film. It's a good film with amazing action. Out of all odds your hero emerges as a good guy. When you come out of the theatre you want to be like him.
Are you playing a cop for the first time in Garv?
No. I played cop in Patthar Ke Phool, which my father [Salim Khan] wrote for me. But that was slightly early [in terms of age] for me. This is the right time when the vardi [uniform] looks damn good on me.Once your walk is right, your costume is right; more than half the battle is won. You look your character and the battle is won.
Tell us about your character Arjun Ranawat in Garv.
He is a guy who is angry, gentle, soft, cool, hard, merciful, ruthless, correct, honest and very lovable. That's Arjun Ranawat.He is confident of just about everything. But when it comes to love, he is shy. He loves his girl [played by Shilpa Shetty] but cannot tell her. He can shoot a person but when it comes to telling a person that he loves her, he cannot do that. He will sit back and look at her, smile at her, give her attitude and walk out of there.
Are you shown fighting the system in Garv?
Pretty much! The film is about a guy who stands against the system and can't let evil take over good. He fights for that [cause].
Is Garv an action film?
Yes. There are films in which there is action just for the sake of it. But in Garv, we have meaningful action.The action is hard-core. We have done a lot of shootout scenes in the movie. There is also a lot of hand-to-hand action. There is one scene that is brutal, but we had to retain it to show what these people had done. There is action backed by emotion, which makes the former ten times more powerful. You don't need any technique or cables. What you need is just one solid shot.
Tell us something about Puneet Issar, the director of Garv.
He is brilliant. There are very few people in this film industry who are competent and know each and every aspect of filmmaking. He used to be an actor. He has learned martial arts too. He is a humorous guy, technically brilliant and very straight. He has amazing script sense. He is a complete director.
What was the experience of working with Shilpa Shetty like?
have done about six-seven films with Shilpa. We are the best of friends. There are no ego problems, no hassles. It's like friends working together. It's amazing working with her.
As an actress, she is damn good, dances very well, on screen she is phenomenon and has a huge fan following.
What are the kind of movies you enjoy watching?I like comedy and romantic moviesWhat about action movies?
In action, I like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Mr Amitabh Bachchan's films.
What excites you about a role? Is it the script or something else?
Since my father is a scriptwriter, [a] script is more important for me. Even if my role is not so exciting, if I like the script, I will do it.It's nice working with people who can think of and write a good script.
What inspired you to become an actor?
really don't know. I never wanted to be an actor. I wanted to be a director. When I used to go to people with my scripts, they would say 'Why do you want to be a director? You should be an actor'. I was not getting any work as a director as I was a small guy, not very serious about his work. And directors at that time were 50-60 years old and looked very mature. No one would trust me with that much money.
I had to work so I started modelling. I joined acting classes, riding classes and the works. Eventually, I signed a film.
Are you a fitness freak? I believe you cycle to your shoot. Is that true?
I cycle to my shoot. I cycle just about everywhere.
am not a fitness freak as such. It's just that when you are 70-80 years-old you should be able to walk, cycle and run a little bit. You shouldn't be lying down on the bed with people, children and friends taking care of you. The day I stop walking, that is the day I stop living.
Salman's Greatest hits
As editor of the trade magazine Box Office Vinod Mirani puts it, "Salman works because he is a blend of everything. He can do action films, comic roles, romantic films. He is a frontrunner all over India, unlike Aamir or Shah Rukh."
Here's a look at Sallu's 10 biggest hits. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam This 1999 Sanjay Leela Bhansali film paired him with then-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai, and vibrantly set the box-office counters rolling."It [HDDCS] did great business in western and southern India. The film was totally Indian, and the subject was inspired by a Gujarati book. It originally dealt with a princely tale, but this was a modernised version and worked well with the audiences," says Mirani.
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Mujhse Shadi Karogi?
This much-hyped Dhawan film saw Sallu team up with Akshay Kumar, and while the laughs might not have been as good as Salman's finest, Mujhse Shadi Karogi? also raked in the moolah.Mirani agrees, saying, "It was a success, but quality-wise, it was nothing as good as his other films."
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Judwaa
Aided by a raucous yet rocking Anu Malik score, this double-role comedy was inanely funny, and only Salman had the timing and the panache to make it work."It was a major hit," says Mirani, "and it had some very good punches in terms of script."
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Saajan
Never an actor to shy away from the biggest co-stars in the business, Salman took on Madhuri Dixit and Sanjay Dutt in this romantic 1991 smash hit."Music played a huge part in the success of Saajan," adds Mirani.
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Karan Arjun
India's biggest stars joined forces for this incredibly contrived and cornball Rakesh Roshan film. Full of cliches, this was reincarnated entertainment at its most masala.Mirani says the film succeeded because "it had all the Indian values. Plus, all that stuff about a mother's emotion. Some action just helped the film work."
Tere Naam
Satish Kaushik's weepy film was one of the biggest hits of 2003, and its music by Himesh Reshammiya scorched the charts relentlessly, almost as omnipresent as replicas of Sallu's disastrous hairdo. Mirani is clear about Tere Naam. "There were two reasons why this film worked: It was a remake, and very powerful emotionally, in terms of the script. Second, it had excellent music.""If you have a good love story with good music, it is bound to be a hit," he adds.
No Entry
Anees Bazmee's film was the runaway success of 2005, with Sallu and Anil Kapoor clowning around in an inane farce that somehow people called great timepass. "Fun films do well," explains Mirani. "People like feel-good films. They don't want films with hassles or heavy stuff."Even [heavy] films like Black and Waqt slow down after a few weeks; they have limited business."
Maine Pyaar Kiya
One of the most successful films of all time, Maine Pyaar Kiya is the iconic romance of the early 1990s, one which catapulted its rookie hero to incredible heights.The newcomers, the script, the comedy, the music. Everything worked in this film.
HAHK
The question is not whether you've seen HAHK, its how many times you've watched it. In fact, this most feel-good of films was one of the movies responsible for the beginning of video piracy in this country. Mirani says, "Not just is it Salman's biggest hit, but this [Suraj] Barjatya film is the biggest film of all time. "Most of Salman's films enjoy their appeal because they are family films. He has had action roles, but his big hits aren't the action movies. The hits must cater to everybody. Even earlier, with heroes like Dharmendra who were perceived as macho men, their biggest hits were the social films."Salman is an entertainer for everyone."
We are at Mumbai's
A few days ago, the media indicated that Salman wasn't keeping too well. Nadiadwala, the producer, had cancelled shooting for three days. Salman returned on December 15. The next day, while reading a tabloid report about his return, he kept smiling. Was he really ill? We knew that the Jodhpur police had come to arrest him for an old black buck poaching case. Salman's smile, to an extent, revealed the possibility of his going into exile for three days.
For now, though, he seems to be in a good mood, cracking jokes, with everyone around enjoying his presence.
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It is a reply that defines the kind of person he is. He has spent more than 15 years in the industry. In this span of time, he has been the captain of his own ship. I ask him why he has refused Yash Chopra's new film. "He refused to pay the remuneration I asked for. It was my usual remuneration. After that, they didn't contact me. Big producers ought to offer good remuneration but, in our industry, the opposite happens. I really want to break such things. I like to walk down my own path. I work with those who believe in me and have confidence in me. Sooraj Barjatiya, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sajid Nadiadwala -- these are the people who trust me. I respect them because they understand me."
I ask him why he behaves differently with different people, daily. Does he do it on purpose? "I have been in this industry for a long time," he replies. "I know this world and the people of this world. I can read their faces and minds. I can easily spot out the hypocrites. That is why I don't care about anybody. I love myself and those who trust me and that is enough to live my own life."
"Honestly, I have no grudge against the media," says Salman. "I just don't like anybody focusing on my personal life." But it is obvious that when a person becomes famous, his personal and professional lives will collide. "I agree," says Salman. "Those who get a lot have to lose a few things. There are a number of problems for the famous. In my case, the problem is I often forget I am a celebrity. When a person becomes a celebrity, it is very different to maintain a balance between the personal and the professional."
Before I leave, I mention Katrina Kaif, and ask if she has brought some peace in his life. "Katrina is an oceanic storm that brings a change in your life," says Salman. And is he going to change in the forthcoming year? "Let us all hope for it," he smiles. then ask about his various attitudes towards the media. | |
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