Shah Rukh and I have connected again " Salman Khan on the big patch up, his id biggie Bajrangi Bhaijaan, a Khan-Khan-Khan film, why he's a primitive man and the Gen-Y bolly star who can be the next Salman...
July 2, 2015
Why do you need to record this?" Salman Khan asks when I tell him to give me 30 seconds to switch on my recorder before we start the interview. "Arre, just hear what I am saying, na. Listen, feel, process and then write it. Simple, yaar," he laughs. "But we wouldn't want to misquote you," I tell him. "Don't worry about that. I am the most misquoted man in the world and that's the reason I hardly speak," says Bollywood's superstar. "Technology is just killing you young people," he mock scolds, once we convince him that switching on the recorder would be best for both interviewer and interviewee.
Over the next 20 minutes, speak he did " on Bajrangi Bhaijaan, his best co-star ever, "good friends" Shah Rukh and Aamir, and why he will always remain "a man of heart".
In today's world, it isn't really possible to be untouched by technology, is it?
Uh huh, but I am. I am a primitive man. I don't even have an email ID. The whole world has Gmail, but I don't! I can't say I am proud of it, but I don't have. I am quite happy.
But you are quite active on Twitter...
Arre, that's because I use it as a messaging thing. Jaise SMS hota hai na, I use Twitter like that. Even on my phone, I just make and receive calls and I SMS. I don't use all this WhatsApp thing. Isliye some of my tweets sometimes don't make sense because I treat them as SMS (laughs).
Coming to Bajrangi Bhaijaan, would you count this as your most emotional film in recent times?
Tere Naam (2003) was also very emotional, but ya, it was a long time ago. How many years of Tere Naam... 10? (12, we tell him) Oh, that long, huh? (Pauses and thinks) Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a beautiful story. And it's very well told. It's a noble story. Ek jo character mein nobility hota hai na, it's shown in this film. Like you hear of men of dignity, men with honour... simple people... It talks about niceness, it talks about good stuff... And the best thing is that in the format of our Hindi films... it has the family, it has comedy, it has action, emotion, very nice sensitive moments... it has all of that. And people are connecting to that, you know? The bond between my character (Pavan) and this little girl (Munni, played by Harshaali Malhotra)... she's such a doll, so sweet. She's like a breath of fresh air. My best co-star ever!
But you tell me... are you liking the trailer and the songs? Fans on Twitter are biased na, so they will say they like everything. You like it, toh? (Smiles)
Yes, we do...
Chalo, good. I am happy!
So, how was it working with Kabir Khan again? You guys had teething problems in Ek Tha Tiger...
What problems?! Who told you that?
Kabir has said that in a couple of interviews...
That's something only Kabir and I knew about. Now he's spoken about it? Ohhh, now I can talk about it, huh? Good!
So were you two on the same page when it came to Bajrangi Bhaijaan?
(Pauses) Well, now we have come to the centre of the page. By the time we do the next film, we will be on the same page! (Laughs out loud) But anyway, let me tell you that Kabir and I got along fine both in Tiger and Bajrangi. If something else comes along, we will definitely do it together again. It's been a good journey with the first film... and the second one was even nicer. And since we were travelling so much for Bajrangi, the whole unit was hanging out together a lot. It was a good feeling... nice. We went to beautiful places to shoot this film... Rajasthan... we went to Delhi... then we went to Kashmir. So all the time after pack-up, we would hang out together and chill... (He suddenly whistles and calls out Hello' to someone in the vicinity).
Your fellow Khans " Aamir and Shah Rukh " tweeted the first look of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, even before you did. What did that mean to you?
It was the most special thing ever. It was such a good feeling, you know. I loved that both Shah Rukh and Aamir promoted my film... this thing of them tweeting the first look of the film was their idea only. It made me emotional. They are such good friends of mine. This kind of camaraderie shows a lot of respect... shows niceness... shows kindness... it shows how good they both are as people...
Are you planning to screen the film for them ahead of its release?
Oh yes, yes... one hundred per cent. Shah Rukh's been shooting (for Rohit Shetty's Dilwale in Bulgaria) and Aamir's also busy with some things. As soon as we can work out a time that suits all of us, we will have a screening.
After a six-year stand-off, Shah Rukh and you patched up ahead of your sister Arpita's wedding last November. How important was it for you to reach out to him and set things right?
It was important, but I didn't want to force it. I am happy it happened naturally before Arpita's wedding. There was a time when Shah Rukh and I were close... we did a few films together (Karan Arjun, Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai). Then some things happened and we stopped being close. We didn't connect for years. Now we have connected and we are very close again (smiles). It's all good, it's all okay.
By the way, there was never such a big problem between us. There was a misunderstanding, but it wasn't itna big and serious. And you are solely responsible for creating problems between me and Shah Rukh...
Me?!
Yes, I have read your article! You wrote that Shah Rukh and I fought and hit each other...
I didn't write anything of that sort...
(Pauses) Arre, am joking, ya! (Laughs out loud) Chill!
It's going to be a Khan bonanza for Id 2016 with your Sultan and Shah Rukh's Raees set to release on the same day. Doesn't that worry you?
No, no, no... I am toh very happy. We've already had two releases on the same day... there was mine and Akshay's (Kumar) Jaan-E-Mann and Don (in Diwali 2006) and then Om Shanti Om and Saawariya (in Diwali 2007) in which I had a special appearance. Shah Rukh's films both did better business then. Even for Id next year, I am not looking at it as a clash. Both Shah Rukh and I don't want the release dates to change... we will release on the same day.
But that would mean a divided audience and deflated collections...
No, no, no... both Shah Rukh and I are thinking of the bigger picture, na. If our fans know a year ahead that both these films are releasing, I am sure they will prepare to see both films on the same weekend. Exhibitors will increase the number of screens, theatres will grow, audiences will grow... it will be the best thing ever. Teen-chaar hazaar screens agar badh jaaye in do picture ke chakkar mein, then nothing like it, no?
Both you and Shah Rukh have very passionate fans, many of whom often get into fights on Twitter...
You must have seen na that I scolded them on Twitter recently? Arre ya, I don't understand why they do like this. I don't know why they have to take all this so seriously. If someone is not a fan of mine and says it out loud, I don't have a problem with that at all... and I don't see why my fans should have a problem with it too. It's up to me and Shah Rukh to change their opinion and I am sure we will eventually be able to do so.
Is there a chance of seeing the three Khans in a film together soon?
I don't know about a film, but just now we were on Rajat Sharma's show (the 21-year celebration of Aap Ki Adalat last November). But if there's a script and all three of us like it, then I am sure we can work something out. I would love to work with these guys. Hope it happens soon if it has to happen.
Do you see a Salman Khan in any of the actors in GenY Bollywood?
(Pauses) Hmmm... I think Varun Dhawan. I have seen him grow up in front of me. I have done so many films with his father (David Dhawan). I feel Varun has all the best qualities from me, from Sanju (Sanjay Dutt)... All the qualities that aren't so good and he shouldn't be following, he hasn't taken them (laughs).
Even as you prepare for the release of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the shadow of your court case looms over you...
(Pauses) I can't say anything... it's all in court now. But I am grateful to my friends and family who have stood beside me... fans have rallied... rallied is the word, na?... behind me. I am sure they will continue to support me through it all. That's all I can say.
Salman Khan is synonymous with success. But do you ever think of the day when you won't be as successful?
I can't handle success, that's for sure. You are asking me a difficult question, ya! (Pauses) I don't think I am really very bothered about either success or failure. I have experienced failure too... most of my films in the period between Tere Naam (2003) and Wanted (2009) didn't work. But that's okay... this business is like this only. But on the day my film makes (Rs) 100 crore, I don't do anything special. No parties, no celebrations. I just go home, eat and sleep. That's how I handle it. But yes, it does hurt a little when something you have loved enough to work on is not accepted by the audience. But you have to move on.
I am happy it happened naturally before Arpita's wedding. There was a time when Shah Rukh and I were close... we did a few films. Then some things happened and we stopped being close. We didn't connect for years. Now we have connected and we are very close again. It's all good, it's all okay. By the way, there was never such a big problem between us. There was a misunderstanding, but it wasn't itna big and serious.
You are always accused of not pushing the envelope when it comes to choosing your roles. You end up playing yourself all the time...
That's good, na? I play good men in my films... so what does that tell you about me in real life? (Laughs) But it's like this... I am a man of heart. I choose films on the basis of whether they touch me. I trust my instincts and that's worked for me so far. Till the time my instincts are working, I am going to use them and capitalise on them. At some time, I may slightly lose it... what I like people may not like. When that happens even with the second and the third film, then you know something's wrong. Then the key will be to work with people whose instincts the audience is accepting consistently. Chalo, maine apna gameplan bataa diya (laughs).
Thank you and look forward to watching Bajrangi Bhaijaan...
Watch it in the theatre, okay? No pirated DVD.
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