GOD'S FAVOURITE CHILD - SALMAN KHAN INTERVIEW

Lady luck suddenly seems to be smiling at Salman Khan. On the professional front, his recent releases Garv – Pride and Honour and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi have set the cash registers jingling. His kitty is over-brimming with varied assignments and he seems to have become one of the most bankable actors for the producers to rest their buck. On the personal front, the man who seemed to attract every problem ranging from running over a life to breaking up with Aishwarya Rai, has won the real-life hero tag by saving two lives.

As his life oscillates between euphoria and disaster at a breakneck pace, he has come to personify temperamental behaviour, as a man who does not think twice before mouthing sarcastic statements or taking offence.

That’s the man we meet at JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai, during the music launch of his forthcoming film Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha co-starring Bhoomika Chawla of the Tere Naam fame and Preity Zinta. He talks to us about the twists and turns in his career and life, albeit with inhibitions.

Excerpts from an interview with the man who claims to be “God’s favourite child”.

It is heard that Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha is a copy of Hollywood’s Return to Me?
You can’t say it is a copy. It has only been inspired from that film. Only a few threads of Return to Me have been adopted. Otherwise the film has been molded to suit Indian emotions. We have put in great effort to make it into what it looks like. So obviously, there isn’t too much of copying or so.

Since there are two actresses, what relation do you share with each in the film?
I am totally dedicated towards Preity (Zinta) in the film. I don’t even look at any other woman. But Bhoomika (Chawla) steps in at some point in time and falls madly in love with me… And of course things like kidney transplant, heart transplant are often shown in our films (laughs). If I say more, I will reveal the whole story.

You are working with Bhoomika again…
So? Tere Naam was a hit. We were comfortable, so we repeated the team. What’s the big deal? Bhoomika is a nice girl, sweet and quiet. And while in Tere Naam, I was mad after her, this time she loves me. And by the way, I am even working with Preity again. She is chirpy to the core. We used to ask her to start off, whenever we felt dull and sleepy. And she did that job quite well.

Dil Ne Jise… marks the directorial debut of Atul Agnihotri, who happens to be your brother-in-law. Does that make the film special?
Yes it does. He is a good director. Despite Dil Ne Jise… being his debut film, he did not show signs of nervousness. It is always more comfortable to work with directors, who have been actors, as they understand the intricacies of your job. Since this is his first film, his approach to the subject is fresh and I think we have made a good film. I am saying all this solely because he is my jeeja and not because he deserves it (laughs). And it’s nice to see my sister happy.

There are two music composers in the film. This trend is picking up in Bollywood. What is your take on this?
I think it gives variety, which is quite important. But as for this film, convenience and not variety was the issue. A R Rahman had composed two songs. Then the filmmaking process had to be halted for some odd reason. By then Rahman got busy and we couldn’t adjust dates. So it was mutually decided to bring in another composer. That happened to be Himesh Reshammiya, since Sunil (Manchanda) really liked his work in Tere Naam. Anyway as far as the music sounds good to the ears, everything is okay.

Both your recent releases -- Garv and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi were hits. You must be proud…
Yeah, it feels nice when the audiences like you. People went to cinema halls and enjoyed themselves, which is more important than anything else. As far as my fans stand by me, I can face anything. Hope they give a similar response to Dil Ne Jise… and my other forthcoming films too.

You have another David Dhawan comedy lined up. Will you be able to repeat the Mujhse Shaadi Karogi success? How do you match you comic timing with his?
As for the first question, David Dhawan is meant for comedy. People roll out their bellies watching his films. If Mujhse Shaadi Karogi did well, we hope our forthcoming films too will. As for the comic timing bit, I had to put in a lot of effort to match mine with his and Akshay’s (Kumar). I just go by my instinct and things seem to happen right on the sets.

What kind of a relationship do you share with Puneet Issar? There are a few other films you two are planning post-Garv…
Puneet is a complete director, who is well-versed with every aspect of filmmaking. He has a great sense of humour and a distinct style of narration. He put in all his creative resources in Garv and will do the same in other amazing concepts that he has. We are planning to come up with something, which I will talk about at a later stage.

Next your home productions are being awaited. Tell us a little on that front…
Dil Ne Jise… too is my home production. Atul is directing it, Sunil Manchanda is producing it. This itself is like my home production. For that matter, any film that I do becomes my home production, because that’s the feeling I work with.

Let’s get Lucky specific. What is the film all about?
Lucky – No Time for Love… that’s the title. And I don’t want to talk about it right now expect that it co-stars Mithun Chakravarty and Sneha Ullal. The music is composed by Adnan Sami. We have already shot two songs and a couple of scenes.

You are meeting Shilpa Shetty again in Phir Milenge. You seem to share a great rapport with her…
I have already done about six-seven films with her. Naturally both rapport and chemistry ought to develop. We are quite good friends. She is both a good actress and a dancer. So it’s fun to work with her.

Quite a few actors, its is heard, turned down Revathy’s (director) offer before you gave consent. What made you take up a film that is based in the backdrop of AIDS?
One thing I know is that Revathy is going to make a brilliant film. The concept of the film is heartening. I had no problems playing an AIDS patient. In fact I took it as a challenge. I am sure Revathy’s work will produce results.

You are dealing with a lot of human concerns these days both on screen and off screen. You recently saved two lives…
I don’t understand what the extraordinary human concern here is. Anybody could have been in the victim’s place… me or any of my friends. I don’t think taking someone to the hospital is something unusual. People pray for each other’s wellbeing. But during crisis nobody comes forward. It’s just that I chose to act. Glorifying this event is stupid. I feel the media is once again portraying me as a hero before bringing me down.

Does it get a little too taxing to handle the celebrity status?
Sometimes it does. Months back I was a villain because I happened to be a part of an accident. It could have been a commoner’s mistake. But it was hyped because Salman Khan was involved. Now I become a superhero, because Salman Khan took a common man to the hospital! Tomorrow something else may turn the tables. The celebrity tag certainly comes with a price.

How do you perceive the drastic ups and downs you have faced in the past two years?
Though I really don’t appreciate the over-hyping of incidents that happen in my personal life, some things are just beyond your control. It is futile to mull over them. But there is something to learn from everything you come across. I have tried taking things in the right spirit. And I emerge as a much stronger person every time I undergo a tumultuous phase.

Some believe you are very moody both personally and professionally. How far do you agree to this?
That’s true. I carry my mood to the sets. If I am happy, I would like to do comedy. But if I were angry, I would be more comfortable doing action scenes. I wouldn’t be in a position to do emotional scenes then. I can’t play against my mood.

What would your dream role be?
I would love playing Lord Ram. He is known to be the greatest human being, the best son, brother, husband… I would love playing the man that everyone would look up to.

By Qamar Zaman