Salman Khan, who will be seen in a much mellow avatar in his forthcoming movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan, says he didn't need to prepare for the role. Amidst cheering fans during the film promotion, he crooned to Aaj Ki Party with singer Mika. By Rupinder Kaur
In Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which is already being predicted to break box office records after its release on July 17, we will get to see his “innocence”.
“I didn’t need to prepare for my role. The film required sincerity and innocence which I had lost. But with Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, there has been an attempt to get that innocence back,” Khan shared during a promotional event in the city.
Accompanying the 49-year-old Dabangg actor were his co-stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazudin Siddiqui along with director Kabir Khan. Singers Adnan Sami, Mika Singh and Jubin Nautiyal were also present.
Mika Singh before belting out the fun number Aaj Ki Party said, “Whenever I sing for Kareena and Salman, the song has always turns out to be a super hit. Salmanbhai himself wanted to sing the song.” To which Khan was quick to add, “He keeps stealing all my songs.” Adnan Sami, too, sang a couple of lines from his qawwali Bhar Do Jholi Meri.
TheKick star, who had also starred in Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger, was all tongue-in-cheek when asked about his experience of working with the director. “It has been a better experience than the first one for sure,” he claimed.
In the past five years, we have seen him deliver consecutive hits like Dabangg, Bodyguard, Kick, et al. but after all the success, he says he hasn’t “changed.” “I haven’t gone through any change. I’m still the same but the audiences’ attitude towards me has changed,” he said.
A chunk of the movie has been shot in Kashmir, and the superstar was all praises for it. “It was an incredible place with beautiful people. We have such amazing places in our country and we don’t go and shoot there which is very silly of us. No matter how much you shoot there, Kashmir always looks beautiful and fresh,” he said.
The movie is the story of a young Pakistani girl played by Harshaali Malhotra (who hails from Delhi) who gets lost in India and about Hanuman bhakt Bajrangi (Khan) who vows to get back to her country. The young artiste has amazed all. “Harshaali did a great job. She’s done superbly well and is very professional and focussed,” said Khan.
On Bollywood making larger than life films like Bahubali, which was made on a whooping budget of 250 crores, Khan responded, “We make them and we’ve made many. Directors like Karan Johar, Sanjay leela Bhansali and Sooraj Barjatiya have made such films. Our film’s budget is more than Bahubali’s. It’s so high that at times I can’t afford them myself.”
Director Kabir Khan said that coming to Delhi for the promotion felt “special” since he has been a “Dilli-wallah.” On using the Indo-Pak relations in his films’ backdrop, the Kabul Express director said, “It makes the storytelling larger than life. It could be a little girl lost in Bombay trying to find her home but the moment you put in India-Pak backdrop, the border and the hostilities, it just becomes larger than life. We try to put a real context and let’s face it, our Indian political scenario is dominated by the Indo-Pak relationships. It just keeps finding its way in my films.”
Kareena Kapoor Khan feels that the movie is both critically and commercially viable. “For me, both critical acclaim and box-office success are important. But a good film is more important than anything else,” she shared.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who will be seen with Salman for the second time after Kick, shared, “Working in this film has been fun and I’m sure even if five per cent of Salman bhai’s fans come and watch my small productions in the future, it’ll surely be a hit.”
photos Sanjeev Kumar