Film Fare

AUDIENCES KNOW
ME AS THE ACTOR
ON SCREEN. WITH
MY TV SHOWS THEY
ALSO GET TO KNOW
THE PERSON...
I’M A
TRANSPARENT
PERSON. THERE’S
NO DRAMA,
THERE’S NO
MELODRAMA.
THERE’S NO
MILKING THE
TELEVISION
SPACE
Jacket: Asa
Kazingmei
T-shirt: Zara
Jeans: Diesel
RACE 3 PROMOTIONS WERE
DIFFERENT THIS TIME...
Actually, this time we
didn’t do much promotion.
I thought a huge amount
of money was being spent
for no rhyme or reason.
But the budget was already
sanctioned. So we donated
the money to charitable
trusts. Rameshji (Taurani,
producer), Remo D’Souza
(director) and we all are
happy with this decision.
The Race 3 team listed
some 15 to 20 charitable
trusts, which work for the
underprivileged. Members
of the cast visited these
places, donated money
and spent time with
the people there. Such
things create awareness
about the organizations
and trusts, which are
doing good work. More
people will now come
forward to donate to
them. Henceforth, this
is something I want to
do for each of my films.
There’s an old age home
in Lonavala, a place in
Chennai where Revathy
had taken me. Here,
women, who have lost
their mental balance, are
looked after. Then there’s
a place in Gujarat and
another in UP, which cares
for acid victims. I even
sent Daisy (Shah) and
Jacqueline (Fernandez) for
a tree plantation event. It’s
a beautiful thing to do. Last
year we planted more than
2500 trees.
WAS IT A PRESSURE LIVING
UP TO THE RACE FRANCHISE’S
REPUTATION?
When I heard the earlier
script, there were things
that I didn’t quite like.
I liked the plot but there
were some things I didn’t
want to do. I shared them
with the writer (Shiraz
Ahmed). He said you’re
100 per cent right. So we
took out those bits and
made this into a nice ‘U’
film that has action, twists
and turns and beautiful
songs. The sense of enmity
lies not in the dialogue
baazi, it’s there in the feel
of the film, in the hearts
of the characters. Each
one believes he’s right. It’s
about one family that needs
to be brought together.
IT MUST HAVE BEEN FUN
WORKING WITH FRIENDS LIKE
ANIL KAPOOR, BOBBY DEOL AND
JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ, WHO
CALLS YOU HER MENTOR.
Daisy, Jacqueline and I
were supposed to be doing
Remo’s dance film. I wasn’t
ready for it as it required
training in dance. I didn’t
find the time to train
during Tiger Zinda Hai.
Then I had this subject in
mind. Remo loved it. So
we made this film in six
months. Race 3 is a huge
film with an ensemble cast
with everyone playing
important roles.
YOU’VE ALSO WRITTEN THE SONG
SELFISH FOR THE FILM, WHILE
THOSE CLOSE TO YOU VOUCH
FOR YOUR SELFLESSNESS.
The songs just happened by
fluke. The music director
(Vishal Mishra) asked me
what kind of lyrics do you
want. I shared what kind of
lyrics I wanted. I recorded
a whole bunch of stuff. He
kept what he wanted and
this song was composed.
The selfless may do good
deeds all their life. But they
need to keep something
for themselves for a rainy
day, for the future. When
you’ve done so much for
others, you need to do
something for yourself as
well. But that doesn’t mean
you need to harm anyone
or use someone as a pawn.
The song tells you to keep
something for yourself also.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE
BRAND SALMAN KHAN, ROCKING
EVEN AT 50 PLUS?
I really don’t know… Iska
kya jawab doon main
aapko (what answer
can I give you)! I don’t
think about these things.
From grandchildren to
grandparents, I guess,
they all connect with me.
Perhaps, it’s also got to do
with the films I’ve done.
I’ve done family films.
Also, when things are
written against you over
and over again, somewhere,
people begin to feel it’s too
much. That automatically
changes opinion in your
favour. There are a lot of
factors that have helped
me grow as a person. My
immediate family, my
friends… School mein
kaafi pita hoon main,
ghar mein bhi (I’ve been
spanked a lot in school and
at home). That also helped.
Basically, the life that I’ve
led… be it at home, in
school, in boarding school,
the friends that I’ve had…
all this has added to my
growth. I always hung out
with people older than me
and correct people. I learnt
a lot from them.
LIKE?
Like the first time I faced
the camera, it was because
of Kailash Surendranath
(ad-filmmaker) and his
wife Aarti. Since then, I’ve
never lost touch with them.
When I signed my first ad
film, I was 16. He was older
and an extremely sensible
man. So, listening to him
him, hanging out with him
helped me. From my father
(Salim Khan), I learnt to be
honest and correct.