I Have Signed ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ Like a Fool: Salman Khan

The ‘Tubelight’ star opens up on taking up serious roles, stardom and more.

Salman Khan in a still from Tubelight. (Photo courtesy: Salman Khan Films)

Salman Khan is gearing up for the release of Tubelight this Eid and the promotions have begun. In a candid interview with the Indian Express, the star opened up on taking up more challenging roles, dancing in the movies today and the Khan stardom.

Highlights from the interview:

On ‘Tubelight’

The plot of the film is about brothers, it is about them. How one goes to war and what happens with him, and how the other is left here. Then there’s a love story also, his struggles too, then there’s a kid too. So it’s not just one thin line. Because the plot is about brothers, we are promoting it like that.

Salman Khan, Actor

(It) is difficult is to play a character like this because to get that innocence, that walk, speak the lines that one speaks… I might have had some shades of this character while growing up but that’s a long time ago... These characters are very difficult to do because you might start looking like a fraud, a caricature. You might look like a joke. So, if it’s a funny film then it’s okay but if it’s an emotional film, then it’s the most difficult thing to do. 

Pulling Audience to the Theatre

It’s very difficult. The only thing that I feel can draw audience to the theatres are the film’s posters in the theatres, the trailers in the theatres, promos played on television and information about the release date in papers. The people, who go to theatres are the same number who keep going to theatres all the time. Even today, when I go to a theatre, the first thing that I notice are the posters and I go 15-20 minutes before to see the trailers. So, I know what film is coming when.

Improving Scripts

...The kind of films that I got, I just chose the best from them. Then, I used to see that this is an average script and there’s so much wrong with it, now what to do? I wasn’t getting good scripts. So, I used to call the director at home and all my energy used to go in improving the script. Thank God, I come from the family of writers so while improvising we took films to a (better) level.And now, people come with written scripts which are fabulous and it is difficult to choose from them.  

Upcoming Films

...After Sultan, there was some pain, ligaments torn, knee is still hurting. So, that was the only painful thing. Now, I have signed Tiger Zinda Hai like a fool. I am jumping off buildings. I am going mad, I feel my knee will come out of the socket. After that, I am doing a dancing film, which is even more foolish. I thought it would be a little extra but I didn’t realise dancing today is gymnastic. So, at 52… I am like I am in a fix now. 

Stardom of the Khans

Salman and Shah Rukh Khan in Bigg Boss last year. (Photo: Yogen Shah)

Acting wise, I don’t think there’s anyone bigger than Dilip Kumar. After that, Mr Bachchan has had a great run. Till today, he is doing Kaun Banega Crorepati. He is still working, you put on the TV and he is everywhere. He is almost like the face of the country. Stardom wise, if you think we guys have the popularity and all, for six-seven years there was Rajesh Khanna. Nobody’s bigger than him.

Second was Kumar Gaurav because I have seen both of them. I was 9-10, when I saw Rajesh Khanna’s stardom and when I was 16-17, I saw Kumar Gaurav’s. It was unbelievable. So, when they talk about us, I tell them I have seen stardom and ours is not even 10 per cent.

(Source: Indian Express)