'I'm not for kissing and nudity in films': Salman Khan in an EXCLUSIVE chat!

Salman Khan makes his superstardom look so easy. His approach to media interactions appears cavalier. You only hear people talking about how he arrives late and how his coterie gets bigger each day; almost isolating him from the ‘real’ world. Yet, when you meet the man himself, his conversation only veers around being focussed, being real and, of course, being human. You come back thinking, ‘Yaar, perceptions were all wrong. Salman definitely walks the talk.’ Over to SK:

Once, you seemed the least celebrated of the three Khans — Aamir, Shah Rukh and you. Now, you’re the biggest. Have you ever given this a thought?

Not really. By the grace of God, the films that I’m choosing have done well. But it is not as if Aamir or Shah Rukh are choosing bad or worse films. There are times when the movies I’ve chosen, to the best of my knowledge, haven’t worked. And then one film works and you’re back. SRK is a legend, as is Aamir. A bad movie here or there may happen, but they will always come back. Actually, tension toh mera hai. Aamir and SRK know their craft. I’ve heard people saying they’re not so sure about me (laughs)!

Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan

Stop kidding, what are you tense about?

My thing is that I’m surviving on mediocre talent and luck. Actually, I don’t know what I’m surviving on, but I’m surviving. Mere ups and downs toh hote rahenge. By the grace of God, hamari fan following itni tagdi hai. There’s also Akki (Akshay Kumar), Hrithik (Roshan) and Ajay (Devgn).

Then, there are the new boys — Tiger (Shroff), Ranveer (Singh) and Varun (Dhawan). Everyone is so good that all of us will also have to, you know, be on our toes.

All the stalwarts have stuck with you. Sooraj Barjatya wants you, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sajid Nadiadwala and Aditya Chopra have you. Surely, you must be doing something correct because these guys couldn’t have chosen wrong.

Like I said, luck hai, destiny hai. Maybe there is something they see that I don’t. Anyway, what they look for in a hero is a mystery. The audience wants to spend money to see my films on screen, they watch them on satellite television also and they want to see me in my shows. I don’t know yeh kab tak chalega, but jab tak chal raha hai, my idea is to give my best, no matter what problems I go through, physically or mentally.

Agar humko yeh formula pata hota, ki kya karne se kya chalega, then what should I say? We would be taking everything for granted. We thought that Tubelight (same combination of Kabir Khan and me) will be a beautiful film, after our much-appreciated superhit, Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). But for an Eid release, the public wanted to see something happy. In Tubelight, they all cried. They were like, ‘What the hell! Eid kharaab kar diya!” (laughs). They went into depression. Today, when the film comes on digital and satellite, people love it and wonder why it didn’t work. It did a business of over Rs 110 crores in the domestic market alone. So, even my ‘flops’ notch numbers. Bahuton ki filmein utni bhi nahin chali. So, I’m fortunate that itni badi hit film bhi flop maani jaati hai. I’m grateful for the blessings.

With Katrina Kaif in Bharat 

How ambitious are you for Salman Khan Films?

Ambitious, I can’t say. But one thing is clear in my mind. I just want to make clean, entertaining films. I’m constantly wondering if I’m doing the right thing or the wrong thing because there are bizarre trends today. The kind of films that are being made (especially some of the stuff jo web pe aa raha hai) are shocking! I can’t even watch the stuff, but people are watching it. I understand that is also private viewing, phone pe, laptop pe. Akele dekhne mein bhi humko thoda aisa lagta hai ki yeh kya ho raha hai. Because hamari upbringing hai, parents hain... after our first film, we moved straight into the Barjatya family zone.

Abhi bhi when a kissing scene comes on screen, we’re all awkward. See it whichever way you want, but I will put my heft behind clean cinema.

So, instead of ones and twos coming in to watch movies, I’d rather want our banner to have films where people know they will have the naughtiness, humour, action and romance, but all of us can watch them together. That’s what I want to keep it to. Aur agar koi picture ‘A’ rated hogi, then it will be because of action. I’m not for kissing and nudity in films at all. 

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! completes 25 years this August. How does that feel?

I swear it feels like yesterday. Pranutan (Bahl), my latest protégée from Notebook, was born in front of us. I worked with her mother in Saajan (1991), and with her father, Mohnish (Bahl), in so many films. Suddenly, she was all grown up and wanted to be a lawyer. Then I got a call from Monya (Mohnish) that she wanted to act in movies. She auditioned for us, three to four times and I liked her. I will need lawyers in my life (laughs), but Pranutan’s calling was films.

With Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!

Next, you will launch your bodyguard, Shera’s son?

Yes, after them (Pranutan and Zaheer Iqbal), it’s Tiger, Shera’s son. He’s been working hard for his debut. Once he is as good or better than some of the existing boys, we’ll start.

Newcomers have it tough today, don’t they?

You have to take into account that the boys have to dance and do action better than the existing heroes. Otherwise, they will find it hard. Hamare time mein, it was comparatively easier; yet, we found even that difficult. But now, it’s actually very tough. Today, you have got to be better than the existing actors. It requires a lot of time, hard work, patience and dedication, which all these guys have shown. Then, of course, it depends on the movie, the vibe of it, the acceptance of fans and movie-goers. As I said earlier, what they see in the hero, no one knows. Sometimes, the film doesn’t do well, but the hero is accepted. And sometimes, the movie does very well, but the hero is not accepted.

Speaking of your films, you have two releases lined up this year.

Yes, this year, I’ll have Bharat on Eid and Dabangg 3 in December. Next Eid, Inshallah (God willing), we’ll have Inshallah (smiles).