With the blockbuster success of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan, the year 2023 began with a bang. The success of Pathaan was anticipated for many factors, majorly for the revival of Bollywood. By grossing more than Rs 1000 crores, Siddharth Anand's directorial has brought back the lost hope in filmgoers and trade as well.
Actor-director-producer Arbaaz Khan also shares his views about Pathaan's success and called it a 'necessary breath of fresh air.' While interacting with DNA for his ongoing chat show The Invincible Series, Arbaaz opens up about 2023's first blockbuster, and adds, "Yeh bahut zaroori tha, and iski timing bahut perfect thi (This was really important, and it was perfectly-timed)." Khan continues, "More so for Shah Rukh (Khan), for all that he and his family have gone through last two years, I think this was a payback for the poor fellow."
Khan further analyses Pathaan and says that since the film was good, everything fall into place accurately. "It was a very deserving, entertaining film and Shah Rukh was best in it. It is also good for the industry as well. It infuses a certain amount of belief that people still wanted to go to cinemas to catch a good film. Unko (the audience) nahi padi hai kiske baare mein kuch bol rahe ho. Becuase aap allow karenge toh log ayegnge. Woh alag baat ki aap theatres ko todenge toh koi jaan khatre mein dal ke nahi jayega. (They are not concerned with controversies. If you will allow a smooth release, they will come. If you create distress or vandalise theatres, then they won't risk their lives for it). But if you genuinely want to know whether they will boycott it, they won't."
The Dabangg franchise producer further adds, "We are film people, humare kaam alag hai, humara attitude alag hai (our work culture and attitude is different). So I am happy with whatever happened. Arbaaz recalls how Bollywood was once concerned with South films taking over the masses, "It has also given us the confidence, nahi toh beech mein South ki dub filmein humse zyada chal rahi thi... yeh aachi baat hai, uss mein koi problem nahi hai (There were South dubbed films that took over, which is good). But, we needed to get back the confidence of our industry, and our audience, and that has happened with Pathaan," Khan asserts.
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Arbaaz reveals that he watched Pathaan at the midnight show of the second week. "Raat ke 12 baje it was houseful in PVR Juhu, maza aaya film dekh ke. Story simple thi, but film main action zabardast tha. Seeti taali baaji... maza aaya, aur kya chaiye (It was a houseful show in PVR Juhu, and I enjoyed it. Although the story was simple, but it was an entertaining action-packed film. There were clap-worthy moments, what else do you want)." Arbaaz Khan even lauds Salman Khan's gesture by making a cameo in the film. "Yeh dil ke rishte hai, isi liye as regard, for the love and respect, ek dusre ki film mein appearance de rahe hai. Aaj ke zamane mein yeh bahut badi baat hai (actors are making cameos appearances in each other films. This is a big deal in today's time). Arbaaz Khan's new chat show The Invincible Series is currently streaming on YouTube.
