I would be wrong to say I don’t miss Javed: Salim Khan

Days ahead of the release of Dabbang 2, Salim Khan, 76, is a happy man, and has a tinge of pride when he talks about the strengths and weaknesses of his two sons. In an hour-long interview at his open house on Carter Road in Mumbai, where he has lived since 1973, the veteran screenwriter spells out his life's philosophy and his clear-eyed assessment of his sons. Excerpts:

Salman is a big star and Arbaaz is set for his directorial debut. Let's talk about both your sons.

In the beginning, they were both in a hurry to join films. They were interested in films and used to hide it, as they were at an awkward age at which even their bodies were not formed completely. I had given them the option to do whatever they wanted to. In any profession a person chooses, the ambition should be to reach the top. A person who climbs the Himalaya does not climb thinking that he should come back halfway. His ambition has to be to reach the peak. I came here to become an actor, but I had the art of self-assessment and I knew after a few films that I was not cut out for it, and that while I had the art of conception, I did not have the art of projection. For instance, Amitabh Bachchan is a weak person physically, but the amount of toughness he projects on screen is unbelievable. As for Salman and Arbaaz, they dropped out of college to join films even though I wanted them to finish their education. Since the success ratio in the industry is low. if you fail, education is the only thing you can bank on. I had done the same, as I was well-read and took to writing when I failed as an actor. Even to use your talent, you need education. Fortunately, both of them got roles within two years of their trying to become actors.

Did you expect Salman to become such a big star?

Like I assessed myself, I assessed my children also. I always thought that he was extremely talented in a lot of things. When he took up swimming, he started swimming so well that he could represent Mumbai. He started cycling and had tremendous command over it. He can grasp things fast, but he would always move from one thing to another. When he became an actor, I felt he was not giving it his best. He used to take up films for the wrong reasons — he was not doing films based on the story or the director. But he would do it for any friend or when someone would come with a sob story, he would do it to help him out. It neither helped him nor the other person. He has done more guest appearances than films and had become a permanent guest star in the film industry. The good part was that he was trying to help, but he was not delivering what he had promised to his audience and to himself. He had the body for action, a face for emotion and timing for comedy, but he needed to select his films correctly. I allowed him to make mistakes and learn from it, but I was disappointed with the way he used his talent.

Arbaaz is on the cusp of tasting success as a director. What do you feel as a father?

Success has a varying effect on different people. Some people become better human beings with success, for instance, Mahesh Bhatt. After the commercial success in Naam, his bitterness and anger gave way to compassion and goodness. But 'success has destroyed more people than failure'. I have seen Sholay only twice, once in 35mm and once on 70 mm. But Imaan Dharam, which was a flop. I have seen eight times to see where I went wrong. So what is to be seen is how Arbaaz will take his success. He must have had frustrations due to the success of his father, brother and wife. But with success, the space in his heart which had frustration, needs to be now filled with goodness, humility and magnanimity. It should not develop into ego. He has the advantage that he has lived in a house where he has experienced both success and failure. Salman has not changed over 20 years at all. Some people take their film image too seriously. Salman understands one thing clearly that his persona in films and his own life are two different things. Also, the family has always kept him grounded and never treated him like a star. We brought a lovely house for him in Carter Road. He asked me 'will you shift with me?', I told him 'I am very happy here and it is too late in the day to shift and this is my last house. I like my balcony — all my work was done here, people have become producers here, started films here'. A person tries for all material things when you start working but 'contentment is the greatest enemy of creativity' as the fire gets killed as soon as you are content.

Are you attached to any particular child more?

Everybody is equal till the circumstances are normal, but as soon as a child faces a problem, your attention shifts to the weaker one and you also feel helpless for him. I gave a lot of attention to Salman as he came into a lot of problems with all his cases and an accident that could happen to anybody. As a father, I am always worried about him and hope that he will come out of it.

We miss Salim-Javed. Do you miss Javed Akhtar?

I would be wrong to say I don't miss him. We spent 15 years together doing films, which brought us recognition and money. I have gradually started understanding and the initial anger of separation has tapered down. I now have no bitterness or anger. His children are successful and he is doing well. Had one of us been in trouble, it may have been different.

Is Salman's success your vindication?

Salman has brought a lot of happiness for his people, including me, and I am proud of his success. A few years back, I felt disappointment in him not achieving the place he is now in and deserved. I always felt strongly about his talent and wanted to see him on the top before I die.

If you were given a choice to pick up the greatest actor of all times, who would it be?

Dilip Kumar. He is a class apart. Every other actor can be compared with each other but comparing him with anyone is an insult to his talent and persona. The respect he commanded and the way he conducted himself in his career makes him the greatest actor ever. Once I met Dilip sahab at a wedding, where there were too many people and thus we could not manage to eat. It was late at night and we could not find a place to eat, so I offered to him to come to my house. I told him I could guarantee him three things. One, when I ring the bell, Salma would open the door. Two, he would get genuine Black Label. And three, he would get food as if it was a dawat. Fortunately, I was lucky that day on all three counts and my home came to be known as the 'Mughal Room'.

I was surprised to find the door to your house open and unattended. Your house has none of the fanfare of a starry house?

I have been living in this house since 1973 and the main entrance to my house is left open and will remain so. Some time back, I was under police protection for two years. The police came and told me, you will have to close your door. I told them either you sit outside the door or sit downstairs and protect me or you figure out how to protect me with the open door.

Do you have any unfulfilled wish?

I am a family man and I want my family to always love each other and be together in a crisis even when I am gone.

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I have never bullied Arbaaz: Salman Khan

"I've never bullied Arbaaz; whenever he wanted his way, he got it," says Salman Khan

From Abhinav Kashyap to Arbaaz Khan, how has the Dabangg 2 journey been?

Salman: What do you want me to say? We never wanted Abhinav not to be a part of Dabangg 2. I was in Bangkok for a shoot and I called Abhinav to say that ideally, I would like the same team that did Dabangg to work on the sequel as well. Only after he refused did we request Arbaaz to take over. Arbaaz was the creative producer ofDabangg and he was the natural choice for the sequel.

So, how was it shooting with your kid brother?

Arbaaz and I am just a year-and-a-half apart. We have had our creative differences, but I've never bullied him. On the set, there were times when he wanted it his way and he got it. And there were times when I got my way. But, whatever we did was for the betterment of the film.

Arbaaz says you have become a giant as far as stardom goes. So, expectations from your films are also huge...

Well, I don't agree with the giant bit at all. I'm the same Salman I was 20 years ago. I will not deny that there are huge expectations from Dabangg 2. We have worked that much harder because of it. We didn't think just because the first one worked, this one will also work.



Does the sequel have many similarities?

The sequel is obviously in the same genre. There is no gyaanbaazi in it. We have tried to better the action, the emotional quotient and the songs. We have also ensured that there are no caricatures and gags. The idea is not to take anything for granted.

Over to Arbaaz... Do you think any other actor could play Chulbul Pandey?

Impossible. If Salman refuses to play Chulbul Pandey, the character will have to be buried. If any other actor has to attempt the role of Chulbul Pandey, he can perhaps try it after a decade. Like there was one Agneepath (1990) with Amitabh Bachchan and 22 years later, Hrithik Roshan did another one. But there has to be a huge gap if you do a remake; the audience needs to wipe out the memories of the earlier hero. However, in the case of Chulbul Pandey, it has to be Salman only. Bollywood is new to the sequel game; Hollywood has seen sequels for much longer. TheirRocky, Rambo or Raiders of the Last Ark series are easy to identify with, because there is a common thread and the lead actor doesn't change. You need Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Fordthere. Likewise, you need Salman Khan here. You have got to have Chulbul Pandey retaining his original characteristics and then, you can put him in newer surroundings. But he is a pre-requisite, that's non-negotiable.

So, Dabangg 2 will not stray too much from the original?

Dabangg 2 is a smart film with a heart. It's embellished with a good story, screenplay and characters. The pre-requisites of Dabangg are different from those of Dhoom, Munna Bhai orGolmaal. In our case, you need that feeling of deja vu when you watch the sequel, because that is your connect with the first part. It is a sequel, a franchise. If it starts looking like a completely different film, you will lose the connect. We have consciously kept it like that, but of course, we have sprinkled a lot of newness into it.

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Salman's a brilliant and spontaneous actor: Arbaaz

Arbaaz Khan, 45, has grabbed the opportunity to direct a film which he dreamt of since childhood. He is completely aware of the franchise of 'Dabangg' that he needs to look after and take forward. He opens up to TOI about his emotional battles, his argumentative relationship with his father and why he is the only sibling to not call Salman..'Bhai'. Excerpts:

How did you turn director of Dabangg 2?
I was always interested in directing and at 19, when I was in college, I was one of the many assistants Bhatt sahab had on his films Jurm and Kabzaa. Acting roles came my way and I got my first break as an actor with Abbas Mastan's Daraar at the age of 24. I did about 40-odd films but since I was not getting too far as an actor, my mind was constantly on the lookout for something else. That is when I produced Dabangg and was successful. Abhinav Kashyap, the director of the film, was to work on the sequel, but in a couple of weeks, I got an SMS from him saying he did not want to be a part of the sequel and had his personal reasons for opting out and I realised there was no point trying to convince him.

After a lot of deliberation, I realised that I was the next best guy to take over the helm of affairs as nobody had the closeness or attachment to the project that I had. I felt this is my calling and it was an opportunity that had come my way and I should use it. I spoke to Salman and told him I will direct the film. He knew that as the creative producer of the first film, I had been totally involved in the making of it. He also knew my wish to become a director and he agreed. I gave Salman the entire narration of the film and we started shooting. We started shooting in March and Salman said we have to bring the film on Christmas. I said if you don't cancel any shoot, I will bring it on time. Salman kept his word and I completed the film in 100 days, meeting the scheduled time for release.

It is perceived that a director does not have a role to play in a Salman Khan film. Does it bother you?
The kind of space and popularity Salman is in right now, anyone will have difficulty getting any recognition in his film. He is a great star, but it's not that you can just roll the camera on him. He will come on the set with his expertise as an actor and great stardom, but you can't make him act in a void.

What does he think of you as a director?
In the entire period when the film was shot, Salman never called me to say 'come home, what the hell have you shot?' He is in that phase of his life where his stakes matter more than anybody else's and if he wanted to re-shoot, he would have asked for it.

How would you define your style as a director?
A director is about picking the right choices — be it the casting, story, costumes, crew or any other. If your choices are right, you are a good director. Some of the greatest shot films do not connect and some of the shoddiest shot films connect. No matter how well you tell a terrible story, it will not work. I give my actor and assistants a lot of freedom, that is something I learnt from Bhatt sahab.

As a director, how would you rate Salman as an actor?
He is a brilliant and spontaneous actor. He knows the camera and knows his audience. This comes after many years of experience. He is so much at ease with himself. There is a comfort and freedom in his performance. He is incorrectly perceived to be indisciplined. He is not an early morning person so, unless he has to, he will resist coming to shoot at 6 in the morning.

So if a director cannot work around his timings, he should not work with him. Once you suit your time cycle with him, he is not indisciplined. If he knows there is a sunrise shoot which has to take place at 7 am, he will even stay back in the make-up van at night for the shoot.

Salman is older to you by just a year and a half and you grew up together. Has your equation changed with him due to his superstar status?

Salman became a star at the age of 24, but until then he had lived with me and I didn't think he would become a star. So while the world can look at him in a certain way, I can't change my equation with him. I always see him as the guy who smashed my cycle, wore my jeans and punctured my tyre. And Salman does not expect me to change towards him, but if I don't acknowledge who he is then he will get upset. He is an achiever and I give him that space, privacy and respect. But at the same time, I cannot behave with him the way other millions do. The other members in the family are much younger to him and call him Salman Bhai. I am the only one who calls him Salman only because I never called him that.

If you succeed as a director, will it change your equation with him?
Yes. Salman always wants his entire family to do well. There are two kinds of people within a family. One, who is not capable and yet you want him to succeed. The other, who you know is capable and you want him to become successful. Salman knows I am capable and he feels it is due to me, he wants it to happen and will be happy if it happens.

Prior to your success of Dabangg, did you ever lose hope in life?
Say you are staying in a building and you are the best cricketer and then you go to college and realise that you are good but cannot compete at a state level. At a certain stage of my life, I started suspecting myself as life did not throw as many opportunities at me. While growing up, I was the more studious and disciplined child and in fact, Salman used to get compared to me. And then came a stage in life when we were neck to neck, where he was better in some things and I was better in some. And then the man just skyrocketed and there was no contest. Suddenly I was looking at this giant and did not know how I would beat him. People around dwarf you with their expectations and then you can never match up to that as the person you are competing with is a guy whom the world thinks is great.

What is your relationship with your father?
I am very close to him and he gives me the liberty to talk to him more as a friend. Sometimes my discussion with him seems to be an argument and that is rare as none of my other siblings do that. I am opinionated and so is he. I feel just because I am his son and am younger to him cannot stop me from having an opinion. I allow others to have an opinion and expect the same in return. Salman is the most obedient and I think it's a great quality. I have become a father now and would like my son, who is even more strong headed and opinionated than I am, to obey everything I say. When I see my son arguing with me, I realise what my father would have gone through. Though my father has now reconciled and respects me for my individuality.

Are there qualities of your father you have learnt from?
Professionally, that the script is the foundation on which you base your film. Personally, his sincerity, honesty and discipline. My father was never late even for a trial. I am painfully disciplined and am anal about the fact that I need to be on time. I will be on time even for a picnic.

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Dabanng 2 Song: 'Saanson Ne'

'Dabangg 2' Official Preview Synopsis

Dabangg 2 is a continuation of the amazing exploits of Chulbul ‘Robin Hood’ Pandey played by Salman Khan.
The notable facets of the character include his nonchalance, his wry sense of humor and his tongue-in-cheek dialogues.

In the first film, Chulbul was pitted against Chedi Singh a local goon. And Chedi Singh had killed Chulbul’s mother Naina Devi (Dimple Kapadia).

Thus his family now consists of his stepfather Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna), his younger half-brother, Makhanchan “Makkhi” Pandey (Arbaaz Khan), Makkhi’s wife Nirmala (Mahi Gill). And his wife Rajjo (Sonakshi Sinha).

This film begins with Chulbul moving on from being a local inspector in a small town Laalganj to becoming an Inspector-in-charge of Bajariya Thana, a police station in Kanpur, the largest and most populous city in Uttar Pradesh.

After arriving in Kanpur, Chulbul immediately gets into action thus bringing him in conflict with Baccha Bhaiyya (Prakash Raj). Baccha Bhaiyya is a criminal turned politician. Baccha Bhaiyya is aided by his two brothers, the cool and collected Chunni (Nikitin Dheer) the archetypal brawn in the trio. And Gainda (Deepak Dobriyal) the impulsive, hotheaded younger brother.

On numerous occasions Chulbul and Baccha Bhaiyya end up at loggerheads. But Baccha Bhaiyya’s strong desire to go legit and the keen advice from the senior political leader Awadh Narayan Singh (Yuggal Kishore) prevent him from taking on Chulbul.

Chulbul continues to be aided by his trustworthy band of constables from Laalganj. And also makes new associates in Kanpur. Chulbul also receives the whole-hearted support of SP Mathur (Manoj Pahwa).

If in the earlier film we witnessed Chulbul’s strained relationship with his stepfather Prajapati. In this film, we see Prajapati emerge as the true patriarch of the Pandey family. We witness Chulbul and Prajapati’s father-son bond grow and deepen through the film.

We also get to see the romantic Chulbul woo his new bride Rajjo. Rajjo now the lady of the house, exercises her rights and matches Chulbul in his wayward ways.

In a happy ending, Rajjo gives birth to Junior Pandey.

If Dabangg marked the return of action films, Dabangg 2 takes it to a higher level with some of the coolest action sequences ever conceived. The soundtrack of the film contains five original songs each with a promise of being a chartbuster like its predecessors. All in all, Dabangg 2 promises to be a full on entertainer, Chulbul Pandey and his sunglasses et al.

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