Looking handsome sitting at the dinner table, he invites us to join in, even as he mulls over digging into the kebab platter that's laid out for him. After a hint of an indecisive moment, he says, "I'll have it later!" While we apologise for intruding (on his dinner) he says with a phew, "That's okay. I've just worked out so I don't want to have anything right away."
Fitness Freak
Salman had landed in the city two hours ago, in which time he had visited a college, addressed its students, watched their dance performance and then headed back to his suite! So just when and for how long did he work out, we ask rather perplexed. He says, "I don't know for how long, but I've done around 2000 pushups!" As our jaws drop on hearing this, he continues rather nonchalantly, "Actually, when on tour it's difficult to find a gym. But, I have my hands and feet to help me do my pushups and that's what I do. My film Bodyguard requires a leaner look, so I have to work out like this!" We regain our composure and carrry on with the interview.
Award Functions
Dabangg's to get the National Award in the popular category. Will Salman, who's chosen not to collect a single award for this film till date, be present for this one at least? He smiles and says, "Arbaaz will collect it, all dressed in a sherwani I guess!" But, why is he shying away from awards? He says, "I was just an actor in the film. It was Arbaaz's film all the way and I feel happy that people have loved Dabangg and respect that. I feel very happy for Arbaaz too as now we've got this National Award. But, even before this award, we've been awarded by the whole nation at the BO. It fills me with gratitude."
Paisa Vasool Films
All set with his next film Ready, directed by Anees Bazmee, ask Salman how different it is from his last few releases Wanted and Dabangg and he says, "It's a film that's high on comic action. It's like a naughty Hum Aapke Hai Kaun with the Prem of No Entry in it. Even Anees Bazmee has not done this kind of a film before." So, are promotions of the film tiring him out? He says, "I do promote films, but it's not like I overdo it. Even for Dabangg we had a two-city tour, which included Nagpur. I feel if a film's made well, just the promos work. It's the reason why we reworked on the Character Dheela and Dhinka Chika song. See, people spend lots of money when they come to watch a film and they wanna have a blast. I for one wouldn't want to see a gyaani or boring film."
Item Song
While on the subject of songs tell Salman that after Munni and Sheila, Character Dheela is the next chartbuster and it's been picturised on a male star after a long time and he quips mischievously, 'Uske liye character dheela chahiye!' So, is he the next item boy? "Oh no," he says, adding, "Doing an item song is way too difficult and only Helen and Malaika do justice to item numbers! We actors get dialogues, a special role etc to show our acting skills. But look at Helen aunty - people would go to theatres to just see her song! This requires amazing talent. Ditto for Malaika. She's married and has a child and doesn't want to do films. So, she takes off for 3-4 days, shoots a song and as far as I know, all her songs are hits. This is a tough job." So did he find it tough to do Character Dheela? "Zarine being in it helped a great deal," he says.
Bring back heroism
His spate of recent films have a lot of action in them. Did Salman choose these films by design? "Actually, yes," he says, adding, "In past 8-10 years I found that real heroism has gone missing in the movies. I want to bring it back - the heroism in romance, drama, comedy. These kind of films were run down and got dated." And what does he feel about not many younger B-town heroes doing action? He says, "They will in time, they are too young for it." But, he was doing action in his younger days, you tell him. He says, "We were brought up on those kind of films and it was natural choice that we did them too. And talking about age, I was young then, but I am younger now!" Seeing his dapper persona, you couldn't agree more.
Salman's been controversy's favourite child, but with every passing one, he seems to get better at handling them. He says, "Remember the last time when I was in Nagpur, we had discussed the Eid release of my film that was made into controversy? Well, this time it's an IPL release that's got the buzz going. Over time I've realized there'll be people who'll put you on their shoulders, keep you on a pedestal and also pull you down. If you're a nobody, who will care as to what you're doing. But, once you're a mass person, this is bound to happen." Does this mean that questions on his bachelor boy status have stopped riling him? He says with a smile, "I guess people who ask me this find some humour in it!"
