Physically exhausting to work with Salman: Abhinav

Salman Khan in a fiesty combact scene with Sonu Sood.

Knowing that Salman Khan was a huge star, first-time director Abhinav Kashyap considered himself lucky when he gave the nod to his film, Dabangg. But it was only when Kashyap started shooting with the actor that he actually realised Khan’s superstar status and immense popularity amongst the masses.

“A major portion of the film was shot in Wai, a small hamlet in Maharashtra. Every day, hordes of people would turn up to see Salman and they would scream out ‘Salman bhai, Salman bhai’. We could not control the din as we were shooting outdoors. Most of the time I would running up to Salman to give him instructions since he could not hear me from where I was standing. Understandably, I would be physically exhausted by the end of the day,” laughed Kashyap.

Physically exhausting to work with Salman: Abhinav

Don’t cheat in love: Salman

Guess who's talking about pyaar, ishq aur dhoka! Well, it's none other than Salman Khan!

Sallubhai sends out a 'don't cheat' message on satellite television. It's on the show Emotional Atyachaar 2 on UTV Bindass tonight (Saturday) at 7 pm. Salman's inspecting the case of Sudhiksha, who suspects her boyfriend isn't loyal to her. After hearing the entire story narrated by host Pravesh Rana, Salman in his inimitable style gave a word of advice to viewers telling them what he feels about a relationship and how one must realise that flirting and cheating are two entirely different things with a line that should not be crossed.

Sudhiksha doubts Manish because he is a compulsive liar and Manish's ex-girlfriend Shikha called up Sudiksha cautioning her.

It is exciting to have Salman Khan on the show advising the youth on relationships, says Nikhil Gandhi, channel head of UTV Bindass. "This is the No.1 show in the youth television space. Today the youth is very clear about not being taken for granted by anybody and they are ready to face reality. It's their overall attitude towards life which is the secret behind the success of Emotional Atyachaar, a show that brings the grim realities and raw emotions to the viewers," says Gandhi.

The episode also saw Salman giving a sneak peak of Robin Hood Pandey, his character from the upcoming film Dabbang, which is an Arbaaz Khan Production with music by T-Series.
Finally when asked what he'd do if such a sting operation was done on him, Salman laughed saying, "If emotional atyachaar was ever done on me, you guys would get stuff that you'd never be able to put on TV."

Don’t cheat in love: Salman

I was to play Salman role in 'Dabangg': Sonu Sood

Known for doing intense roles, actor Sonu Sood plays a young politician in upcoming film 'Dabangg'. But he reveals that he was actually supposed to play the lead role, now being essayed by Salman Khan.

'The film was brought to me before Salman came on board. Initially I was supposed to do Salman's role of a cop... but when he decided to be a part of the film, I was offered the role of the youth politician that I'm now playing,' Sonu told IANS in an interview.

The actor, whose acting skills came to the fore in films like 'Yuva' and 'Jodhaa Akbar', says he is not afraid of being overshadowed by the superstar.

'I'm not scared that I'll get overshadowed in the film because of the presence of Salman. I completely trust Abhinav Kashyap, the director, who was Mani Ratnam's assistant director during 'Yuva'.

'I know him since those days. Also, the character I'm playing is quite strong; so being sidelined was something that never bothered me,' said Sonu, whose character in the film is named Cheddi Singh.

Directed by Kashyap and produced by Salman's younger brother, actor Arbaaz Khan, 'Dabangg' is set to hit screens Sep 10. Apart from Salman and Sonu, the film also stars Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi, Om Puri, Dimple Kapadia, Vinod Khanna and Mahesh Manjrekar among others.

Sonu calls his character in the film a modern-day Gabbar Singh of 'Sholay' fame. The actor adds that he got into the skin of his character by recalling the mannerisms of some of his classmates from engineering college.

'Cheddi Singh is a very powerful guy in his area and is very unpredictable. He is like a modern Gabbar. He rules the place he is in. But then things change for him when Salman's character makes an entry,' the 37-year-old said.

'When I was doing my engineering, I had a lot of friends from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who were into youth politics; so I know the body language of people from that area. I know how they react to things, their mannerisms...That actually helped me get into the skin of my character,' he

 

Sonu, who made his Bollywood debut with 'Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh' in 2002, was better noticed as Abhishek Bachchan's brother in Mani Ratnam's 'Yuva' (2004). He then went on to do films like 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' (2005), 'Sheesha' (2005), 'Siskiyaan' (2005) and more recently 'Singh Is Kinng' (2008) and 'Jodhaa Akbar' (2008) among others.

Even though the actor is hungry for more meaty roles, he is happy that he has been able to survive in the industry so long.

'I'm happy with the way my career is moving but still there's a lot of hunger in me to do more...I want lots more to be offered to me. But still I'm happy with what I've achieved because it wasn't easy for a person like me, who is not from a film background, to come and get work in the industry,' Sonu said.

'Now I just work on my survival tactics. I only do films that really excite me as an actor. I give 100 percent to my character, I do rehearsals, I get involved and give my inputs to the director too. Also, I'm very focused that this is the place for me. I have nowhere else to go and I have to survive in this industry by hook or by crook. I take this as a challenge,' he added.

 

I was to play Salman role in 'Dabangg': Sonu Sood

Salman gifts sis Alvira penthouse worth 10 crore:)

Salman Khan bought sister Alvira Agnihotri an apartment worth Rs 10 crore last week. The actor's behna (he lovingly calls her Baby) is married to actor-turned-producer Atul Agnihotri. 




Baby lives near their parents' home in Bandra, but now her new address is a swanky penthouse in Pacific Heights, a building near Rizvi Complex off Carter Road, in the same suburb. According to a real estate broker from the suburb, the penthouse measures 4,000 square feet. "Going by the current rate (Rs 25,000 per sq ft), the flat would cost around Rs 10 crore," said the broker.

When contacted Atul said, "It isn't true. We are looking at a new place, but we haven't bought any property at the moment." 

Naya ghar
Rizvi Builders' Pacific Heights is one of the most hi-tech buildings in the suburb. It offers video intercom facility with visitors in the lobby, at the door, and residents of other apartments. It also boasts of alarm systems to warn of fire, gas leak and burglars, and lights with sensors so you don't have to worry about switching them off when you leave a room.

Salman gifts sis Alvira penthouse worth 10 crore:)

'Dabangg is a masala film' - sohail

Dabangg is a masala film'
Elina Priyadarshini Nayak , TNN, Sep 1, 2010

Though his acting career didn't take off initially, Sohail Khan has now succeeded in coming out of the shadow of his superstar bother Salman Khan.

Over the years, he has managed to carve a niche for himself as a producer with hits like Hello Brother, Partner and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya. Sohail speaks about his family bonding, Salman Khan and much more...

Pre-release buzz
His elder brother Arbaaz Khan's first home production Dabangg is yet to release, but a lot of buzz has been created about this film. On this he says, "We are not doing anything extra apart from promoting, because one has to create awareness about any film. Dabangg is a masala and action-packed family film and I think that's the reason it's getting such a huge response even before its release. People have started liking it already!" The movie has Salman, Arbaaz and Malaika Arora Khan- three members of the family. Would the audience get to see Sohail in the movie also? He replies with a laugh, "Main chota bhai hoon toh mujhe dusare kaam pe laga diya!"

Munni badnaam hui...
Malaika Arora's hot item song Munni badnaam hui... has become a huge hit and is creating waves. "For a successful movie, an entertainment value is required. I think the song Munni... has added to this quotient. The song has worked out really well and Malaika was best suited for this number." And what about this song being in news these days for more reasons, as a social activist has filed a suit seeking that the word 'Hindustan' should be deleted? "If anybody has any problem with the word 'Hindustan', we will remove it or replace it. We don't want to hurt anybody's sentiments," says he. So, does this controversy add to the publicity of the film? "People can say what they want! But, we are not doing anything for publicity," says he.

An all-rounder
Along with acting and producing, Sohail has also written scripts for films like Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Hello Brother and Kissan. Ask him which is that one genre he enjoys the most and he says, "I entered the industry to act and since then a learning process has started. When I read any script, I feel I can produce it, at times I feel I can act in it and many a time I feel I can direct it too. So, I am enjoying doing all of them." Any upcoming projects as as an actor? He laughs and says, "I am not getting any roles, and if I get anything right, I will do it. I am a very relaxed person and not very ambitious."

'Dabangg is a masala film' - sohail

Salim Khan to distribute Dabangg in CI and Rajasth

Salim Khan to distribute Dabangg in CI and Rajasthan territories 
By Joginder Tuteja, September 1, 2010 - 11:03 IST 


Click above for more movie stills
Title We Are Family is not just apt for the Karan Johar production, it pretty much holds true for Khan family as well. With Dabangg looking piping hot and all set to be a huge earner at the box office, the Khan family has now come together to rake in some good moolah as well. Rather than selling the film to outside distributors, Khans have decided to keep a major chunk of it within the family and extend the adage of 'all in the family'.

As per the latest developments, Salim Khan (father of Arbaaz, Salman and Sohail) would be distributing the film in CI and Rajasthan territories. This is not all as producer Arbaaz himself would distribute the film in Delhi, UP and East Punjab - some of the most lucrative territories that the country has after Mumbai. 

Says a trade observer, "It was imperative that the family sticks to the film right through the release as well as post that rather than just releasing it for money and being happy with whatever they earned. Ensuring that distribution stays with them is also a means of telling the world that they are mighty confident of the film's prospects." 

Arbaaz doesn't deny that he is confident about the film but also adds that distributing a film is nothing new for the family.

"Yes, the film is turning out to be huge and congratulatory messages have started coming in advance. It is always a good sign", he says while keeping his excitement in check, "However, we have always been into distributing films. When it comes to the CI territory, dad has distributed most of Salman's films there in the past. He has a distribution concern there so whether it is an in-house production or even outside productions, Salman's films are released in CI through him. But yes, this time he has picked up Rajasthan as well." 

He also confirms that he too is stepping in to distribute the films in some important territories. "I wanted to exploit Delhi, UP and East Punjab territories and hence have personally stepped in for distribution as well", says Arbaaz. 

The trade observer has the final word, "With the film seeing such huge hype, the makers could have made huge profits on the table by selling off all distribution rights. However, other than the monetary value, Dabangg also carries a huge emotional value for Khans there. Not just it stays on to be Arbaaz Khan's debut production; it also sees Salman Khan going all out to promote the film like never before. Malaika Arora Khan's 'Munni Badnaam' is a rage while Sohail Khan has silently worked in the background as well." 

No wonder, one can see the entire family circle of Khans as well as film fraternity in general coming together in support of Dabangg, hence ensuring a huge release for the film. 10th September was never this hot.

Salim Khan to distribute Dabangg in CI and Rajasth

Me & SRK on Screen - NO : Salman

“There is no chance of Me & Sharukh coming together”: Salman Khan
India Infoline News Service / 16:30 , Sep 01, 2010
This is just a sneak-peek. To catch the enfant terrible of Bollywood in a chatty mood, tune in to ETC Bollywood Business on Thursday, 2nd September at 8:30pm.

As the number of controversies around him increase, so does his fan-base. “Jiska press nahi hota, uske fans hote hai, `inferred Chulbul Pandey alais Salman Khan, while speaking to Komal Nahta, on the sets of ETC Bollywood Business.

Commenting on the performance of Shatrughan “Shotgun” Sinha’s daughter Sonakshi Sinha, Salman said, “ Sonakshi has done the film as if she has done 100 films before.”

So is Sallu Bhai’s new found love for Aamir an outcome of his rivalry with King Khan? “Sharukh and I don’t talk anymore. We had misunderstanding and hence parted ways.” Clarified Salman. And almost as an afterthought he added, “There is no chance of Shahrukh and Salman coming together in future.”

Does he not miss his “once upon a time” good buddy Shah Rukh, Salman fired, “Shahrukh meri girl friend nahi thi……apni purani girlfreind ko miss nahi karta, Shahrukh ko kya karuga….”

This is just a sneak-peek. To catch the enfant terrible of Bollywood in a chatty mood, tune in to ETC Bollywood Business on Thursday, 2nd September at 8:30pm.

Me & SRK on Screen - NO : Salman

The curious appeal of Salman Khan:Pritish Nandy

Pritish Nandy 
31 August 2010, 12:14 PM IST


After years, the promos of a film have really excited me and I'm dying to watch it, first day, first show. No, I have no idea if the film is good or bad. In all probability, it will be awful. Two recent films in this genre were ghastly, though they made lots of money in the box office. And one of them, being a Aamir Khan film, assumed iconic proportions and got the star the moniker of being a matchless marketing whiz, particularly because he stole the thunder from under Shah Rukh's nose. While Shah Rukh was doing his usual number for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Aamir came in from behind with his buzz cut ushers in the theatres announcing the arrival of a thunderous blockbuster two weeks later. The whole focus shifted overnight from Surinder Sahni to Sanjay Singhania. Both films were as ordinary as they come. But Aamir's went on to become a huge hit, announcing the arrival of a new genre in Bollywood: the Tamil bloodfest. 

Its success quickened the release of another bloodfest, this time with Telugu origins: Wanted. You can't get cheesier than Wanted. It's possibly the worst movie you have seen, shoddily scripted, badly crafted, crudely put together: an astonishing display of plywood machismo. But even that couldn't stop it from becoming a huge blockbuster simply because Salman Superbrat swaggered through the film with his trademark cheekiness, doing nothing, just being himself. That made the movie. If, like me, you watch movies not at their premiere, or on TV, but in a typical old fashioned theatre, not even in a multiplex, you will figure why Salman works. His every strut is greeted with wolf whistles and cat calls. His every line of cheeky dialogue is loudly chanted by his fans and some of them, who are watching the film for the umpteenth time, anticipate his lines by screaming them out a split second before they are spoken on screen. This is clearly one star whose fans don't want him to act.

They want him to strut through the film, doing nothing more than delivering cheesy lines of dialogue and beating up guys beefier than him. And, O yes, they reserve the maximum applause for that one moment in a film when he takes his shirt off, either for the mother of a fight or a chalu song. In both, Salman has exactly the same slightly funny, slightly exasperated expression as if to say: Why the hell am I doing this shit?

Aamir's the opposite. He's intense to a fault. Every role appears to be a matter of life and death for him. He has to get it just right. His films too are exactly the opposite of Salman's. They are so carefully crafted that every emotion, every feeling is wrung out of every scene. Often even the manipulation shows. Most times he gets away with it simply because he's Aamir and can do no wrong. His producers too have taken on Shah Rukh at the numbers game. Huge full page ads declare box office figures that keep spiralling till the pundits finally throw up their hands in exasperation. Akshay Kumar's producers too briefly joined this numbers game but are now slightly subdued with Akshay having signed on a few duds. But Akshay remains chilled. He knows he has an innate goofy charm that can survive all the tacky screenplays he cheerfully sleepwalks through.

Funnily, barring Salman, the others are looking less and less like stars today. They are beginning to look like businessmen. Shah Rukh has even hit the cover of a business magazine and is sounding, behaving more like a producer than a star. So is Aamir. What they don't realise is that popular fan bases are not built on the imagery of businessmen or producers. The common man does not admire a bania. The villain in most films of my growing up years was the village mahajan or the city slicker in a white shark skin suit sitting with his bottle of Vat 69. India may have changed. Money is no longer a bad word but the man on the street still admires a hero, not a wealthy man. The iconic hero of Bollywood was for over two decades the Angry Young Man who fought the entire might of the system and brought it tumbling down. 

This brings me back to Chulbul Pandey. I am sure Dabangg will be whatever. But what the heck, I love movies where a cracked hero walks through an equally cracked screenplay doing the weirdest, whackiest things, and no one does that better than Salman. Will I ever make a film like that? Unlikely. Will I recommend a film like that? Not over my dead body. Will I go to a sweaty, stinking theatre to watch it, surrounded by screaming, whistling, hysteric Salman fans? Yes, I will. That's the movie watching experience I pay for. It reminds me of my adolescence. It reminds of the time when movies were movies and heroes could do anything and get away with it. 

The curious appeal of Salman Khan:Pritish Nandy