At a multiplex in Bengaluru, the darkened auditorium suddenly comes alive as Salman makes his Dabangg entry in Bodyguard. A group of teens squeal in delight. The guys whistle in appreciation, while the more mature audience excitedly claps as a toned Sallu flexes his biceps. For the audience, this is their paisa vasool moment. They have already recovered their money’s (Rs 350) worth.
Bodyguard has raked in Rs 398 million in its opening weekend. Sanjeev Lamba, CEO Reliance Entertainment, co-producer of Bodyguard, says, “While expectations from a Salman Khan film at Id are sky-high, Bodyguard has exceeded all pre-opening estimation and blazed a new record at the domestic box office. The film has created new records, for opening day and single day at the Indian box office.”
There is nothing extraordinary about the movie. It is an implausible plot, which is saved by stylised action, Sallu’s trademark gimmicks and Himesh Reshammiya’s music. In every Salman flick, there is that one cheesy dialogue which becomes a catchphrase and continues to be mouthed long after the movie has gone. In Bodyguard too, when he mutters, “Mujhpe yeh ehsaan karo, ke mujhpe ehsaan mat karo,” the teens in the cinema hall went berserk.
The gods must be crazy, else why would they ensure that three mindless flicks (Dabangg is the only exception) like Wanted, Ready and now Bodyguard have raked in crores at the box-office. “After the success of his previous three films, I was under a lot of pressure to justify his presence in Bodyguard. This is the best phase in his career and I as a director just happened to be at the right place at the right time. I owe my success as a director to Salman,” says Siddique, director of the film.
In fact, Sallu’s second coming began with the unexpected success of Wanted. Till then, it looked like he was on his last leg in the industry. His movies Veer and Yuvraj had bombed badly. He was being ripped apart for his ‘tired’ (read haggard) looks. Wanted was that make or break film for both Salman and his producer Boney Kapoor. They both desperately ‘wanted’ a hit. So when Radhe, a desh bhakt super cop, stylishly confesses, “Jab main ek bar commitment de deta hoon to uske baad khud ki bhi nahi sunta,” it became a mantra for all Sallu fans
Not just his career but his love life too appeared to be in the doldrums. He never acknowledged his relationship with Katrina Kaif. They broke up but the rest is not history. They are back together but this time as ‘good friends’ in the truly platonic sense. They have even signed three films together. But it’s not just Kat; Sallu’s female co-stars like Preity Zinta and Kareena Kapoor too admire him. Preity even confessed that during her recent personal setbacks, it was only Salman who called her up to ask if she needed any help.
Says Kareena Kapoor, “Salman is a born star. As a kid, I used to stand in a corner and observe him do his scenes with my sister. He had, and still has, the ability to pull the crowds to the cinema hall. He can hold a scene alone. His recent films have proved that he is the box office king and will remain one for a very long time.”
There appears to be a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde kind of dual personality that co-exists within this man. Tales of his spontaneous generosity do the rounds. A source, who worked with him in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, gushes about how he would take the entire unit out for dinners when they were shooting in Jaipur. “Salman was madly in love with Ash then and was on a huge high. He would insist on driving us around and showing us the sights and sounds of Jaipur.”
And yet, he is infamous for his brash and moody behaviour. He literally jumped up on the sets of India’s Got Talent and ran away even as a shocked Kirron Kher looked on. But not before he took Dharam paaji’s permission. In fact, the septuagenarian couldn’t conceal his affection for this actor, who has bailed his daughter Esha by acting in her comeback film Tell Me Oh Khuda.
On the other hand, he spent close to two hours on the sets of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champs. He was bowled over by the kids and even chided the judges for judging them a bit harshly. He was gentle and indulgent. He confessed to being a fan of 10-year-old Azmath Hussain and instantly offered to fund his education when he was told that the child had discontinued his studies due to financial constraints. But on the same show, he made cheap digs at the men who had dressed up as bodyguards. He called one of them fat and asked him to “tuck his tummy in”, and asked another why he was wearing dark glasses, when the bodyguard was merely imitating Salman’s look in the film.
His Being Human foundation is not a publicity stunt but genuinely helps the needy. His charitable acts extend to his colleagues too. He bailed out Govinda when he was going through a lean phase by offering him Partner. “Salman and I go way back and he has always been the Good Samaritan. He will never decline helping anyone. He has the blessings of countless people and despite being a big star, he continues his charity silently. The fact that he is such a big star is because everyone really loves him, and that will keep him prosperous,” says Govinda.
Ashleyy K.S., psychotherapist and tarot reader, who has interacted with the star, says, “He is a warm and genuine human being. Many stars merely do lip service when it comes to charity but Salman actually contributes generously. Some people can’t handle the pressure of being famous and it manifests itself in the form of contradictory behaviour. Salman probably finds it difficult to cope with the constant spotlight on him. Salman has also had a very disturbed childhood, and when you are a problem child, it reflects in your relationships. He does have psychological issues. That’s why all his relationships have ended on a disastrous note. But this has nothing to do with his success. It’s his niceness that probably shines through in his films. His success could be the result of good karma earned from all the charity he does."
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ReplyDeleteHe really turns out to be the KING OF BLOCKBUSTERS!