SAT Editor Neeraj Nanda with Salman Khan in Melbourne. Photo: Aditi Gupta
By NEERAJ NANDA
Bollywood Sultan Salman Khan was recently in Melbourne for the Dabangg tour and I caught up with him at the Crown Towers in his exclusive suite just before he was about to leave for the stage performance at the Rod Lever Arena. A sober and composed Salman Khan talked to me about his new movie ‘Tubelight’ (RELEASING ON 25 JUNE, 2017) and a bit about ‘Tiger Zinda Hi’.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: Why the name ‘Tubelight’?
A: He is a simple character amongst all kinds of kids. He is the first one to get it. He is different from others. That’s how ‘Tubelight’ comes in. All other kids tease him as ‘Tubelight’.
Q: But an English name for a Hindi movie?
A: ‘Tubelight’ is a down version of Tubelight. Everyone uses this word. Like, ‘Yeh Tubelight Jalao’ (Switch on the Tubelight).
Q: Tell me about your character in ‘Tubelight’?
A: It’s a simple character. Much more simple than the one in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. He grows as sympathy grows for him. He gets what he wants to achieve. Everything then starts working.
Q: Are you an army man in the movie?
A: No, I am not able to join the Army, but my brother (Arbaz Khan) is able to. So, one brother is on the front and the other is not.
Q: Tell me something about the Chinese actress in the movie?
A: The movie needed a Chinese girl and we got Zhu Zhu. This was because the background of the movie is the Sino-Indian conflict.
Q: How does she score in the movie?
A: Very well.
Q: How was she able to speak Hindi dialogues?
A: Every line she spoke in Hindi she understood. She first learned to read them in English and then it was easy to speak in Hindi.
Q: What is the message of ‘Tubelight’?
A: ‘Yakeen karna chaiyae kisi bhi cheez main’. (Believe in anything you want to achieve).
Q: Is it a message of peace?
A: Yes, it is.
Q: Tell me something about ‘Tiger Zinda Hi’?
A: It’s a sequel of ‘Ek Tha Tiger’. (Does not reveal much)
Q: Which means a RAW agent and so on.
A: That’s it. That’s it.
INTERVIEW COURTESY: Mind Blowing Films, Melbourne.
