EXCLUSIVE: Kabir Khan explains how Bajrangi Bhaijaan is an anomaly in Salman Khan's career, 'It's an antithesis of...'
Kabir Khan Clarifies That Salman Khan Was Always His First Choice To Play Pawan In Bajrangi Bhaijaan
For Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kabir Khan envisioned Salman Khan as the titular character from the start. While the film's story, penned by V. Vijayendra Prasad, might have been pitched to Aamir Khan first, Kabir could only picture Salman embodying Bajrangi's innocence and heart. 'Salman felt very strongly about what the film stands for,' Kabir said, emphasizing the actor's deep connection to the movie's message of humanity and unity. This conviction made Salman the perfect fit for a role that was unlike the action-packed characters he was known for at the time.
Kabir Khan Explains How Bajrangi Bhaijaan Is An Anomaly In Salman Khan's Filmography
Coming off the success of Ek Tha Tiger, a high-octane action film, Kabir's decision to make Bajrangi Bhaijaan surprised many in the industry. 'Everyone said, 'Why would you try to reinvent when you worked on something so accepted?'' he recalled. The film was a bold departure from the action-heavy blockbusters dominating Salman's career during that phase. "It's an antithesis of the kind of Salman Khan films that worked in that phase", he explained. Kabir described Bajrangi Bhaijaan as an 'anomaly' in Salman's filmography, a project that stood out for its emotional depth and simplicity, and not for the action, style and charisma. Salman's passion for the story's spirit drove him to embrace the role with unmatched dedication, making the film a resounding success.
Kabir Khan Shares A Golden Rule About Screenplays That He Still Implements
Kabir's approach to filmmaking is rooted in discipline, particularly in the screenplay stage. He spends significant time perfecting his scripts, ensuring every scene serves a purpose. 'The test of my screenplay is simple,' he explained. 'If I delete a scene, does it pull or tug other scenes or not? If it doesn't, it has no business being in the screenplay.' This principle, which he learned early in his career during the making of New York, has become something he has imbibed into the scripts of all of his other films.
While working with Aditya Chopra, Kabir was advised by Yash Chopra to avoid shooting scenes that weren't essential. 'Yash Ji said, 'If you don't plan to keep it, this scene was never meant to be,'' Kabir recalled, calling it a golden rule he follows to this day.
Why Does Bajrangi Bhaijaan Not Have Any Deleted Scenes?
This approach is precisely also the reason why Bajrangi Bhaijaan has almost no deleted scenes. Kabir writes crisp screenplays, trimming unnecessary moments on paper before filming begins. 'Most of my films have no deleted scenes,' he said. In Bajrangi Bhaijaan, there was only a brief moment between Salman Khan and Sharad Saxena that didn't make the final cut, but it was too minor to even qualify as a full scene. This precision ensures that every frame in his films contributes to the story, leaving no room for excess.
Kabir Khan's Upcoming Projects; Is Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 Happening?
Looking ahead, Kabir remains in close touch with Salman Khan, frequently discussing potential projects. Both are keen on a Bajrangi Bhaijaan sequel but are determined not to rush it. 'We won't make it just to add another hit to our filmography,' Kabir emphasized.
Kabir has been busy, developing three new scripts over the past nine months. He plans to announce his next project within a month. He also plans to return to the action genre for the first time since Phantom, soon.
Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates on Kabir Khan and Salman Khan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
25 minutes ago
- News18
War 2 Song: Hrithik Roshan-Kiara Advani's Romantic Track To Drop On Her Birthday On July 31?
Fans eagerly await Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani's romantic track in War 2, sung by Arijit Singh and composed by Pritam, releasing on Kiara's birthday, July 31. War 2 song: A scorching love ballad that captures the scintillating chemistry between its lead pair is an inseparable part of a YRF spy universe film. Ghungroo in War and Besharam Rang in Pathaan became smashing chartbusters upon release and remain one of the biggest hits of Hrithik Roshan, Vaani Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone's careers in recent times. So, needless to say, fans are awaiting Hrithik and Kiara Advani's upcoming romantic track from War 2 with bated breath. Interestingly, this is the first time that the duo is sharing screen space in a film. Naturally, expectations, that got further propelled following some glimpses of the video in the recently released trailer of the film, are sky high. Now, we've some exclusive scoop on this love ballad that's set to be unveiled very soon. A well-placed source informs us, 'After the teaser and the trailer of the much-awaited War 2, the makers are all set to release the first song from the film." Spilling the beans on the track that has been crooned by the biggest Bollywood singer of current times, the source adds, 'It will be a love ballad between Hrithik's Kabir and Kiara's Kavya. The romantic track is said to release on the latter's birthday on July 31. The song is sung by Arijit Singh, who had earlier paired up with Hrithik to deliver the chartbuster Ghungroo. The music for the song is composed by Pritam, who had earlier collaborated with Hrithik for Dhoom 2." Moments from the song shoot in Rome and Tuscany had earlier leaked online and had generated excitement from fans and audiences alike. While the trailer offered a glimpse of their chemistry, the first song from War 2 will give more insights into the love story of Kabir and Kavya. The assets have also earned shout-outs from Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and others. For the unversed, War 2 will mark Kiara's first release after her pregnancy. Kiara gave birth to a baby girl on July 15 this year. On a related note, the War franchise headlined by Hrithik is set to return to the big screens with its sequel six years later on August 14, 2025. War, co-starring Tiger Shroff and directed by Siddharth Anand had emerged as the highest-grossing film of 2019. The teaser and trailer of War 2, as well as the end-credit scene of Tiger 3, hinted that Kabir would go rogue, with the stakes being higher than ever this time. Co-starring NTR Jr, War 2 is directed by Ayan Mukerji. The film is produced by Aditya Chopra and is set for a worldwide release in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil across theatres and Imax screens. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
'I was 18 and…': Salman Khan cried on set of Maine Pyar Kiya, he broke down due to...
The iconic film 'Maine Pyar Kiya' is very special for Bollywood star Salman Khan. It has been one of his favourite films. The songs of the film were an instant hit. There are still people playing songs all over again. Salman Khan once shared an anecdote about the shoot of its song 'Kabootar Ja Ja' during an interview. He said that he had tears in his eyes while doing this song. Salman once cried on the sets of 'Maine Pyar Kiya' Talking to Hello! Indo-Arabia, Salman said, 'I was around 18 years old and there is a very memorable moment during the shoot of the song Kabutar Ja Ja, when I suddenly realised that this is my role. Many times during the narration, I used to imagine Jackie Shroff or Anil Kapoor in these roles, but I could not see myself doing the film. That was the moment when I realised, yes, I can do this. There were tears in my eyes.' In an open letter to fans, Salman Khan thanked his fans for the immense love they share with him. He thanked them for accepting him and picking projects with much more responsibility. The Sikandar actor penned, 'Here is a little something I want you guys to know about me. Firstly, I have to thank you for accepting me and for being my fans. I am doing and concentrating on good scripts to the best of my judgment, because I know that whatever I do now will be compared to Maine Pyar Kiya. So whenever you hear an announcement, rest assured that it is going to be a good film, and I am going to give it my 100 per cent. I love you, and I hope that you will keep on loving me because the day you stop loving me, you'll stop seeing my films, and that is the end of my career. Remember, you are the people who make people like us.' When Salman did not get respect Many interesting stories related to the film Maine Pyar Kiya have come in the news. According to IMDb, Salman Khan was new at that time, so no one paid much attention to him. An assistant used to keep a chair for him. Salman then told Mohnish Bahl that a day would come when the chair would come to him by itself.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘Salman Khan was pressing a real knife to my throat, I started bleeding': Ashok Saraf recalls suffering a deep cut during Jaagruti shoot
Veteran actor Ashok Saraf, who is known for his comic roles, played a villain in Salman Khan starrer Jaagruti (1992). However, portraying a negative role wasn't a piece of cake as he had a near-death experience while shooting the film. In a recent interview, Saraf revealed that he got his throat cut during a scene, when Salman had put too much pressure holding a real knife. During a conversation with Radia Nasha Official, the actor recalled the incident and said, 'He was holding my throat with a knife and it was a real knife. Uski jo nok hoti hai vo kaat ke gayi aise… As soon as we started saying the dialogues, I tried to escape from his hands. Salman zor se daba rahe the and then I said, 'Dheere se dabaao, katt raha hai yahan par' (He was putting a lot of pressure with the knife, I asked him to dial it down). He added, 'He then asked me what he should do, maine bola ulta pakdo na. He said that the camera is facing towards us, dikh jaayega usme, then maine socha chhorro. We did the scene and when I saw later, there was a deep cut on my throat. Agar yahan ki nass katt jaati toh hum udhar hi…Main kabhi nahi bhoolunga (My nerve would have cut, I will never forget it). I am not sure if he (Salman) remembers this. Aise aadmi kisi ko yaad nahi rehte, bhool jaate hain.' ALSO READ | Suniel Shetty says Jackie Shroff and Salman Khan are always one phone call away: 'Not because I helped them when they needed, but…' Besides Salman Khan and Ashok Saraf, Jaagruti also featured Karisma Kapoor, Shiva Rindani, Pankaj Dheer, and Prem Chopra. The film received mixed reviews and collected average box office numbers. Salman and Ashok have starred in many films together, including, Karan Arjun, Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Bandhan, and many others. On the professional front Salman Khan was last seen in the action drama Sikandar, directed by AR Murugadoss. He will next be seen in the sequel of his popular 2012 film Kick, which was officially in October. The actor also has a film based on the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict, directed by Apoorva Lakhia.
