EXCLUSIVE: Sooraj Pancholi recalls a random call from Salman Khan that got him THIS role in Ek Tha Tiger
Sooraj Pancholi is currently making waves in the industry for his latest film Kesari Veer. The actor who started his acting career with Salman Khan Films' Hero recently opened up about how a random call from the superstar got him the job of Assistant Director in Ek Tha Tiger. In an exclusive interview with Hindi Rush, Pancholi opened up about working as an AD in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish and Kabir Khan's ETT.
Sooraj Pancholi recalled that he was taking his acting classes when he received a missed call from "somebody" during the lunch break. As he called back, he remembered the person asking, "Sooraj, where are you?" When the actor asked who the person was, he was told, "Salman Khan. Come to Yash Raj" before dropping the call. Pancholi ignored the communication thinking it was a prank call and moved on.
He recalled receiving call from Salman's sister Arpita Khan Sharma who was his senior in school. She asked Sooraj why he was not calling Salman back. A surprised Sooraj called the superstar multiple times but received no response. He tried looking for the superstar after reaching Yash Raj Films studio, but couldn't find him there as well. Just when he decided to leave, he got a call from Khan who was standing behind him. Sooraj who was wearing a cap at that time was praised for his good looks by Salman who also asked him to take it off.
As they continued the conversation, Salman asked Sooraj what was he doing. When he told him about his acting classes, the superstar asked him to finish it quickly while offering a meeting with Ek Tha Tiger's director Kabir Khan. "I hope Kabir takes you. I'll make you meet him. So cross your fingers. If he likes you, he'll take you as an AD. You will learn a lot," Sooraj was told by Salman.
Sooraj shared that he was unsure why Salman Khan called him because he wasn't a close friend of his father (Aditya Pancholi) and mom (Zarina Wahab). Talking about his connection to Salman, the actor shared that the superstar had seen him before when he was just 5-7 years old. The Hero actor also recalled asking the superstar multiple times why he called him randomly. "He just smiles. Unka ja chota wala smile hota hai (His usual little smile) he just gives that," said the actor.
Sooraj also recalled growing close to Salman on the sets of Ek Tha Tiger and that's how he was offered Hero, his first film as an actor which was produced by the superstar. Hero was directed by Nikkhil Advani and also marked the debut of Suniel Shetty's daughter Athiya Shetty. The film was released in 2015. Ek Tha Tiger was the first film in YRF Spy Universe which featured Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead. The film released in 2013 and proved to be a mighty blockbuster.
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