Why Salman Khan's Tubelight might break the Baahubali 2 spell at the box office

The trailer of Tubelight shows Salman Khan doing what he’s best at. Playing the simpleton with a heart of gold who wins over the hearts of the traditional enemy. In Bajrangi Bhaijaan, it was the Pakistanis whom Salman had eating out of his hand.

Tubelight brings together the superstar and the director-par-excellence Kabir Khan and in a joyous jugalbandi of brotherhood, amity and nobility, there is a little Chinese boy whom Salman befriends. Salman’s pureheart act in Tubelight echoes recent noble-hearted soul of his own Bajrangi Bhaijaan act.  

Clearly then, Tubelight takes forward the character of the righteous do-gooder that Salman played in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. He has repeatedly said he would never play grey or black characters. In Tubelight, he is all white, pure and unassuming. The do-gooder who would go to any lengths to see this world freed of war, strife, discord and stress.

He is also seen sibling-crushing an Indian soldier played by his real-life brother Sohail Khan. Tubelight also shows the presence of Mahatma  Gandhi in the teaser. It takes Salman Khan into Raj Kapoor’s domain via Sanjay Dutt’s Munnabhai territory. Salman is an ambassador of peace masquerading as a fan of Forrest Gump.

It’s a beautifully designed world crafted with care and love by Kabir. If there's a film that seems to have the power to break the Baahubali spell, it’s Tubelight.