'Validation comes from box-office collections': Salman Khan on 'Bharat' success

It’s close to 10.30 pm. Salman Khan has been shooting through the day and then interacting with the media for Bharat, for more than four hours. But the superstar shows no signs of exhaustion. It might be because the Ali Abbas Zafar directorial has done more than Rs 165-crore business at the box office and is still raking in the moolah. But more than that, it’s the emotional response the movie has generated, which has made Bharat such a special experience for him. 

When we meet him at Mehboob Studio, the superstar has just finished interacting with people who actually witnessed the 1947 Partition. The exchange has left him overwhelmed. “I spoke to them, and each one thought that Bharat’s story is their story. Most of them said we have been through what you have shown in the movie,” he tells us. He even met somebody who turned out to be a relative of a childhood friend, whom he ran into almost 20 years ago, at a wedding. “She saw the film and loved it,” says the Dabangg Khan with a smile. Over to him...

When a film which is close to your heart does well commercially, then it must be a happier feeling? 

It feels really good. Along with the entertainment, there is substance to the backdrop of the film. There is comedy, action, romance and the larger-than-life story. So yes, it is a special feeling. 

You enjoy a 100 per cent success ratio with Katrina Kaif. What makes her such a special co-star? 

Katrina’s biggest quality is that she toils hard, whether it’s dancing or action. She pays a lot of attention to her diction and works on the character. I have shot almost a 100 days with her, but I never saw her post pack-up because she was only training and doing her lines, and working on her Urdu and Hindi.

With Katrina Kaif in a still from Bharat

Katrina has been quoted as saying, ‘Salman is fearless’. Do you agree? 

There are fears. The only thing to do is run towards them and then  overcome them. If you start running away from them, your fears will catch up with you and you will be too scared to fight them. So, you need to tackle it. 

When the film’s title had released, veteran actor Manoj Kumar had praised it...

My dad (Salim Khan) and he speak to each other almost every day. I have also interacted with him and he is one of the sharpest people in the industry when it comes to screenplay. He makes the right assessment and gives the correct advice. 

Salman Khan interacts with some of the people who had witnessed the Partition of 1947; Pic: Ashwini Sawant /DNA

Is there anybody’s validation you seek when you do a movie? 

Validation only comes from the box-office collections. That tells me whether the audience has liked the film or not. Apart from that, it doesn’t make a difference whether someone has given my movie so many stars or ridiculed it. It’s their (critics’) rozi roti. Bhagwan unka bhala kare, do roti aur khilaye (laughs). 

And what happens when they praise the movie? 

I get scared! (laughs) Kyunki unki thinking aur aam janta ki thinking toh match hoti nahin hai. The kind of movies I do is because I have loved those scripts. I want people to come to the theatres to enjoy themselves. Bhool jao apni life ko, just enjoy. 

Either take back some heroism, or become a better person by 10-120 per cent by the time you leave the theatre. These are the only things. Messages should come in punches. Long messages are boring, haan! 

It’s also seen that women in your films don’t expose...

Meri picture mein expose karne ka permission sirf ek hi aadmi ko hai; aur woh main hoon!