Salman Khan: My dad didn't help me when I was starting out

Why wouldn't Salman Khan's father help him?

Actor Salman Khan. Pic: ScoopWhoop.com

Actor Salman Khan has a reputation. Or maybe not, because he’s so unpredictable that you don’t know which of his elements will shine through when. He could be cracking jokes or telling you off. However, what remains constant about him is that he is blunt, and honest in expressing his opinion. For instance, he makes no bones in admitting that his father, veteran writer Salim Khan, never suggested his name to producers when he wanted to become an actor, and that he had to look for work himself.

“When I was growing up, my father would recommend Sunny Deol’s, Sanjay Dutt’s or Kumar Gaurav’s name to the filmmakers who came to our house. But not mine. So I asked him why he did not recommend my name. And he asked me, ‘all these producers come to our house, did anyone ever ask me why don’t you recommend Salman? No. The biggest thing is that the producer or director should themselves see it in you... they should say, ‘arey, ye ladka hai, isko lete hain...’. For me, it never happened. So I had to go out and ask for work,” says the actor, who has helped many star kids kickstart their career. In his next production, he’s launching actor Aditya Pancholi’s son Sooraj, and actor Suniel Shetty’s daughter Athiya. 

Khan gives another example. “Tiger (Shroff) didn’t get approached ... Jackie (Shroff; Tiger’s father) used to ask us to launch him. And it was clear that when Tiger comes of age, we’d launch him as his dad had made it known that Tiger was interested in acting,” he says.

First published in Hindustan Times

Vidya Balan's interview: Female actors deserve fatter pay cheques

Give us fatter pay cheques: demands Bollywood actor Vidya Balan
By Medha Shri

Actor Vidya Balan, who is often ­credited for ­being one of those who made women-centric films mainstream, is happy to see that in the recent months, “some brilliant films with female leads have done extremely well — both critically and ­commercially”. 

Vidya Balan; Pic: IndiaTribune

However, there is still something that pains her heart. “You know, I feel that there is still a lot of disparity in the pay cheques of male and female actors,” she sighs, and adds, “If there is one thing I could change about the industry, I think it’d be this disparity. The female actors should also get an equally fat cheque.”

The actor, who made her Bollywood debut with Parineeta (2005), a film appreciated for its strong female protagonist, recalls that there was a time when the kind of films she did were considered ­exceptions. “I am very happy to see the kind of films being made over the past two years.  I remember when I did Ishqiya (2010), No One Killed Jessica (2011), The Dirty Picture (2011) and Kahaani (2012), these films were considered an ­aberration. Slowly but surely, I think it gained momentum, and between last year and this year, I can think of at least eight good films with women in the lead,” says the 37-year-old actor.

Vidya observes that the trend on reel potrays the change in society. “It’s a very hopeful ­scenario for us (female actors), and it’s here to stay now. I don’t think this is a phase. I think this is how it is going to be, because if you see all around, women are now in-charge of their lives. They are becoming aware that they could lead their lives the way they wish to. They are becoming aware of their rights, and they are coming into their own. They are getting into professions that were considered a male bastion earlier. So there are going to be more ­stories with female leads. And we will see more such stories on screen, because cinema is a reflection of our society.”

First published in Hindustan Times on Jul 17, 2015

Sushmita Sen will have an incredible marriage, wants to work with Aishwarya Rai and more (interview excerpts)

Sushmita Sen

I'm looking forward to acting with Ash: Sushmita Sen 

She is known to live life on her own terms and her joie de vivre is ­contagious. Actor Sushmita Sen likes to love, and has no place for harbouring hate. In her signature style, she ­dispels the reported rivalry with actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, with whom she may share screen space in Prahlad Kakkar’s upcoming film.

“I live my life loving people; not ­loving is a waste of time and life. I’ve never known Aishwarya well enough to call her a friend. But I think she is a great human being. In those days, our lives ran parallel. ,” says. Ash’s one-time rival and former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen, and adds, that she is looking ­forward to work with her in adman Prahlad Kakar’s debut Bollywood directorial, Happy Anniversary. “Aishwarya, I am looking forward to working with you! The truth is that Prahlad, Ash and I go back a long way... to our (1994) beauty pageant days.”

It has been long since we saw you on the big screen. Why have you been away?
Yes, it has been quite ­some time. I want these three years to come back. I want to do great cinema. 2014 is my year ... I used to say this to people earlier, and now it is turning out to be true. I am doing a few films and then I am ­starting my own studio.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Is marriage on your mind? Are you in love? 
It has been on my father’s mind more than mine. I will have an incredible marriage when I know I have found the right person. Do I love? Yes. Am I in love? No.

Age does not seem to be ­catching up with you...
You have to love yourself and accept everything about ­yourself. People reject things like ageing. But every ­wrinkle, every line makes us who we are, those are what we have earned. Today, I am 38. Tomorrow I will be 40 and I will still celebrate myself ... After I ended up with a bad back 10 years ago, a young boy introduced me to the acrobatic concept of aerial silk. It’s about training your mind before body. I took to it like a fish to water.

How do you stay so positive? 
You become what inspires you. You should do what you like. If you want to be an actor, become one. I wanted to be famous, so that I could touch lives. I wanted to leave an impact that will stay long after I am gone and dusted.

You just got your seventh tattoo.
Earlier, I had my children’s name. My seventh tattoo is inspired by Kabbalah and it’s God’s name in Hebrew, Elohim. In English, it means “I am that I am”.

First published in Hindustan Times

Kangana Ranaut (interview excerpts)

Bollywood is a difficult place, says Kangana Ranaut; interview by Medha Shri

This is not something that a leading female star in Bollywood will admit to easily, but Kangana Ranaut confesses that the film industry does make actors insecure. "It's natural to be insecure in an industry where hundreds of beautiful, young girls walk in every day. It's a difficult place," says Kangana.

The 26-year-old adds that it is, therefore, important to reinvent yourself. "I want to grow and learn as much as I can. I don't want to limit myself," says Kangana, who recently was enrolled in a screenplay writing course in New York, USA, but gave it up midway to promote her new release.

"I don’t want to be known for just being a pretty little thing. I want to be remembered and loved even when I have grey hair," she says, explaining why she took up the course. And while achievements make her happy, failures don't affect her for long. "Failure does affect you at that time. It's a weekend thing that you deal with. But in your mind you know where you are headed," she says.

First published in Hindustan Times

Priyanka Chopra's mom wants her to be a bride (interview excerpts)

My mom wants me to be a bride: PeeCee

Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra, who is also an international music personality now, is probably one of the most eligible women in the country. Even though she has rarely spoken of settling down, she says that her mother wants her to tie the knot.

"My mom wants to see me as a bride. She has wanted to do that since I was four,” says Priyanka, laughing. “In fact, I was a bride in her head the day I was born,” says the 32-year-old. However, the actor says marriage is not a matter that can be taken lightly.

“It is an extremely important aspect of your life. It’s not something one can rush into. You should get married to the person who makes you feel like you are the only girl around,” she says, adding that if she has to wait longer to find that person in her life, she will.

So does she have a special someone in her life, considering not very long ago, she had said, “I’ve never said I’m single.” “What I said was, ‘I have neither negated nor affirmed if I am dating anyone’. People just assume that I am single,” says Priyanka. When asked to clear her relationship status, the actor evasively says, “If there’s someone, whoever it is, who is relevant enough to be spoken about, I will."

Right now the star is busy answering congratulatory calls for her last hit --a biopic on boxer Mary Kom that was directed by Omung Kumar -- even as she shoots for her next project. "It's no mean fact for a 'female film' to earn Rs 100 crore," she says.

First published in Hindustan Times 

John Abraham, Bollywood actor, reacts to comments (such as 'rape is a mistake boys make') made by politicians

Our politicians’ remarks on rapes are embarrassing: John Abraham
Medha Shri

Besides being an actor-producer, John Abraham is a ­compassionate humanitarian. He has lent his star power to many a social cause and hasn’t shied away from voicing his thoughts on what he ­considers inappropriate. For instance, referring to the recent remarks by some politicians on rapes, he says, “Such remarks by our politicians are embarrassing ... they’ve embarrassed us enough already.”
Although the 41-year-old calls himself apolitical, he isn’t politically ignorant. “I am not politically inclined but I am politically aware. It’s a waste of time to discuss such statements, but politicians ought to be careful with their words, since their words make a huge difference as they are public figures,” says John, who was in Delhi on Monday as the face of the CSR campaign Fever Voice of Change.

The Madras Cafe actor ­further says that to make ­society safe for women, one must start with making changes at the grassroot level.

“The laws should be made stricter. We, all of us in the nation, are hoping that the new government proactively works towards women’s safety issues. We are all optimistic about it. And even parents should teach their sons to respect women. The mindsets need to change. Jo hamari soch chali aa rahi hai, that has to change. How we think about women, how we treat them should also change for the better.”

Not one to believe in mere lip service, Abraham walks the talk. From helping ­charities raise funds to doing events for charities, he is also one of the few actors who chose to cast his vote in the general elections over attending an awards function abroad. “How can you attend award functions?  You have to vote, no? I don’t like awards, but that’s a ­separate story,” says John.

The actor feels that films, too, need to change the way they depict women. “I agree that movies are a great ­influence, but in movies, we do a lot of things like picking up guns and firing, and not everything translates into real life. But as creative people, we must be responsible. When we make films, we call them  ‘women centric’ or ‘male ­centric’. We must do away with gender-bias and these tags. As an actor-producer, I hope we create responsible films.”

Firs published in Hindustan Times