★ (Interview) 'My next won’t star Salman’ -Sohail Khan !

★ (Interview) 'My next won’t star Salman’ -Sohail Khan !

Roshmila Bhattacharya, Mumbai Mirror | Jan 7, 2014

After Jai Ho, Sohail Khan will work on a rom-com with younger stars.

When we met Sohail Khan at his Pali Hill home, he was preparing to make the school-run with son Nirvaan. Given the last minute hiccups that come with a film’s release, the Salman Khan starrer Jai Ho in this case, we expected the filmmaker to be nervous. But Sohail was chilled out and a candid conversation followed. Excerpts:

You were working on Sher Khan and suddenly switched tracks to Jai Ho, the Hindi remake of Chiranjeevi’s 2006 Telugu hit Stalin. Why?

When we started talking with the studios, we realised that Sher Khan would need more prep before it rolled— six to eight months on the storyboard, then a recee and so on. Meanwhile, I’d seen Stalin and though at the time I was happier producing films for directors like David Dhawan (Partner and Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya), I wanted to direct this film in Hindi. It had a social message while being paisa vasool entertainment.

After a long time there was the urge to direct again. I got Salman bhai to see the film, he asked me how I’d approach it. In a couple of weeks, I got back to him with my ideas and we were on.

And is Sher Khan off?

Initially we’d planned for one team to work on Sher Khan simultaneously, but soon Jai Ho got so big that we had to pull in everyone. The script’s ready but technology gets upgraded everyday and equipment becomes redundant within six months. Salman bhai’s dates are with Sajid Nadiadwala, Sooraj (Barjatya) and he also has the No Entry sequel. We won’t get him before 2015-2016. We’ll need a year’s prep and will get started on Sher Khan when we get his dates.

Reportedly Salman watched Life of Pi and the VFX tiger inspired him to work on the technology for Sher Khan?

I saw Life of Pi, not him, and realised we needed to give Sher Khan more time. Life of Pi came three years ago, by the time we start on Sher Khan technology will be more advanced. Meanwhile, I can get started on another film, something that has been with me for a while.

It’s a breezy rom-com with a Hindu-Muslim twist titled My Punjabi Nikaah. After Jai Ho releases, I’ll revise the script and we can roll.

Will it star Salman?

Bhai has no dates till 2016, but any of the younger actors would fit the role.

You could opt for newcomers, like you did for Jai Ho? Apparently Sana Khan and Daisy Shah were strongly recommended by Salman

Sana was on my wish list after I saw her on Bigg Boss, just like Salman bhai and Danny saab (Denzongpa) were. I could have taken any established heroine like Priyanka (Chopra) Deepika (Padukone) or Kareena (Kapoor), but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do justice to their presence. Sana and Daisy fit in perfectly. The film needed new faces.


Do you have the title Jai Ho? Isn’t it trademarked with AR Rahman?

The title was suggested by my dad (Salim Khan) after he saw the film. I approached IMPPA and AMPTTP expecting it to be registered with someone else. I was fifth on the list, after Samir Karnik, Madhu Mantena, Nikhil Advani, Madhur Bhandarkar and Ken Ghosh. I got release letters from them after which we put out a public notice. Since there were no objections, the title came to me.

After the first ad was out, I got a call from Rahman saab’s legal counsel, Dina Dattani, informing me the title was with him. Had I known, I’d have approached him too. I was told they had no objections but I’d have to sign a document stating they’d given the title away. I was game but since then I haven’t heard from the lady. AMPTTP and IMPAA asked me if they should approach him on my behalf since he hadn’t registered the title with them. I’m willing to negotiate with Rahman saab, I hold him in high regard, but there hasn’t been any communication since.

Wasn’t the film called Mental earlier?

(Laughs) That was just a working title because we were all going mental. We were waiting to see 80 per cent of the film before a song or dialogue triggered off a suitable title.

Seems we will see you as an actor in Hello 2 next?

Hello 2? No, I wasn’t happy with the acting offers I was getting, so I decided to take a break. I’m open to good roles but at my age, I don’t have to be a part of the rat race.

How’s Sholay 3D?

I haven’t seen it yet but classics should be restored and remade so the younger generation can connect with them. I’d love to make another Naam, the issues are still so contemporary. Also, Salman bhai’s Judwaa, with one of the younger boys.

Mumbai Mirror

★ (Interview) No scope for failure with Being Human: Salman Khan !
Urvi Malvania  |  January 8, 2014

Salman Khan, the ‘bad boy of Bollywood with a heart of gold’, is set to take his charity initiative, Being Human, to newer heights. Khan intends to use his connections to expand the scope to entertainment and even restaurants. He chats with Urvi Malvania at Mehboob Studio about Being Human and his coming flick, Jai Ho. Edited excerpts:

How and where do you aim to take Being Human over the next couple of years?

The plans are very large. We are taking our time; whatever we do has to stick (with the people). There is no scope for failure. There’s lot of stuff to be done. We started the first Being Human store in Mumbai recently and are looking at being present in 1,800-plus sale points by 2015, including shops-in-shops.

We are also doing this thing called Being Alive, where there will be small rock (music) shows, getting the bands together and DJs playing. It’s about capitalising on the synergies in the entertainment industry and raising funds. We also want to get into the restaurant business, eventually. Whatever business we do will be only to raise money for the Being Human charitable foundation.

You recently wrapped up Bigg Boss 7 and earlier anchored Dus Ka Dum. How has your experience been on the small screen?

It was beautiful (working on Bigg Boss 7). It was a roller-coaster ride. The format of the show is unique. Everybody seemed to enjoy it.

Television gives me a chance to interact with the common man, whether it is Dus Ka Dum or Bigg Boss. The only difference is in the latter; there are celebrities as well and I interact with them twice a week. In Dus Ka Dum, it would be someone I have met for the first time, so the familiarity is not there.

Is it true you are planning to produce Bigg Boss next year?

No. These are all rumours. It’s an Endemol property and I do not think anyone can co-produce it.

Tell us about Jai Ho.

It’s a film I wanted to do. The way people are portraying it (with politics), it has nothing to do with it. It is about this one person who gets into trouble (while) helping somebody unknowingly. Jai Hotells the story of one man’s personal vendetta against people who wronged his family.

How do you plan to promote the movie?

We are doing all the usual things (to promote the film). The idea is to spread awareness about the movie. Right now, we are not even talking about the release of the film. We are, in fact, spending time asking stupid questions which have nothing to do with our film. We have a dialogue in our film which is (related to) the whole aam aadmi corruption thing. The film is a full-on entertainer.

Was it a conscious break you took in 2013?

I have actually been very busy in 2013. The reason there was no new movie was because there was a strike, due to which we lost three to four months (of shooting). The movie was supposed to release on Eid. If you cancel the dates once, to get everyone back takes a long time. In fact, Kick was supposed to release now; it has gone on to the next year. So, everything has been delayed.

Bollywood movies did very well abroad last year. What are your plans with Jai Ho in the international markets?

Dhoom 3 has done really really well. I am very happy for Aamir (Khan) and Adi (Aditya Chopra). It’s money well spent and money well earned. It shows when you do something correct, there is an audience and a repeat audience and, hence, scope for business. And, the business is only growing.

Once the film is done, all we can do is wait and watch (to know) who is going to see the film on which day and how many people are going to watch it and how many people are going see it twice or thrice. For example, in the case of Dabangg 2, we know it’s a superb film and everyone is going to watch it. But the winter in the north was so harsh; you could not see anything once you left your house. In a situation like this, who is going to go to a theatre to see a film? So, from the first to the second Dabangg, there was a 60 per cent drop and that was because of the winter; not in our control. We realise it was our destiny that people could not see the film in the movie hall.

The release (of Jai Ho) is going to be in thousands of prints; there is no question about that. The rest of the stuff is not in our control or anybody’s for that matter.

People are expecting big numbers from Jai Ho.

Obviously, the number people expect from the movie are pretty large and if that doesn’t happen, it will be upsetting. I also feel the whole deal with collections and highest collection on a day and all is just hype. But the movie is also about a message that I hope people get. Which is that when someone helps you, don’t just say thank you and forget about it; go ahead and do your bit by helping some (other) people as well.

Business Standard