Bajrangi Bhaijaan tells the story of a lost child. Tell us about your role and why this film interested you?
“It’s just such a different Salman Khan film. When you see a promo for a Salman Khan film first of course is the humour, the action, the type of mindless comedy, which people love. But this is the first time that I’ve seen Salman working in a film where in fact the story is talking even more than his performance, or the music. It’s the story. “My part is lovely, because I play a school teacher from Chandi Chowk. It starts off in Kurukshetra and ends up with how he ends up in Chandni Chowk with this little girl. And she kind of helps him to get to Pakistan and pushes him to take the right decisions. She’s kind of like the voice of reason, because Pavan, his character is a little slow. He’s scared. He’s a ‘Hanuman ka bhakt’. (Devotee of the Hindu god Hanuman) He doesn’t want to take any wrong decisions. He wouldn’t want to do anything that upsets his family, but she kind of gives him a helping hand. And then of course there’s how they fall in love and what exactly happens with that. I think the story is like I said. I don’t think I have seen Salman do a film like this for at least a decade.
“I haven’t worked with Kabir Khan before. I’ve worked with Salman in Bodyguard of course, which was wonderful. Kabir and I have known each other. He’s worked with Saif in Phantom shoot and that’s actually how we met. He said I have a role for you and he told me the idea of the story. And I said:” you know what. I don’t care if it’s a big part or a small part. I want to do it.”
How has the dynamic between you and Salman changed since Bodyguard?
“Bodyguard was more of a romance between both of us. But this is a more human-based story. It’s about characters who are involved at this particular time. Whether it’s Nawaz’s character or Rasika’s character or mine. It’s more dramatic. It’s more real. Bodyguard had its filmi moments. This does as well, but in a very very real way. There’s no song and dance and us breaking in to the scene. The romantic angle is very real.”
What was it like to work with Kabir Khan for the first time and what did he bring out of you for this performance?
“I think Kabir is a director who is known for making the large blockbuster movies but he makes them very real. Sometimes you make these big pot boiler movies that actually don’t much a very much sense. I’ve done a lot of them and I’m very proud to be a part of them as commercial successes are important and it’s also as it balances things up. Being a part of the big blockbusters has also been part of my repertoire. Kabir’s films are larger than life but they always have a deeper meaning or message and that’s what I like. Whether it was New York, or Ek Tha Tiger or Kabul Express he’s always taken it to another level.”
Can you give an insight for Salman Khan fans what he is like both as a co- artist and as a friend and why is it so special to be the female lead in a movie with Salman?
“He’s the biggest and the greatest superstar of his generation. People love him because he’s honest, he’s real and he makes no bones about what he does. Even I have said it that everyone actor wants to work with Salman Khan and if anybody says that they don’t, then its fine. But I don’t think it’s true because he is the greatest superstar. I don’t want to work with him just because I’m excited it’s Salman Khan, but because I deeply respect him. I respect his superstardom and people love to see the both of us together. We’re here to entertain and yes I understand serious movies and performance orientated roles, but the fact is that if two superstars do come together it has a double value, so why not?”
“My relationship with Salman is not as an actor and an actress. Of course we respect each other’s talent, but he treats me like Lolo’s sister. My sister and him they adore each other. When Arbaaz was producer for the first time I was there for Fevicol. The first time Mr Khan decides to run producer after 25 years I’m there again. So I think there’s a connection with me and his family.”
What did the involvement of Nawazuddin Siddiqui lend to this film?
“Nawaaz’s track in the film is nothing to do with my track. Nawaz comes into the picture when Salman starts his travels so my part of the track is when he is in Chandi Chowk at the beginning of the film. But yes we do come together at the end of the film and Nawaaz is a wonderful actor and in fact, every film we have done together so far he hasn’t done any scenes with me. He was there in Talaash but we had no scenes together and again in Bajrangi, but I think he lends a certain dignity because in a short span of time he is considered one of the most reputed actors so I think he gives a lot of dignity and credibility to the film.”
