Salman Khan on working with Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan on Monday got candid about his upcoming movies. The actor was present at an event for the upcoming IIFA 2022 which he will be seen hosting. Talking about the popularity of South movies in the North and the formula of success of the Pan-India films, the actor said that he wonders why Hindi films are not doing well in the south while their films are doing well here.
Salman Khan said that there is a need to make films on 'heroism.' He said that it is the heroism in south films that is driving audiences to theatres, which is lacking in Hindi films today. The 56-year-old star, known for mass entertainers like "Wanted" and "Dabangg" franchises, said, "We both (South and Bollywood) believe in heroism in cinema. When you come out of theatres, you have a hero in mind. But here, apart from one or two people, we are not making heroic films.".
Salman Khan further said, "Now people have become cool and think it is cliche. It is important to have an emotional connect with heroism. This format started with Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar and then it was taken to the next level."
Congratulating the writers and directors of the South film industry for their writing and vision, the "Bharat" star said that he hopes that the trend will reverse, instead of making South films in Hindi, people from there will remake our movies.
Maniesh Paul, Salman Khan, Ananya Panday and Varun Dhawan at IIFA 2022 event
Salman Khan recently announced his upcoming Telugu action film "Godfather" starring South superstar Chiranjeevi. It is directed by Mohan Raja and marks Khan's debut in the Telugu film industry. The actor, who plays a pivotal role in the film, said that he liked the idea and that's why he joined it.
"Working with him has been a great experience. I have known Chiru Garu for the longest time, he is my friend and his son Ram Charan is also my friend and he did a great job in 'RRR'. It feels great When these people do well. I am very proud of them. But why is it that our films don't work there, their films work here?" he said.
Asked if he plans to star in a full-fledged South film, the actor replied, "They don't come to me with Telugu or Tamil film, they come to me for Hindi films."
Khan said that he is happy to continue his association with the IIFA Awards and is looking forward to entertain the audience. Salman Khan and Riteish Deshmukh will host the 22nd edition of IIFA Weekend & Awards to be held in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on May 20 and 21.
Speaking about the performance on stage, Khan said, he is still energetic and rehearses before the final act. "You basically rehearse for stamina. The adrenaline rush gets you really excited and makes you feel tired quickly. Many times I get tired on stage but then you go for it.
He said, "People who come to watch the show should be respected, so you have to give your best. If you don't give your best, then next time nobody will come to see you."
(With Inputs from Joyeeta Mitra Suvarna)
