Salman Khan is making headlines again. Last weekend, the film industry was buzzing with news of a showdown between Salman and Shah Rukh on the sets of the latter’s just launched film being directed by Aziz Mirza. At Film City, on the sets of Sunil Manchanda’s Tere Naam, Salman broke his silence. Excerpts from the conversation:

The writer-director of the Hollywood-Bollywood film Marigold, Willard Carroll has said that he zeroed in on you not just because you have a great screen-presence but also because you speak English with a particular western accent.
(Looking amused) He liked my accent?

He did. And what did you like about his film?
The first clause in my contract was that Asians in the film would be treated with a lot of respect. Willard loves India and he has watched a lot of Hindi movies. I think that he will be able to portray India and Asian culture the way it should be portrayed. Earlier too, I’d got a lot of offers from Hollywood but I wasn’t tempted because most of these films make us look like idiots.

Marigold is a romantic musical comedy. Reportedly, you have been collaborating on the script for nine months and many of your suggestions have been incorporated.
Yeah, I have been pretty much involved with the project. I’ve always wanted to make a musical. We don’t make very many musicals.

Talking of music, Tere Naam, we’re told, also has a to-rave-about score by Himesh Reshammiya.
It’s the most amazing track of the year and in the years to come. After a long time you have songs with lyrical value. The film itself is really amazing. It has all the different shades—action, music, romance and comedy. And an emotional climax that’ll have people walking out of the theatres really moved.

Tere Naam has been made earlier in Tamil and Kannada as Sethu and in Telugu too.Have you seen any of these South Indian versions.
No, I haven’t. There are a 100 ways to interpret a character and I want to interpret this character my way.

So you accepted the film because the character appealed to you?
(Smiling) I accepted Tere Naam because I had no work. No, seriously, when the plot was narrated to me I quite liked it. Sunil Manchanda, the producer, is a friend and it’s been good fun working with him.

And what is it like being directed by Satish Kaushik?
(Chuckling) Satish Kaushik, apna Pappu Pager? He’s very sweet! I love working with him.

The film’s not a musical though, is it?
No, it’s a very beautiful love story. But I wouldn’t want something like this to happen to anyone. The last 15 minutes are really heart-wrenching. You’ll see another side to this boy who’s become almost an untouchable. It made me very sad!

Why?
Why? Well, because this guy, Radhey feels straight from the heart. He wants to do the right thing but is misunderstood by everyone, including the girl he loves. And ends up destroying his family and losing his friends. Eventually, though everyone realises his worth. Even the girl falls in love with him. But may be, by then it’s too late. Love conquers hate, breaks down all opposition despite being misunderstood.

You’re misunderstood too.
(Sarcastically) No, people understand me just fine, especially the press.

Does the Tere Naam I-could-die-for-you kind of love exist in real life?
In real life love doesn’t exist. The word is need. If you need someone and the need is reciprocated it’s called love. But if you are madly in love with someone and the other person is not mad about you, it can make you madder but that too won’t make her love you. You can jump off the cliff, kill yourself, and it still won’t matter to the other person because there is no need. Even the love a mother feels for her child is rooted in need. The need to protect someone born of your blood!

But sometimes this need can become obsessive and self-destructive as it happened with Devdas.
I don’t think there was any conflict in Devdas. Devdas was a total loser. Even the person who’d written the novel (Sarat Chandra Chattopadhay) admitted that he had destroyed a whole generation with his story. Devdas’s love was not love in the true sense. Love means having the power to break down all opposition and winning over the girl, as Radhey does in Tere Naam. I’ve not seen Devdas but those who have have told me it was beautifully shot, that everyone wore amazing clothes but it didn’t make them cry. It didn’t bring tears which means no one cared what happened to Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi. Love should touch you...

Which film, according to you, is a real love story?
In the romantic genre a film that made me cry was...(Thinks long and hard only to have his thoughts interrupted by Sunil Manchanda who quips, Tere Naam!) Yeah, Tere Naam. That’s a love story that will touch you. The film is in the genre of Ek Dujje Ke Liye, Khamoshi and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

Many people thought that Sameer, the character you played in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, should have got the girl, not her husband.
I had a problem initially with Sanjay (director Sanjay Bhansali) over this. He had told me that he wanted the film to end on a high. I asked him if he wanted a happy high or a depressive high. He wanted the latter. I pointed out to him that if he wanted a traditional film he should forget about love. But if he was making a love story then he had to break with tradition because love is above all that. You can get married to a person for a 100 reasons but you fall in love for only one reason. When two people who don’t even know each other, are complete strangers like Sameer and Nandini, fall in love it just happens. It’s karma! Had I made the film I’d have ended it differently.

There were talks that you were Sanjay Bhansali’s first choice for Devdas.
I was never the first choice for Devdas but I was certainly the last person to know that I was not doing the film. I made two films with Sanjay Khamoshi and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. May be by the time he started work on Devdas he had outgrown me and wanted someone better. He says he took Ash because she was going through her own personal problems and looked the character. He must have taken Shah Rukh and Madhuri for the same reasons. I have no problems, so he didn’t take me.

Your last two films— Yeh Hai Jalwa and Tumko Naa Bhool Paayenge —didn’t do very well. Where did they go wrong?
Jalwa was an above average film. All the distributors made money. It was only the producer who suffered because he had a problem selling the film. The market is down and he had to compromise on the price. Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge was an amazing film but it didn’t do well. Today you don’t know what’s going to work. The stupidest films are doing good business and sensitive films have no takers. I’ve been in this business for 14-15 years and I still don’t know how it works even though I come from a writer’s family and have a certain amount of script sense. Fortunately, I have a pretty good track record. I’ve made about 80-85 films and only 9-10 have not done well.

The story of Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge was penned by you. Was the script to blame for the film’s non-success?
Yes, Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge was written by me, and I have to admit that may be it was slightly ahead of its time. It was good cinema...well shot. It was well conceived but perhaps it was not projected right. People didn’t understand the meaning and rejected the film. I think we slipped because the character was shown first as a Hindu and then as a Muslim...

You obviously feel very strongly about the communal issue. Why has it become such a burning problem?
Greed, that’s the reason. And illiteracy. Nowhere do Hindus and Muslims have problems living together. It is the politicians who bring up the communal issue with the people.

Obviously religion has never been a problem with your family.
No, it hasn’t. My father (Salim Khan) is a Muslim, a Pathan. My mother (Salma) is a Hindu, a Maratha and a Rajput. They got married 40 years ago and even then religion was not a problem. My grandparents were only opposed to the match because he was in films and they were worried about whether my father could take care of their daughter. He did. They had me, my brothers and my sister. Religion was never a question at home. My mother still visits temples...she also prays the namaaz. My father has had a mandir built in the house. My other mother (Helen) is a Catholic. No, religion was never a problem with our family.

What did you think of Sohail’s film that also tried to bridge religious differences?
I thought Maine Dil Tujhko Diya was a good film. Sohail was handling the responsibilities of a writer, producer and director and acting in the film too. And I think he did a great job. The film’s done well. Sohail’s been accepted as a hero which was what we wanted all along.

Apparently, you refused the part because you thought you were too old for the part?
Yeah, I thought I was five years too old. Sohail on the contrary, looked the character. And we all wanted him to play Ajay because even when he was narrating the story we could see how much he was into the character.

After so many years in showbiz what is the secret of your eternal youth?
(Smiling) I’m God’s favourite child. He’s my co-pilot!

Have you ever thought of directing a film?
When the theatres are totally empty, when my film releases to 10-20 per cent collections and I know my career as an actor is over, that’s when I’ll get into direction (Smiles).

You still have a long way to go as an actor but Tere Naam is one of the few films you’re doing. Why have you cut down so drastically on your work?
(Sarcastically) No one’s offering me films anymore. They say they’re scared of me. I have to correct myself. It’s high time I did that.

Today’s afternoon paper in Mumbai carried a report of how you threw a temper tantrum on the sets of Shah Rukh Khan’s film in Malshet. What’s your version?
I don’t need to explain anything! It’s my personal life. Even if I were to say I’m the best person on planet Earth and I don’t do things like these, would it change people’s perception of me?
It might.

Hey, if you want to know the kind of guy I am, talk to my family, my friends and the people who work with me. Everyone gets angry but where I’m concerned, things get blown out of all proportion. Stories are fabricated because no one bothers to crosscheck facts.

People are scared of you.
Not scared, petrified! (Sneers) If people were scared of me they wouldn’t write such things. On this very set there are at least a 100 people who are stronger than me. My producer, Sunil Manchanda who’s sitting right next to me, could grab my neck and squeeze and that would be the end of Salman Khan. So why should people worry about me and my explosive temper?

You’re saying there’s no truth in these rumours?
No, I’m not saying there’s no smoke without fire. I don’t know why it happens but there have been times when I behave erratically. But the only one I hurt at such times is myself. I bang my head...bash up my car...

That’s being masochistic?
When I’m hurt the anger builds up inside me and to let it out I end up hurting myself. I punch the wall...bang my head against it...

What about the rumours of you hitting Aishwarya?
I’ve never raised a hand on her. Not ever!

And you didn’t strip and make a public exhibition of yourself?
What is stripping? Even in my films I’m bare bodied. Only minutes ago, I was roaming around without my shirt and no one objected. No one accused me of being an exhibitionist. That’s the way I am and if removing my shirt in public is against the law, then let someone come and arrest me for indecent behaviour.

So what really happened in Pune?
(Glowers) I went to this stupid dhaba which was 40 miles from God knows where. It’s a wonder how anybody could find the place...But why am I bothering with explanations? You guys are not going to believe me no matter what I say. So I won’t say anything! You can write what you want. It’s only a story for you. The people who’re important to me know who I am and how I am. So there’s no point in justifying my behaviour.

You owe an explanation to your fans?
My fans love me no matter what’s written about me. You can ask any guy or girl who’s growing up if that’s true. Check out the gyms. They’re all full because I’ve inspired youngsters to take care of themselves.

And your family, how do they react to such stories about you?
They react very badly...they’re upset and hurt. And I’m to blame for that! I’m being targeted because I don’t bend. I don’t break. I don’t suck up to people. Whether it’s a successful producer or a journalist I don’t entertain anyone. I don’t cater to their needs. And there’s nothing anyone hates more than not to be needed.

The care-a-damn attitude has earned you the reputation of a brat.
People call it arrogance but I call it self-respect. I’m not openly disrespectful to anyone If someone older comes into the room I immediately stand up. I’ve been taught to be respectful. But what happens if the other person is not deserving of my respect? If he provokes me unnecessarily? I may take it 10...12..100 times. And then I’ll tell him to back off. That’s the rudest thing I’ve said.

You’ve admitted just a while ago that you want to change, grow into a better person?
(Thoughtfully) May be I should change. I will change if my family is at stake. Actually you’re changing everyday. Growing older...growing up. And the process never stops...

The stories persist however.
There’s a girl involved now. Her parents are involved. Her reputation is involved. That’s why I’ve chosen to remain silent. I’ve not spoken before and I won’t speak now...

Even if your behaviour affects her career adversely?
Everybody has fights. The biggest stars fight. Things get blown up. But no one is hurt professionally. Nothing is going to affect her career. It didn’t affect mine, did it?

—Roshmila Bhattacharya
roshmila@hotmail.com