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The economy might be slow, but Salman Khan is sound — The recession-proof actor just hiked his fees. He opens up to Manjusha Radhakrishnan about his latest film, Yuvraaj, working with girlfriend Katrina Kaif and investing
Salman Khan is one Bollywood actor who lives life on his own terms. Labeled as the ultimate Bollywood brat, Khan — the actor who has allegedly run over pavement dwellers in a drunken stupor and gunned down endangered Black bucks, says that nothing excites him more than the dismal economic climate.
In an exclusive telephone interview with tabloid! the notoriously media-shy Khan says he would be the last one to bow out of the race and plans to buck the trend (no pun intended) in his own style.
News has been trickling in that Bollywood is experiencing credit-crunch tremors, with many of the A-list production houses running into severe cash-flow problems. Slashing actor's pay cheques and aborting big-budget ventures are some of the damage control measures being implemented.
Gimmick
"Guess what? I have just increased my price," says Khan, one of Bollywood's highest paid actors. "As far as I see it, the question of production houses slashing money given to actors is nothing but a gimmick. Many of them are just trying to take advantage of the situation. It's all so exaggerated."
Though he declines to talk figures, Khan, 43, reportedly charges more than INR80 million [Dh7 million] per film.
"Entertainment is like roti, kapda and makhan [food, clothes and shelter]. It's a basic need for Indians.
"The show never stops in Bollywood. I can guarantee that people will still continue to flock to the theatres to watch my movies — recession or no recession."
Continuing on an optimistic note, the beefy hero feels there's no better time than the present to turn into an investor.
"Instead of worrying about the global meltdown, this would be the best time to invest in the stock market. Imagine this: shares that were sold for INR2,000 (Dh200) are now being sold for INR50 (Dh4). Though I am not an investor, I think it's the best time to be one. If I were you, I would put my money into the market now."
Khan, who enjoyed his first hit in 1989 with the mushy love story Maine Pyaar Kiya, says he relies heavily on his gut instinct. "If there's one thing that I have learnt over the years, it is to rely on my gut instincts. The movies that I act in are a reflection of my judgment," says Khan.
His gut-instinct theory will be put to test tomorrow with the release of the musical extravaganza Yuvraaj. The movie, directed by the veteran director Subhash Ghai and featuring actors including Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor and Zayed Khan, sees Khan playing the role of a music maestro.
"If the movie turns out to be a box-office disaster, then it means that I have made the wrong call or that my judgment was wrong. But I rarely go wrong. This movie appeals to me on an emotional level. The relationship among three brothers is one of the highlights.
"But if the movie is rejected by the audience, I will not be gutted," he adds modestly.
Quick to vilify the media, Khan believes that though he remains grounded, he is often painted in an unflattering light. Case in point: Khan's life is dotted with scandalous escapades such as allegations of beating up his girlfriends and his falling out with his frenemies such as Shah Rukh Khan.
"I hate to be treated like a star. Many feel I am arrogant with an attitude problem. But I think I am just a human being trying to survive.
"And for the record, I don't seek out publicity by courting the press, unlike other stars" Khan says pleadingly.
Equally cagey about speaking about working with his on-off girlfriend, Kaif, Khan says the experience of sharing the screen space has not been any different. "What do I say? Working with Katrina is like working with any other actress. We just go about our business of acting."
Another topic that gets the actor bristling is the talk of Hollywood. Even before he could stop himself, he says that he would never open that door again.
His attempt to penetrate the West with the romantic drama Marigold was panned universally. "As much as I enjoyed being a part of a Hollywood venture, I think I will stick to Hindi movies and TV shows.
"Like they say, the show must go on."
Did you know?
Salman Khan, who plays the role of singer Deven in his latest release Yuvraaj, cannot sing to save his life. "I can paint, but I cannot sing, not even in the bathroom!"
Frugally yours
Salman Khan may have upped his price and devised a cheeky way to ride the Bollywood gloom wave, but there are many others in his fraternity who are not as flippant. tabloid! caught up with acclaimed directors and actors to gauge the overall mood about these uncertain times.
Madhur Bhandarkar:
The award-winning director of movies such as Page 3, Traffic Signal and Corporate says that his latest release Fashion would have been made on a smaller budget had the recession hit a few months back.
"I would have cut corners and made it on a more modest budget of INR140 million (14 million). But I am glad recession has set in. In the last year, actors had begun demanding astronomical amounts and movies were being planned indiscriminately with massive budgets in mind. Now is the time for simple story-telling and stellar scripts. I look at it as a much-needed reality-check."
Farhan Akhtar:
The acclaimed director and actor says that the slump in the markets is a sign of good things to come.
"Only those filmmakers with a high creative quotient will survive. Movies heavily laden with gadgetry and sci-fi are likely to take a backseat. Having said that, I am going ahead with the making of my big budget film Don 2."
Harman Baweja:
This actor made his debut with Love Story 2050, one of Bollywood's most expensive movies ever.
"The recession has hit everybody across the globe. I think Bollywood is faring much better than expected. When Love Story 2050 went into production three years back, there was a Bollywood boom. But I wonder if such a movie would have been made in today's climate."
Arjun Rampal:
The model-turned-actor who has enjoyed a successful run at the box office with hits including Om Shanti Om and Rock On!!!, was in a contradictory mode.
"It's extremely unfortunate that there could be pay cuts. But, I suppose that such a reality check was required. It will affect actors who demand sky-high prices. But as for me, I ask for a reasonable amount."
Goldie Behl:
The director of INR 600 million (Dh60 million) fantasy adventure Drona (which was a debacle at the box-office) is playing it cautious.
"I am adopting the wait and watch policy and I have taken a decision to direct only medium budget movies that are viable. At the most, the budget of my next venture would be INR 200 million (Dh20 million)."
Shiney Ahuja:
This actor is a relieved man. Known for his intense roles in movies such as Gangster and Woh Lamhe, Ahuja says that the global recession has not hit
him yet.
"Fortunately, none of the production houses that I am currently working with has even proposed a pay cut. It has not affected me yet".
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