By Hindustan Times
Ek Tha Tiger director Kabir Khan on Salman Khan, his upcoming film and more, interviewed by Roshmila Bhattacharya.
Is it true that Shah Rukh Khan was your first choice for Ek Tha Tiger (ETT)?
I didn’t meet Shah Rukh, but yes, Adi (producer Aditya Chopra) did approach him. However, the script because it is today is supposed for Salman.
Which other actor are you able to call Tiger without it sounding cheesy?
It’s a couple of legend, and with Salman you don’t need to spend screen time establishing one.
So did Katrina Kaif recommend Salman?
Katrina’s one in all my closest friends and the one person who could play Zoya in ETT, but she didn’t recommend Salman. His name can have arise during discussions. He took an instant liking to me after we met years ago. I’d narrated Kabul Express (2006) to him without really meaning to cast him. And once I approached Katrina for brand new York (2009), she was unsure because it wasn’t a standard Yashraj film. When Salman heard I USED TO BE directing it, he told her, ‘I’ve seen Kabir’s work, you'll be able to close your eyes and do the film’.”
Reportedly, you two didn’t see eye-to-eye through the shoot as he was too interfering. True?
If you have got a celeb and he doesn’t bring anything to the table, it means he’s brain dead or disinterested. Salman’s never played a personality like Tiger before so there have been discussions. He had suggestions for each scene, but he doesn’t force anything. I’ve enjoyed working with him.
Now that your three-film contract with YRF is over, it’s said you’ll be directing a movie with Hrithik Roshan...
I wish that was true, however it isn’t. It’s time to step out of YRF’s comfortable cocoon and experience the large bad world. I’ll always remember that once I USED TO BE grappling with death threats from Afghanistan, Adi called to guarantee me that if I USED TO BE forced to leave, I MAY shoot Kabul Express anywhere on this planet without reference to the associated fee. Way to him, I’ve grown as a filmmaker despite my unconventional approach. Even though I ventured out, I’d always return to YRF.
What’s next?
An action-packed love story, the primary draft of that is almost ready. After I cast the actors, I’ll tweak it to include their traits. It’s my first script, written two years before Kabul Express, in accordance with something I’ve seen and heard as a result of which I became a filmmaker. I WISHED to prove my credibility before I MAY get someone to back me on this type of large project. The time is correct now.
