Salman, who plays a no-frills cop in Antim, discusses how he fleshed out the character that had five scenes in original Marathi film
A still from the film
A Salman Khan big-screen release is no less than a festival for his fans. The sentiment is all the more pronounced this time since his last offering, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, was a hybrid release. As he sits down to discuss Antim: The Final Truth, the superstar points out that director Mahesh Manjrekar has etched out his character as a no-frills cop. Those looking for the gregariousness or swagger associated with their favourite hero might be in for a surprise.
“I cannot play this character like [I did in] Dabangg, else it will look like Dabangg 4. This is a different [world] altogether,” begins Khan. “My character here takes orders and is humiliated, but he does what he needs to do. That’s what I liked about him. In the original Marathi film [Mulshi Pattern], the character had four or five scenes. I took that [track], and developed that character. I made a different film with that. I am a writer’s son, so I only look at the plot. This is [different from] the Marathi film I had seen.”
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Mahesh Manjrekar
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But can the superstar — who, in most cases, overshadows the film itself — really be brought on screen without his larger-than-life persona looming large? “It is larger than life, while also being realistic. This character looked best alone; so, we didn’t have a heroine opposite him. The only time he is seen dancing is in Bhai ka birthday. The director wanted this kind of character. An Anees Bazmee film will be different from a David Dhawan movie. [I bring out different] facets of me on the basis of what the director wants.”
Antim sees him sharing screen space for the first time with brother-in-law Aayush Sharma, who plays a gangster, the antithesis to Khan’s cop. For the actor, portraying a Sikh character came with its share of responsibilities. “You need to portray the culture [honestly], and you should not demean anyone’s customs. So, when I was playing a Sardar, I had to make him righteous. My Sardar friends loved my look. Sardars look like warriors; that is what I wanted to showcase.”
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