Once among the most sought after stars in Bollywood, Salman Khan is going through a rough patch. But for one or two good films, Salman’s kitty is empty.
Muscle flexing and shirt doffing are passé in Bollywood. With Hrithik mania raging among the youth, good times seems to be over for the likes of Salman who are left with projects that the younger lot in Bollywood have discarded.
While other two Khans in the triumvirate have used their gray matter and launched their own home productions to keep their tottering career from falling apart, Salman has done nothing of the sort. So while Aamir’s “Lagaan” and Shahrukh’s “Asoka The Great” are due for release in the near future, poor Salman hasn’t even struck the clapboard for his home production.
Initially he signed Kailash Surendernath to direct the film. But then for reasons best known to him, he replaced Kailash with another director Pankaj Parashar. Even now he is having problems in starting the project. But what is causing concern to the brawny Khan is that he is losing his foothold in the tinsel town.
First, Sanjay Bhansali opted for Shahrukh for his in-the-making opus “Devdas” and not his camp favorite Salman (Salman, as we know, had played the lead in two of Bhansali’s films “Khamoshi” and “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”). Bhansali says the role of Devdas needed “the intensity of Shahrukh”.
But what was least expected was Salman’s absence from Suraj Barjatya’s next film “Main To Prem Diwani”. The Barjatyas gave Salman a firm foothold in Bollywood with superhits like “ Maine Pyaar Kiya” “Hum Aapke Hain Kaun” and “Hum Saath Saath Hain” But now it seems that Barjatyas too wish to catch up with the times by roping in the current heartthrob Hrithik, Abhishek and Kareena for their next film.
Then it was the turn of David Dhawan to give Salman a rude jolt. He gave Ajay Devgan a role that was originally meant for Salman in his “Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin”, which also stars Big B, Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya. Moreover, Dhawan, once-an ardent admirer of Salman, no more speaks endearingly of him. In his sequel to Biwi No.1 (that had Salman and Sushmita Sen in the lead) Dhawan did not care to repeat the same cast but rather signed Govinda opposite Sush.
Needless to say, amidst all these happenings Salman, once a favorite of the movie buffs, is getting ignored. But then the fault is partially his too. His knack to be in the news for all the wrong reasons and his skewed priorities have started taking their toll.
Once among the most sought after stars in Bollywood, Salman Khan is going through a rough patch. But for one or two good films, Salman’s kitty is empty.