I always go to my father for advice

Shubarna Mukerji Shu: If anyone decides to write Salman Khan’s diary, the person would run out of pages by the first half of his day. Salman Khan is known to have days that will get a lesser man reeling. It can begin with dubbing for his commercials, doing some touch ups on a movie, gruelling workout sessions, sitting on I narrations, producing films, facing the camera, going back to dubbing and working for his charity Being Human. The man doesn’t rest. The little free time he has, he fills it up by being active on social media. “Just give me one minute,I need to be on Twitter!” he says, taking a sip of his black coffee. Salman Khan has the swankiest vanity van in Bollywood but you will never find him inside it. He is usually on the sets, sitting in a makeshift shed, holding court of his own. He is usually quiet and ponderous, but when he is in the mood his one-liners keep everyone around him in splits. There are many shades to Salman Khan’s personality. He could be funny, moody and temperamental but he tells us he is someone who absolutely believes in young love. That’s why the action star decided to produce a film like Notebook.He is introducing two young actors in a film that is bound to pull at the heartstrings, he says. With the post production and promotion of Notebook he is busier than ever before, but he took time out to answer our questions with touching honesty. The star tells Bollywood Insider what kind of producer he is, who he turns to for advice and why he would rather make films for others.

How does it feel introducing your good friend Mohnish Bahl’s daughter, Pranutan to the industry?
I happened to see her act in a play and she was very good. I actually instantly called Mohnish and told him, why are you letting her waste this talent by making her study law? She is wonderful in the film, so is Zaheer Iqbal. You won’t think they are newcomers.

Why are you not making more movies for yourself?
Well, I did do Tubelight (laughing) and we all know how that went. Mostly, I am drawn towards scripts which harp on innocence and are selfless love stories. l like Notebook, it is beautiful. But that kind of innocence needs fresh faces. I have already got an image and I don’t think I will be accepted in the kind of roles which needs innocence and purity.

Because Tubelight failed, you decided to take up a film like Notebook?
It’s not because of Tubelight. There are many reasons why the film failed to impress. I will not get into it now since it is done and dusted already. As for Notebook, yes, I would have loved to be a part of it. In fact, I will let you in on a secret; the film was actually offered to me. The script is so striking I decided to be a part of it either way. Notebook speaks of love with such intensity that it somehow touches your heart, irrespective of how you perceive the emotion, personally. I am someone who believes love stories are a very essential and integral part of our Bollywood films. Notebook will leave a mark.

Isn’t it inspired by a foreign film?
Yes, there is a Thai film called Teacher’s Diary. The crux of our film is inspired by that film but it is not an exact copy. A Thai film won’t work with the Indian audience so we have completely turned it into a Bollywood script. We have shot the entire film in Kashmir. If you see the film you would realize we have focussed on the charm of the locale and our Indian roots.

If you are confused about whether to take up a project or not, who do you go to for advice?
My dad (Salim Khan), of course. Each and every film we do we run the script by him. He is very aware of the plot and the treatment and guides us accordingly. Once the film is made, we make him sit and watch it. He gives us his suggestions and inputs; sometimes it can be a few cuts that he wants us to make, sometimes it is something else. Over a period of time, we have realized that no matter how many decades we spend in this industry, our dad will always be the Baap (Big Daddy) when it comes to handling scripts.

What do you think is the most important thing in a script?
There are three things actually. A script has to be morally, ethically and principally correct. This is something I have learnt from my father.

So why haven’t you coerced him to write something for your production house?
He just doesn’t want to write anymore. We have tried everything with him. He will give his inputs but he doesn’t want to get into the whole process of writing an entire script anymore. We are not giving up; we are hoping what his sons couldn’t do someone else would do one day.

How much of what you know about movies is courtesy your dad?
Perhaps everything. I have inherited my movie genes from him. But when it comes to life I guess I have learnt more from my mother (Salma Khan). She has taught me the most important life lessons.

Your film Notebook is about two teachers. Do you remember any of your teachers from school?
Remember? I am very much in touch with them. I am still in contact with Father Henry from my school. He lives in Mazgaon now. He has lost his eyesight. I am also in touch with Mr D’Souza, my other teacher. The common thread amongst all the teachers I am in touch with is that they have all, at one point of time, thrashed the life out of me. It is their beating and their disciplining that has made me the person I am today. At that time, I did not understand but now I realize it shaped me up for my future. Of course, I still have a lot to learn but some of the greatest life lessons have come from my teachers.

In a way you are a teacher now since you are mentoring the new league of actors…
Believe me, the new league of actors as you call them, they don’t need my mentoring. They are perfect already. I am not kidding when I say most of them know more about camera, light, technical details than I ever would have known at their age. When I see the new lot of actors, they are already honed to perfection, in comparison we were nothing at all. I knew nothing about camera angles, catching the light, pauses… I learnt everything on the job. But these kids are already so well prepared. They walk into the room and people take notice, they already know how to carry themselves in a way that would make heads turn.
My father always told me that the trait of a superstar is the ability to enter a room filled with people and make everyone notice you; there has to be that double take. These kids surely have that in them.

No matter how well prepared the newcomers are, there is always some advice you could give them…
From me to them, there will be only one advice and it will be very appropriate coming from me. Boys and girls, who want to make it big in the industry, just ensure that you stay out of trouble.