Actor Salman Khan and filmmaker Kabir Khan have delivered two of the biggest blockbusters — Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. In a recent interview with India TV, Kabir spoke about the challenges of working with Salman on Ek Tha Tiger and recalled a tussle between them when they began shooting. (Also Read: Salman Khan confirms film with Atlee is delayed, announces new actioner with Sanjay Dutt: Its action is on another level)
Kabir Khan on working with Salman Khan in Ek Tha Tiger
Kabir shared how Aditya Chopra encouraged him to make a film with the actor. He described his transition from making documentaries and small-budget films to directing a major actor as very organic. He said, “He (Aditya) told me, ‘Kabir, making a film with a big star is a different beast and a different kind of film altogether, and I feel that you can now step up to that.’ Then we wrote Tiger. I never consciously thought that I would have to do something in a specific way just because Salman was in it. It’s just that the storyteller in me wanted to do certain things because I knew he could carry it off. In a certain sense, fan service also starts to come in when you have a star in front of you and you know you can do all these things with someone of Salman’s calibre.”
However, Kabir added that when they arrived on set, there was “a lot of tussle” between him and Salman. He continued, “It was just the third film of my career, and here I was dealing with Salman at his peak. It was also his first time working with Yash Raj Films, and it was a new territory for him — action, and we were trying to make it international, so a lot of churning happened. Sometimes I had to pull him down and stop him from going overboard; sometimes he was pulling me up to do more. Some discussions were amicable, and some left one of us sulking. Even though Tiger was not completely in my control, I feel that something interesting happened between the two of us — the energy that formed between us.”
The filmmaker added that Ek Tha Tiger created a great understanding between them, which eventually led to the making of Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
About Ek Tha Tiger
Ek Tha Tiger was the first instalment in the YRF Spy Universe. Directed by Kabir Khan, the film also featured Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Roshan Seth, Girish Karnad, and Gavie Chahal in key roles. It marked the first collaboration between Yash Raj Films and Salman Khan and turned out to be a major commercial success, earning ₹320 crore worldwide at the box office.
Kabir Khan and Salman Khan’s recent and upcoming films
Kabir recently directed a film in the anthology My Melbourne. It features four stories about identity and belonging, inspired by real incidents in Melbourne, Australia, and addresses themes such as diversity, sexuality, gender, disability, and race. It was released in India on March 14. He is yet to announce his next project.
Meanwhile, Salman was most recently seen in the film Sikandar. Directed by AR Murugadoss and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film failed to make a strong impact at the box office, earning only ₹184.89 crore worldwide. The actor will next be seen in another action film alongside Sanjay Dutt. He also has Kick 2, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, in the pipeline.
