It’s believed that a battle is half-won if a Bollywood superstar deigns to support you. And actor Pulkit Samrat, whose satire O Teri is up for release this Thursday, has found it from an unexpected quarter: Salman Khan. The notorious superstar has made it a point to tweet about the film and attend its screening.

“He’s not a superstar. He’s a super human. People talk about him being moody but if he believes in something, then he supports it wholeheartedly … it’s one big check point crossed,” said Samrat in an interview with tabloid!.

He plays a cheeky news reporter in O Teri who is dying to get famous quickly. According to the actor, who made a mark with his comic timing in Bollywood hit Fukrey, Khan was intrigued by the script from the beginning. A casual conversation turned into a momentous career growth for Samrat, who met Khan through his wife. In the past, his wife has tied a rakhi (wristband that symbolises brother-sister bond) on Khan.

“He was shooting for the Mashallah song when he asked me about my career and what I was up to. When I told him about this script I had just heard, he just asked me to fix a narration with director Umesh Bhisht. He [Khan] liked it instantly and so did his entire family,” said Samrat. After Khan’s nod, his brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri jumped on board.

Samrat calls Khan his biggest idol. “I owe him a lot. I owe him for my discipline. He’s the correction point [leveller] in my life. I want his approval and sometimes when I do something, I wonder if bhai [brother] will approve,” said Samrat in obsequious tones.

Content is king

While singing praises for Khan is a large part of our conversation, Samrat says content is always king in a film. “That’s where O Teri scores. It’s a good satirical take on what’s happening in India today. Scams and corruption is rampant today and it’s a part of our dinner table conversation. But in our film, we show what we can do about it in a funny way. It’s not a senseless comedy that says leave your brains at the door,” said Samrat.

His partner in crime is his colleague Anand Ishwaram Devdutt Subramanium, played by actor Bilal Amrohi.

“Both of us are consumed by the idea of getting famous quick and our brain tells us that the way to go about it is to uncover a big scam. And one fine day, a scam finds us. It’s a comedy of errors. It has a good message but it’s said in an entertaining manner,” said Samrat.

This Delhi-born actor enjoyed fame when he played Lakshya Virani in the popular TV show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in 2006 and has acted in films such as Bittoo Boss and Jai Ho in the past.