Bollywood superstar Salman Khan felt vulnerable and violated while wearing those short shorts in Sultan (a confession made by Khan at the trailer launch in Mumbai yesterday), but his discomfort was well-hidden.
The trailer of Sultan, which released on May 24, is all about showcasing Khan in his near-naked glory. No prizes for guessing that Anushka Sharma, who plays a wrestler, or Randeep Hooda, Sultan’s tough trainer, feature sparingly in the trailer. Perhaps, the best parts are kept for the film itself.
But Khan fans won’t complain. In true Bollywood style, Khan is shown as a sportsman who experiences incredible highs and soul-destroying lows in his career.
The second half is dominated by scenes of Khan picking himself off the ground and gearing for a glorious comeback. The good news is that Khan is playing a 40-year-old wrestler in the second half, and that’s a relief since a few Bollywood superstars have a weakness for playing youthful roles even if they have crossed their fifties in real life.
Written and directed by Ali Zafar, Sultan will be an Eid release (July 7) in the UAE.
Khan’s omnipresence isn’t limited to the trailers. Bollywood singer Arijit Singh, who sang a song for Khan in Sultan, is desperate for his forgiveness.
The Aashiqui 2 singer, posted a public apology on his Facebook page seeking Khan’s forgiveness for unintentionally hurting his feelings at a recent awards show. The singer was seen imploring the star to retain his song in the film.
The grovelling post was deleted later.
It read: “Dear Mr Salman Khan This is the last way I thought I would speak to you. I have been trying to text you call you and do everything possible to tell you that you are mistaken about the fact that I insulted you. I never did.
“And I understood and I felt extremely sorry about it as me and my family have been your fan since long. I tried to explain so many times but you never got it. I apologised but you never got it. How many times I sent you apology texts you also know.
“At Nita Ji’s place I only came back to apologise to you but you dint get it. No problem I apologise here In front of everyone but please it is a request. Please do not remove the song that I sang for you in Sultan.” The details about why Singh earned Khan’s wrath is unclear.
Khan hasn’t responded to the singer’s plea so far.
The apology is a telling sign of the clout that Khan holds over Bollywood. Producers, directors and stars make it their business to accommodate Khan’s demands. Storylines are tweaked to make Khan happy and his films are often filled with people who Khan adores.
In 2012, actor Vivek Oberoi was ostracised by his colleagues when he publicly took on Khan. He called a press conference saying that Khan was harassing his then-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with dozens of missed calls. Rai Bachchan and Khan had previously dated.
Oberoi’s popularity among colleagues waned and his career was cut short. Khan hasn’t forgiven Oberoi yet.
