Salman Khan's cheeky humour makes for great conversation-starters (of course, barring the one where he compared a hard day's work with a raped woman and was lambasted on social media for it). He directed a subtle jab at friend Shah Rukh Khan recently.
When Firstpost asked the "Sultan" actor why he turned down "Chak De India," he quipped: "Shah Rukh should also get some good roles." However, he did explain the real reason why he wasn't able to essay the brooding hockey coach Kabir Khan in the Shimit Amin directorial.
He told the web portal that his image at the time was completely different. He was working in films such as "Partner," which falls in a genre miles away from what the sports-drama film ("Chak De India") is.
"My image was totally different. My fans would have wanted me to wear a mini skirt and start playing a hockey match which wouldn't have suited the film! It wasn't my genre yet. 'Chak De!' was a serious film whereas I was doing only commercial cinema at that time — which I still am and will never move out of that format," he elaborated.
Salman is gearing up for "Sultan," a film that is close to his heart (at least that is what comes across in his promotional interviews and chats with the media). He plays Haryanvi wrestler Sultan Ali Khan, who sees the highs and lows of being a prominent face. The trailer focuses on the wrestling champion who loses it all, and years later picks himself up to transform into a mixed martial artist.
Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, "Sultan" is scheduled to be released on July 7 and stars Anushka Sharma, Amit Sadh and Randeep Hooda in key roles.
