He-Man, Super-Man, Sal-Man!!!

Year 1986. A lanky fellow with big, dreamy eyes made his debut with a little known film ‘Biwi ho to aisi’. His first big break came 2 years later with ‘Maine Pyar Kia’. The phenomenal success of this out and out love story turned him a star overnight and as they say…there was no looking back. His Bollywood genes must have been an advantage but not many Salman Khans are made every now and then. May be I’m being a bit too harsh with the younger lot, the very talented bunch of Ranbir Kapoors and Imran Khans. But our metrosexual babies can only give us some superswank, urbane love stories which won’t even see the light of the day in standalone theatres in Tier II cities!!! For a typical, desi, family, male, masala flick, he’s THE guy. Otherwise how would you justify the opening of a movie on a weekday wherein 90% of the shows went housefull. Starting from plush multiplexes in South Delhi to a theatre that still sells a 20 bucks balcony ticket! He has never kissed on screen. He doesn’t even let his heroines shed clothes. He very humbly does it himself. So almost all his films can be flagged as family entertainers. Quite literally!
The journey from being a loverboy to a full-fledged action hero was quite something. It started with the prankster Prem of Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. And by the time we could blink, he was out with his very enviable physique in Pyar Kia to Darna Kya in 1998! Remember the signature beach dance where he bared it for the first time? Well a body is a body and everyone in Bollywood has it today…Aamir, SRK, Ranbir, Imran (even Hashmi!!!), etc. so why talk about Salman Khan alone? Simply because he’s maintained it all for the last 15-16 years. Think PKTDK, and then think Dabanng. Give me one person who will do justice to that one shirt-tearing shot in Dabanng. And BTW he’s touching 50. Just because he doesn’t flaunt a trophy wife and wannabe kids every now and then, don’t underestimate him to be 30!
He’s not a great dancer. Doesn’t move much while dancing. Makes his muscles do it for him! And that becomes a cult overnight. So is the man’s aura. His comedies are mindless. I mean what’s in a split in the middle of a super serious fight? There is! His antics are unmatched and will definitely keep you up till the credits in the end. Quite unlike those gory, action movies starring his contemporaries.
And very few stars have the courage to release a film on the same date as Salman Khan. Ask a Shahid Kapoor or a Ranbir Kapoor to do it. They will give the lamest reasons and postpone their releases. Basically helpless because the old man still rules! And it’s much more than being just a hero. It’s about being a medium to take things to a different level altogether. It’s about carrying that aura of assurance. It’s about making the Brand Partners of a film split into 2 screens while credits. Starting from BlackBerry to Tupperware…everyone bets their fortune on him.
And why so much about Salman Khan suddenly? Well I watched Bodyguard today (1st day 2nd show). It had a whistling opening in one of the most posh multiplexes in South Delhi. I’m sure the lesser known halls saw much explicit reactions like the naryal act or the garland dance even! Sadly I couldn’t do much this time but promise to do it for Tiger, his next release.
It was a pleasure seeing families walking in for the single movie. No. The parents and the kids didn’t have to enter 2 separate auditoriums to catch different films. With due respect to SRK’s charisma and Aamir’s intellect, I hereby declare myself as a lifelong fan of the man himself…Salman Khan.