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Salman
After all these years, what do you look for in a brand before endorsing it?
I only endorse products that I use. I drink Mountain Dew and so when they approached me I thought why not endorse it. Aur kyunki cheetah bhi peeta hai… then it’s not a bad idea for me to drink it... Also, I love the way they shoot their ad films. The ads appeal to the youth and I am still very young!
Do you really believe Darr ke aage jeet hai?
I love their tag line, Darr ke aage jeet hai. Everyone is afraid of something or the other at some point of his or her life. But if you try to run away from fear, you would get tired and eventually fear will win. So the best way to overcome fear is to face it and go through it because beyond fear lies victory.
What are you scared of?
I do get afraid of a few things but it’s important to overcome the fears at some stage. I always make a conscious effort to overcome fear whenever I face it. Like when a big film of mine releases, I do not get afraid but people around me are. Even as a kid I wasn’t scared of my parents but always had this in my mind that I should not let them down. All of us kids in the family never wanted to embarrass them.
Who do you think is the most fearless person around?
My parents are quite fearless! That’s why I call my dad (Salim Khan) Rambo!
How was it shooting for the Mountain Dew ad in New Zealand?
It was a great experience. The locations were amazing. We shot with an internationally renowned adventure filmmaker, Bob Gordon. He has done most of the high adventure sports ad films. It was fascinating to see all the stuff happening. The ad film almost looks like a very large budget action film. In fact there were eight helicopters on the sets including three to take us to the location as there was no road to reach the peak.
You are shown doing a new adventure sport called Wingsuit Flying. Do you think it will catch on with the youth?
It’s a great adventure sport but needs to be done with proper training and under expert supervision. Youngsters should not try this at home, not even from the ground floor!
You have done stunts in movies time and again but have not been synonymous with it. Do you like doing action?
It’s nice that my fans remember me for the characters I have played and not only for the stunts. I have received great response for the action scenes in Wanted and Dabangg. Again these films were not only dependant on the action sequences but were out and out entertainers with action playing a key part. I enjoy doing stunts but only after assessing the risk factor. If I break a bone or two, the shooting will stop, people will lose money and I will have to sit at home, which will get really boring. If I decide to do a stunt then I practise it a lot and do it with experts.
Your favourite action hero?
Charles Bronson. He is no more but I think he was the best action hero ever.
And action heroine?
I think Shilpa Shetty had some good action sequences in Dus and then Deepika (Padukone) in Chandni Chowk To China. But I think somebody who would really be able to do good action is Katrina.
Dabangg was epic. Can you ever top that?
If you have to compete with something or someone, then compete with yourself. Whatever records Dabangg and Wanted created, Inshaallah we will break those too!
Katrina
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You endorse a lot of brands but you are synonymous with the Aamsutra campaign of Slice...
Yeah, I think, from the start of the Slice campaign, from the time it was launched three years back, it has been one of the most talked-about campaigns. And that’s the mark of success for me as a brand ambassador. Because that’s what it is about.
When an actor lends her name to a brand, it’s very easy to just go to the set and shoot something and it comes on TV. Some people see it, some people don’t. But the ideal scenario is when you really create something which is talked about. Where the brand utilises your image, the way people like to see you, the way people want to see you and come up with something interesting. Something which grabs attention.
Yes, for me, it has been one of my most successful campaigns and something which is also a lot of fun. I think they are using me in a way which is nice, being very creative about every shoot, getting some of the best people from America and Paris and creating some memorable images. It’s been amazing so far.
What do you look for when you choose to endorse a brand?
I have never really gone overboard in terms of endorsing brands. I have been very selective. I think I have been very fortunate that all the brands I have ended up endorsing are brands that have been known to me. I have known them while growing up because they have had an international presence like Panasonic or Pantene or Oil of Olay. Even with PepsiCo (owners of the Slice brand) it’s always been there. It’s been an easy decision when all these brands have approached me.
There have, of course, been brands which I have turned down because I didn’t think I could do anything for them or believe that they could deliver what they were promising. That’s just the way I choose them. Their image is my image... that’s what I want to say to my audience.
Now, the entire nation believes you truly love and lust for mangoes. Is that real, too?
(Laughs) Yes I definitely think it is the nicest fruit. It is definitely the most satisfying fruit... the taste of it, the sweetness of it. And they have very cleverly incorporated the fact that there is a right time and there is a right place for mangoes. And it’s all about the wait. Good things come to those who wait... that’s the whole idea.
When you shoot for an ad film is the approach any different from that for a feature film?
Yes definitely. When you are shooting for a film, there’s the whole character thing and when you are saying lines, you keep in mind that there’s a bearing on what happens in the scene after or even the scene before. You are approaching it from a much wider point of view. In an ad film you are just trying to create memorable moving images in the space of 30 seconds. So, it’s a very different ball game.
You are not endorsing any IPL team this year?
No, unfortunately! We are shooting (Mere Brother Ki Dulhan) the whole of April and May in Agra. Imran (Khan) got married and there was a shifting of dates and now we have a deadline to meet. So, sadly no IPL for me this year.
Last year Sheila ki jawaani became such a huge milestone in your already glittering career. What are you looking forward to in 2011?
Lots of things. The most important thing for an actor is not to stagnate and to show different sides and aspects of your personality. This year is going to be very different for me. The first film coming out is Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which is a young, fun urban film. And then I have Mere Brother Ki Dulhan with Imran, which is a very earthy, rooted film with a rustic feel to it. These two will be very different from Raajneeti and Tees Maar Khan, which I think is good. Because I want to find myself in new spaces all the time.
Soumitra Karnik, vice-president and executive creative director of JWT, on PepsiCo’s stars
• Salman Khan for Mountain dew: We all know what his last film is called, right? Dabangg! Fearless! Who else but Salman to talk about a macho drink like Mountain Dew. He is the ultimate male and since we cannot advertise beer or alcohol, this is the ultimate male drink.
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• Shah Rukh Khan for Pepsi: He embodied the full spirit of Pepsi. He was irreverent, he was cheeky, he was the underdog who always used to come across as the winner right at the end. He had everything going and Pepsi benefited a lot from Shah Rukh. And so did Shah Rukh.
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• Ranbir Kapoor for Pepsi: He is our new guy. He has the family name, of course, but he is also making his own choices. He has been picking unconventional films. So, everything that we want the drinker to think of Pepsi is there in the brand ambassador.
• Katrina Kaif for Slice: Who else but the queen of Bollywood to endorse the king of fruits? Katrina embodies freshness and sensuality, the new tonality we wanted to achieve with Slice. And the brand has also become her extension. A perfect marriage.
