Director AR Murugadoss chose Salman Khan over Aamir Khan as the “real Sikandar” during a fun chat with the two Bollywood stars ahead of the March 30 release of Sikandar.
In the lighthearted video Salman shared on Thursday, Aamir asks Murugadoss who the real Sikandar is — him or Salman. The Dangal actor pretends to take offence when Murugadoss declares Salman as Sikandar, praising him as a better action star and dancer.
However, the filmmaker, who previously collaborated with Aamir on Ghajini (2008), praises Aamir for his discipline, punctuality and meticulous approach to his craft.
Murugadoss goes on to commend the perfection with which Salman portrayed emotional scenes in Sikandar. "He could cry without glycerin on set. With co-stars around, it’s easier to cry, but in a close-up scene with just a voiceover, letting tears flow naturally is incredibly difficult. Salman did that flawlessly," he says in the video.
Recalling his experience of working with Salman in the 1994 film Andaz Apna Apna, Aamir asks Murugadoss about his own experience with the actor. "Whenever Salman entered the set, he carried a remarkable aura," the director responds.
Salman also lauds his co-star Rashmika Mandanna in the video. Since she was simultaneously shooting for Allu Arjun-led Pushpa 2: The Rule, she had to work double shifts.
Salman recalled how he had broken a rib during the shooting of Sikandar. This led him to dance with a hand on his chest, a step that received the choreographer’s nod and was later performed by all the background dancers as well.
The video also features Salman’s father, veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, who reveals that his favourite Salman-starrer film is Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). His favourite film of Aamir, on the other hand, is Lagaan (2001).
Salman also praises producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s sense of plot and music. “Since he wanted to be a hero before he became a producer, he knows what the hero would like to be portrayed as,” says Salman in the video.
Extending his best wishes to Salman and Murugadoss, Aamir shares that he always carries a whistle when watching Salman’s films, as he finds the actor’s larger-than-life screen presence whistle-worthy.
Aamir is gearing up for Sitare Zameen Par, the spin-off to his 2007 movie Taare Zameen Par.
Salman, on the other hand, returns in his fierce action hero avatar in his upcoming Eid release Sikandar, bankrolled by Nadiadwala Grandson. The actioner stars Salman as a vigilante named Sikandar aka Sanjay or, more fittingly, ‘Rajkot ka Raja Saab’. Sikandar comes to Mumbai on a mission and locks horns with a corrupt politician, played by Sathyaraj.
Aside from tackling goons, Salman also has a brush with romance in Sikandar. Rashmika Mandanna plays his wife in the film.
The cast of the upcoming actioner also includes Prateik Babbar, Kajal Aggarwal, Anjini Dhawan and Sharman Joshi.