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TRANSCRIPT
SALMAN KHAN ROCKSTARS PRESS CONFERENCE, APRIL 28, 2006
MIRAGE BANQUET HALL, EDISON, NEW JERSEY
Paul Parmar - Thank you for coming here today. I think everybody knows why we are here today. There were rumours in the market that Salman Bhai would not be coming to the U.S. Lots of rumours in the market that Rockstars is not going to happen. So to address those Salman has taken time off from his shoot and decided to come here because he loves his fans here and I will just pass on the mike to him so that you can start asking him.
Good afternoon, Salman. Dev Joshi from Bharat Darshan radio. And welcome to New Jersey. And thank you, Funky and Buddha [audience laughter] for bringing Salman-ji here.
Just one question quickly - I know there are a lot of people waiting with other questions. I enjoyed your film Tere Naam. It was a terrific film, not a typical Salman Khan movie. What do you think - how was the response to the movie and what do you think when you were making the movie? How did you feel?
I didn’t like the climax. But apart from that the film was all right. Actually it was an easy film to make. Comedies are difficult. Emotions is simple. Basically it’s fraud emotion. It’s easy to cry, easy to look sad. But to do comedy is really difficult especially if you’re an introvert or if you had a problem - I mean, I don’t consider I have any - to go ahead and do comedy after that, it’s tiring, it’s difficult.
[Silence]
Any angry press person out here?
How did you feel with the jacket and t-shirt on?
From the stripes? Well, actually, you know, they treated me like a star there - they just didn’t give me that toti and kurta (?) - they let me wear my jeans and t-shirt.
India Tribune
I know you had a bad experience back home. You suffered all this and came back - how was the feeling?
It’s damn good - you must try it some day. It’s really good. I pray for you, you know 3 or 4 days.
Did you drive yet?
Have I driven yet? No, not yet.
Pakistan Press
[Question and answer in Hindi]
Anika - Just wanted to find out, Bollywood seems to have been changing. It’s been finding new ways and you have been there so long. How do you think it’s changing?
I’m consistent, I haven’t changed.
True, so how have you seen the movies change…
Competence. Incompetence is not a fad anymore - it’s dying off. Competent people are coming in. People who have a little more grey matter in their brains are writing, directing, and producing movies which is really good for us.
One of the exciting things about seeing you perform live in a show like Rockstars is that unlike in films where there are many takes and edits to cut out mistakes, on stage it is just you and the audience and you can’t correct anything that happens - so I was wondering any particular moments since you’ve done so many concerts over so many years - any particular incidents where you had to deal with something that was unplanned, any prop or wardrobe malfunctions that stand out in your mind; and on the flip side of that any moments that made you feel that all the rehearsal, travel, preparation makes it a unique and incredible experience?
Sometimes you get confused. You’ve rehearsed for a particular song, you’ve done this song earlier with a different choreographer and you’re doing his steps on this concert and its gets kind of weird because everyone else is doing something else, and you’re doing some moves that you’ve done in earlier concerts so there’s a lot of confusion because from that movement you’ve got to come back into what the other guys are doing and you can’t say “Ooo” [look of surprise] and you can’t do that, so you just have to continue.
And then sometimes that you rehearse, you rehearse all alone and the dancers do something else and you in your mind are thinking that everybody else is doing the same moves then suddenly you see the dancers doing something else and suddenly you’re confused again - so you stand and kiss [blows kiss], wave out, or hug somebody. So basically even though you mess up, your fans, your audience should not know that you messed up onstage. Unless you know… there’s a concert where I came running really enthusiastically and slipped on stage and I fell off. So I had to do it twice more to make it look like the act. That was painful.
Monica from Desimatch. Paul has said that you’ve been rehearsing for the show very hard. What’s so special about this show? What should fans really look forward to from a regular Bollywood show?
Nothing special about it. It’s just a normal average show.
What should your fans look for? They’re supporting you…
There’s Mallika Sherawat.
What about Salman Khan?
Salman Khan’s coming for the sixth time, not that much of a novelty. Mallika Sherawat…
But the value is still there, loads of people are coming to see you?
Have you seen that poster?
***A little girl steps up to ask a question***
Yes, but don’t ask me when I am going to get married…
[audience laughter]
What’s your favorite movie that you’ve did?
My favorite movie is Andaz Apna Apna
Hi Salman, we are from the Yusuf Khan era.
Oh, sir! [audience laughter] You could have fooled me on that one!
I see you, Aamir and Shahrukh Khan - can you distinguish…
Aamir and Shahrukh also are from that era. I’m from her [points to little girl] era.
[audience laughter]
What was the question? Sorry…
The question is, can you distinguish those Khan brothers and this Khan brothers?
Well, uh…now, who are the brothers there, and who are the brothers here? The brothers here we have Arbaaz Khan, Salman Khan, and Sohail Khan…..Shahrukh and Aamir they are friends, very dear friends. Those brothers.. Yusuf Khan…
[(?) and Raj Kapoor Khan]
[audience laughter]
Oh, okay. Feroz Khan, Sanjay Khan and Akbar Khan? What are the similarities? What are the differences?
Yes. The similarities and differences.
Well, then….I think it’s just the surname,
Aamir is like Dev Anand, Shahrukh is like Dilip, and you - I don’t know.
I’m more like Dharmendra. I like Dharman-ji. After shaving my head bald, I’ve become like Feroz Khan.
What special preparations to prepare for the performance?
What I am desperately trying to do is not lose my breath on stage so I have been trying to work out and run so I can have a lot of stamina to perform.
I’ll try a few different steps, apart from that [holds up hand and gestures around]
Something different the audience is going to watch?
I doubt that.
Not as usual…
It’s going to be fun. Our limitations are that our films are musicals so we have to perform to all our hit songs. Now we cannot do the slow ones because it will put our fans to sleep and we don’t want to do that so the we have to play all the racy pacy popular songs from the movies, that’s what everybody likes. There’s obviously going to be this interaction with the fans, I love New York, I love Frisco, I love New Jersey, all that stuff.
Nick, Rutgers University press, the publication’s name is the Observor. What kind of exercise and what kind of diet do you follow for you to maintain the type of body that you have which everybody loves?
Buddy, it’s gonna take all evening…it‘s going to cost you as well… You really want to know? Eat right, work out right. This is how simply I can put it. If you’re interested then you might have to go to a proper gym, get a professional trainer and have them train you. 80 percent is what you eat and concentrate on that and then push yourself really hard.
You have some Hollywood stars coming in
[Sylvester Stallone imitation] Apparently! Yeah, I love him!
I know you’re a fan of Sylvester Stallone.
[Sylvester Stallone imitation] Oh, really?
And Sly is coming - so that should be fun. How did you get them to come to the show?
I didn’t; he did [points to Paul Parmar]. I hope they like the concert, I really hope. He’s my all time favorite. I love him, I think he’s absolutely amazing.
Since talking about Hollywood stars, there was some talk about you going to Hollywood.
No, I’ve just done one English movie - that doesn’t mean I’m going to Hollywood. I’m very good with our desi cinema. I’m happy.
No future plans?
No, not yet - unless the timing changes. They let me come to film at 12:00 in the afternoon and they let me go whenever I feel like going. Which happens in our country because we work all from here [gestures towards chest] with friends, from the heart.
You could do Rocky with Sly..
Well, I guess I wanted to actually….
I’m Seema from Desi- match and from Indore, your dad’s home town
I was born there too.
Oh, great. So was I. When you refuse to answer a question about when you are going to get married, but what kind of woman would you like to marry?
That was you!!!
[audience laughter]
Oh. I’m really flattered, Salman but really all jokes about it - what kind of woman would you like to get married to?
I will get married soon and the day I get married you’ll see what kind of woman I marry.
And what is the best honeymoon spot?
I’m waiting for [looks around for little girl who asked movie question] - oh, there she is! I’m waiting for her to grow up and have children, and then, I will marry.
Dr. Sharma from the Academy of Music. I’m interested in knowing who is your favorite music director?
You know the guy who has been irritating the hell out of everybody?
[Who is that?]
Himesh Reshammiya.
[audience laughter]
Really? Is that true?
He does good music! Everybody sings his songs. He keeps it very simple.
I’m not asking in terms of popularity.
No, I like him - he’s given good music.
What about the old timers like Naushad Sahab?
They’re fantastic, I thought you were asking about now.
[No, no - everybody]
There’s RB Burman, SD Burman…
Do you follow classical music?
Only when I’m really tired and I cannot get any sleep. That’s the time I switch it on and instantly, it works like valium for me.
We’re talking about favorite music directors. Who is your favorite movie heroine?
My favorite heroine is Madhubala. I think she’s absolutely gorgeous…Yours too? Sir!!! What answer did you expect?
I was expecting you to say something else..
I like Mahdurit, I think she’s fabulous…there’s Sridevi, she’s amazing.
Rani Mukherjee is very talented; Preity Zinta’s got that girl next door, bubbly…
If you were asked to select one of these actresses, who would you prefer first?
Well, I don’t have a choice - the director and producer decide who will be the leading lady opposite me and I just stick with that.
What about Aishwarya Rai?
Aishwarya? She’s good, she does damn good work. She’s awesome. [looks around at people’s reacions] What? What did you expect? [audience laugher] uh, um, no comments? She’s good, she’s awesome, she does good work.
When are we going to see something like Maine Pyar Kiya again?
Once Sooraj Barjatya is done with this Shahid Kapoor film and he had done one movie with Hrithik Roshan, once he realizes that Sooraj Barjatya and Salman Khan work well together we just might be able to do that.
We are all waiting to see something like Maine Pyar Kiya again.
You know I saw that movie about a month ago and I laughed my heart out. Today when you see it - it’s really sweet and everything but it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever done.
If there was just one film performance you could be remembered for, what would it be?
For none. I don’t want to be remembered as a film actor at all. I think it’s like the most vaguest, most ridiculous, most stupid thing that anybody would want to be remembered as. How I want to be remembered - actually once you are dead and gone, who cares? - but if one person , just one person, feels, oh this is what Salman Khan did wrong and I would never do that, I’ve changed that man’s life. And one person who says you know what, that’s an amazing thing that he did, so that’s what I want to do and he does it, just two people’s lives after I’m dead I can change, fantastic, mission accomplished.
Recently there was a report from mid-day that after you were out from Jodhpur a fan starved himself for three nightst. Is this true?
Yes, that was something fantastic
For that reason would you like to be what you are?
You know actually, the reason that I am out is all the support from the fans. All the screaming, all the praying. Their aggression, their coming forward and speaking their minds and their hearts. That’s the actual reason why I am out.
But that happens because you’re a star…
No, there are lots of other stars. It doesn’t happen..
The most popular ones, the known ones…
No, I think some people thought it was wrong. For some people, some fans, thought that he deserves to be put in jail for whatever reason and then when they realized that it was getting too much, so they prayed and they fought - and today I am here in America, it’s because of them truly. One day your fans will do it for one day, scream, shout, pray; the second day, the third day as difficult. Because when we do movies, you know, we do lots of screaming scenes, crying scenes and in ten minues, you’re wiped out, you’re exhausted and to do this 24 hours. I don’t think I could ever do that.
Salman - you worked with Amitabh Bachban in Baghban with Hema Malini as well. What do you distinguish between the older generation of actors and someone like yourself. Who do you look up to? What characteristics do you find in them because obviously they didn’t have the technology that we have today…
But they have it now.
They have it now - but they are on the verge of decline…
No, I don’t think Amitji is on the point of decline. He’s more popular than he was ever today. He’s like the hugest star. If you say living legend, than that’s Amitabh Bachban.
What are the characteristics?
What characteristics? Everybody’s different. I don’t have his voice neither do I have his height. Maybe his popularity, I do. Everyone has what God has given, everybody has his qualities, positive and negative and you basically converge your negatives into positives and you’ll enhance your positives. It depends on your upbringing, it depends on what you learn and what you see in life. You learn from other people’s mistakes - which I have -start learning from my own first.
There are hundreds of cases similar like yours are pending in the courts there …Do you feel at any moment that you were made a target?
No, not at all. Whatever. At least awareness will spread. If you are going hunting or if you are doing something wrong, if they can put Salman Khan behind bars, and get him convicted for five years in one case and another year in another case and here are three more hearings for three more different cases to come up, then people, your fans, or your public will definitely abide by the law. If not the risk is… there’s a lot of awareness…there’s something wrong, something not right.
There are nearly 500 cases pending against…
No, I think there are more. There are lakhs and lakhs of cases pending. While I think this act was formed in ’72. Up from ’72 to 2006, I think I am the first one to be convicted for five years.
You have all brothers - all three of you are in the movies. Does this happen perchance? Or you had a rivalry going, you’re trying to outdo the other?
Brothers?
I have a brother.
I think Sohail, me and Arbazz are like one. So the question of brothers doesn’t arise. There’s no sense of competition at all. It’s just that we are happy for each other, we don’t even think that we are different. It’s like we are just one.
We love you so much in all the films that you made us laugh…Andaz Apna Apna…Judwaa, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi…Would you feature in more of these kinds of movies?
Well, there is Jaaneman which is a similar kind of movie to what you’re talking about. There’s Partner with Lara Dutta opposite me with Govinda directed by David Dhawan.
We are going to watch every movie!
Thank you! I really need you to watch every movie!
Let’s get back to Rockstars! What are you going to do in your show? Tell the audience what your role is in the show?
I will do whatever you want me to do.
The name Rockstars - Any real life Rockstars serve as inspiration for this show?
I think they just started with something cool - so they named it Rockstars. Apart from that - usually when we come here it’s Temptation 2006 or 2002 or Khan versus Khan, or some star thingy. They thought Rockstars was a cool name to give.
Will you be singing in the show? Actually singing.
Actually I am .
[applause]
[someone in the audience] Can you sing for us now, please?
[applause]
[Promoter] You will have to come to the show!
Annika. Desi Match is a newspaper that covers people on their honeymoon, people getting married. Just as the whole world wants to know where Brad Pitt is taking Angelina Jolie, similarly if you were in a romantic encounter with a woman, where would you take her? What is your top romantic destination in the world?
I’d take her to Panvil.
That’s a nice way to avoid it. You’re not going to get out of this one…
Seriously, I think it’s beautiful there, I love Panvil! I have a farmhouse there.
Out of India?
I have to take court permission to go outside of India so all these impulsive decisions cannot be taken - it’s a long process. From Jodhpur I’ve got to take a court permission and then…
But seriously, outside of India -
[thinks for a while] Nepal. I like Mauritius, I like Maldives, Miami.
Salman - are you making any movies? Can you take me?
[audience laughter]
What charity touches your heart the most? I know you do a lot of charity work…
Not really. Seriously. I want to start in on that. I’ve been neglecting that for a long time. First thing, I’ve already done, I’ve sent the prison which they kept me in fifteen TV’s. I’m going to renovate their bathrooms and toilets. Some people who have been convicted and have served their sentence but they don’t have their fines to pay. So I am going to pay their fines.
Any role you wishing you want to do, any you have in mind?
Whatever comes my way, sir. Whatever I think sounds good in the first narration. It will take away two and one half hours of your time to make you laugh if you are depressed, make you forget your problems. There are the kinds of films….
Where do you see yourself five years from now? Five to ten years? Will you still be in the film industry? Are you satisfied with what you are doing right now or do you want to change it?
The way my life is going, I really can’t answer that question.
My name is Milly from ARI. I have a question about an incident that happened in India. Do you think because you’re a celebrity, you got away with things easier?
The fact that he said [points to reporter] there’s been more than 500 hundred cases before me and I know for a fact that there are thousands and thousands, lakhs and lakhs, maybe millions of cases…
You don’t think they were easier on you because you’re a celebrity? Because it’s India, not America, so the rules are different…
It’s relative, you know. You come and take my place and I’ll sit down there and ask you this question and I want to see how you react…
I will tell you, honestly, that you being a celebrity, you get away with a lot.
You think so? That I got away easy with this?
I think so - because if it was a normal person, I mean somebody who wasn’t a celebrity, they would have a harder time for them to come up with the money, first of all, for the lawyer all the way down and to have so many people who would back them up, all the fans, as you said earlier. They wouldn’t have all that.
You’re probably right about that. 100% right. Because from 72 to 2006, there has not been a single conviction so I think you’re 100% right about that - I am the only one to be convicted for five years in all those years.
I think Saif Ali Khan’s father was convicted as well.
[Promoter] - No, sorry.
Monica from DesiMatch. Rock Star is pretty much a state of mind. Most youth today of India mind their own stars. You’ve been on the youth talent show like Sa Ga Re Ma Pa What do you have to say to the youth of India, not only in India?
In the sense of?
In the sense of idolization? Who or what should they?
When I was in school, there was a gentleman whose name I will not take, he came and gave a speech to us and we were wondering, my God, what is he saying? He said, I will tell you….what did he say? [hindi] The way he put it, you always idolize the people who are not so correct. It is very important to idolize people who are correct - they may be the most boring kind of people, but they are the right people.
One last question…
Yes, my dear? [looking at reporter who asked celebrity question] You were going to ask me anything else? When I go in, if I do, by your wishes, your prayers, I want you in jail with me! [audience laughter]
As long as I don’t have to share a bathroom.
Salman, I have a question. Do you think between Pakistan and India, do you think that artists can be a part of this, they can help in this relationship, they can help to make a real friendship?
100%. By our movies releasing over there, their movies releasing here, because movies are basically entertainment. Your stars working here in our country, our stars working there, will give us a much tighter bond and will get us much much closer.
Do you ever want to visit Pakistan?
Yes, of course I do want to visit Pakistan.
Any special message for your fans?
For the fans? It has been amazing the support they’ve given me this time and the love and respect. I don’t know if I can ever ever repay that, but my message is that I’m going to try my best so that the next time they won’t have to worry that much or pray that hard for me. I will make sure that they concentrate more on their lives, their family, and their loved ones and not on me.
Thank you.
Paul Parmar - Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you for taking time to come here. I would like to especially thank Salman for coming down here in such a huge emergency because he understood the need.