Salman Khan in a still from Sultan. (Image courtesy: Ali Abbas Zafar)
Highlights
- Salman had to alter his weight from 100 kg to 90 kg and then to 82 kg
- On hard days Salman used to say can I have an ice cream, said Ali
- Physically, this film has been very challenging for Salman, he said
Actor Salman Khan said that filming Sultan's wrestling scenes made him feel like a 'raped woman' and has been pilloried for it. As the world waits for an apology, his director Ali Abbas Zafar has revealed more details of the movie's exhausting shooting schedule, in which the 50-year-old star plays a Haryanvi wrestler.
Salman had to alter his weight from 100 kilos to 90 kilos and then to 82 kilos, said Mr Zafar. "At the age of 50 to do all this within six to eight months takes a lot of hard work. Even when he was not working on sets he had to train for four hours. This is phenomenal for an actor enjoying such stardom."
Salman never complained about his punishing training sessions and gym workouts, said Mr Zafar. On particularly difficult days, his treat would be an ice cream: "Only on hard days he used to say can I have an ice cream. But the day he was done he had four ice creams."
Mr Zafar also said that Salman, contrary to his image, did not have a laid back attitude on the sets of
Sultan. "On paper he knew he can't afford to be laid back as he had to work hard for this film as he is racing against a steam engine. In wrestling, weight goes up and down. Physically, this film has been very challenging."
Last weekend, Salman Khan, 50, said this at a
media interaction when asked about the wrestling scenes: "When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn't walk straight."
Moments later, he said, "I shouldn't have..." but the statement had been made, it was published in an interview carried by
Spotboye and the outrage followed soon after.
Here's an audio recording of the interview - the 'raped woman' comment appears at 4.03.
On Tuesday, Salman's brother
Arbaaz Khan excused the comment in this manner: "There are some things which we say while talking but we should look at the intention - why was it said? I definitely have no doubt that whatever Salman said, the intention was not wrong. It was just the kind of (statement) where we compare things - 'I worked like a donkey' so now people will say you used the word donkey so some animal activist will come after you."
The actor's father, writer Salim Khan, issued an apology on Twitter and appealed for forgiveness on his son's behalf:
The National Commission of Women has demanded that Salman Khan apologise within a week.
Sultan, produced by Yash Raj Films, is slated for an Eid release. It also stars Anushka Sharma, Amit Sadh and Randeep Hooda.