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Salman Khan looses his cool and yells

Loosing cool and yelling at people is nothing new for Salman Khan and the Bollywood hunk did it once again, this time however for a good cause. During the music launch of his upcoming movie Veer Salman yelled at his own security guard. This after Salman was angered when he noticed that a kid who was trying to meet him was pushed by one of his guards.

Buzz up!
The guard who had pushed the kid unknowingly stood in complete shock as an angry Salman gave him a lesson on how to behave with kids. Regaining his composure, Salman smiled at the kid and gave him a autographed copy of the music CD. Well, the bad boy of Bollywood is always known to be good when it comes to kids.

'I don't want to make depressing films for my fans'

Salman Khan gave one of the biggest hits of 2009 with Wanted. It almost made us forget his next two duds -- Main Aurr Mrs Khanna and London Dreams.

Now with the new year comes new releases. January 22 will see Salman in Veer, a movie written by the actor himself. It is loosely based on Russian author Nikolai Gogol's novel, Taras Bulba.

Salman plays a warrior Veer of the Pindhari tribe, who rebels against the British rule.

He tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf what to expect from the film.

Veer looks like a dream project for you.

I will always praise my film till the time my fans criticise it. You never know what will work or what will not. Sometimes a film works and sometimes it doesn't. There is no formula. It is not that I have written this film so it has to work. I will only know after January 22.

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Why is Salman Khan angry?

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Salman Khan is mighty upset that his career did not necessarily go up after Wanted and now he has clearly come out in the open and is blasting Vipul Shah. “If I get bored in my own film then there is surely a problem,” he told us.

But then Salman feels that the film was good. “London Dreams was a wonderful film. But it was 25-30 minutes too long. I told Vipul to cut it. But he did not listen to me and cut it only after five days. I have seen the film and I know.

The film should have been 2 hours and 20 minutes and that would have made it very good. The last song is a beautiful song and he should have ended the film on the Hanuman Chalisa. By the time he cut the film it was too late,” he thunders.

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To feel the pulse of the die-hard film buff, we looked at what users searched on Bollywood Hungama in the whole of 2009, and came up with a bundle of surprises. Katrina over Kareena Kapoor and Blue over Ghajini. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, despite the highly successful Paa and Big Boss 3, could not find a spot on the top searched celebrities.

The year 2009 was a battle of the sexes; a head-to-head skirmish between the old and the new Bollywood. In celebrities, the females had a clear lead. Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra were the most searched celebs on Bollywood Hungama, followed by Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Shahid Kapoor.

The top searched movies were Blue, Ghajini, Wanted and Veer respectively. Blue garnered the maximum number of searches, a testimony to the expectations it had built up. SRK's My Name Is Khan generated enough curiosity to make it to the eighth spot. New age Bollywood cinema made its mark with Kaminey, Love Aaj Kal, Dostana and New York also making it to the top 10 searches of 2009.

A few stars had a bad hair day last year. 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar was the eighth most searched celeb on Bollywood Hungama, followed only by newcomers Asin and chocolate hero Imran Khan. Clearly, gorgeous girls and the tried-and-tested brand of mass entertainers found favour with our audience.

We know that the real film buffs will have their own conclusions to make. So, here's the list of the top 10 most searched celebs and movies. Let us know what you think!

Top searched celebs

No. Artist
1 Katrina Kaif
2 Kareena Kapoor
3 Priyanka Chopra
4 Salman Khan
5 Shah Rukh Khan
6 Shahid Kapoor
7 Amrita Rao
8 Akshay Kumar
9 Asin
10 Imran Khan


Top searched movies

No. Movies
1 Blue
2 Ghajini
3 Wanted
4 Veer
5 Love Aaj Kal
6 Kaminey
7 Luck
8 My Name Is Khan
9 Dostana
10 New York

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"I am what I am" - Salman Khan

Salman Khan. The name holds power and respect in the Bollywood industry. But, when we got the chance to sit across the actor for an interview, he came across as a cool personality. He wasn't stiff like most celebrities, who when promoting their film entertain only 'related' questions. Salman just wasn't like that. He kept bluntly answering round after round of questions. Within fifteen minutes of interaction, the actor proved what makes him one of the biggest entertainers in this country.

Salman talks about the unsure feeling of the initial days of courting, his impending fatherhood, booze, blogs and of course, Veer, his movie slated to release on January 22, 2010.

Why did you wait so long to execute your concept (of Veer)?
Just felt this is the right time…

Don't you feel the shelf life of Bollywood films has decreased?
Yes, you're right. The shelf has decreased what with all the MP3 downloads and other technological things. But on the other hand, the revenues have increased, thanks to multiplexes. What Sholay made in five years can be made today in a month!

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When did the idea of Veer come to you?
Long back, when I was actually aiming to be a director.

What's Veer basically about?
Veer apart from many other things, is based on the relationship between a father and a son. I believe a father and son should be the best of friends. I remember when once my paper went very bad … I ran away from home…too afraid to face my father (Salim Khan). When he came to know of it, he just said what's happened is happened. You can't change it, try not to repeat and now concentrate on making the best of your vacation. Enjoy it to the fullest.

When did this incident happen?
I guess, when I was in the sixth or seventh standard. At that time I had shifted from Scindia to Stanislaus so I had missed a lot of my portion. Therefore I found it difficult to cope …

Don't you feel, you are missing this father-son relationship in your life?
I am…now. But that'll happen in my life. Don't you want me to be a father?

Yes of, course. And we think you'll make a good father…
Good father definitely. Good husband…I'm not sure.

You are tagged controversy's favorite child…
I'm not. It's you people who make me that. When I do a mistake, you people say- Daalo daalo Salman ko jail mein daalo(Throw salman in jail). And later it's you only who go- Nikaalo nikaalo Salman ko jail se nikaalo (get Salman out of jail). So you see, it's you, who made me controversy's favorite child.

Was it a learning experience in jail?
Yes, in jail you learn you did something wrong.

Are you upset about the speculations made by the media?
It's okay if you are writing about something that's true. But, sometimes, I'm just walking and talking with someone and then the news comes out that something is brewing between the two of us. No, it's pretty unfair because at that time I'm just trying to get to know someone. I'm unsure whether it would click. And even if I fall in love, if it's going to work. And if it works out, then whether it's for a lifetime that only time can tell. But even before friendship can be struck, you people write all this. It makes things awkward between the two of us. Probably then a chance is not given at all to find out if something can work out…

Like Veer, any difficulties you had to tolerate in real life?
Yes, the media.

What??
Yupp, I'm tolerating you guys na…

Common! What makes you say that?!
It's true. I want to live a normal life whereas you pressurize me to be politically correct.
Those days, we were covered only by film magazines. So we were like- Oh god, are they going to put this now in the next month's issue? Then we had the very nervous twenty days or so of wondering and being troubled. But now, the pressure is worse. It's breaking news on news channels man! Switch on the television in the morning and there I am- Yeh dekhiya Salman ne Sonyali ke muh pe coke giraya(Look, Salman threw coke on Sonyali's face). And then it goes on in slow motion and re-rewinds.
You want me to behave like a star. But I am what I am. I don't want this AC car. I want to ride my bicycle in the morning, go to the beach…

Since you're playing a warrior, what physical training did you undertake for Veer?
I had stopped weightlifting. I just concentrated on push-ups and crunches. I also exercised my legs a lot.

We heard you had stopped consuming alcohol during the whole time you were shooting for Veer…
No no! I drank lots of alcohol.

Like Veer, say you had to choose between responsibility and love, then what would you choose?
Depends on how much I love. And how much the responsibility is that I have to shoulder. But I think responsibility will eventually take over.

You've adopted the technique of blogging to connect to your fans…
Yes, I'm enjoying this blogging thing a lot!

Most celebs have teams take care of such things. So is it truly you writing Salman?
(Laughs)Yes. It's me. All that is in the blog comes straight from my heart. Whatever I feel here (pokes at his left chest) is straight out there (on the blog page). If you read my blog, then you'll find the lingo very simple. No Dilip Kumarji would read my blog. No Nobel Prize winner would read my blog. My fans are the one's who'd read it, isn't it?
I want to talk to my fans. I don't want to show them off my English language skills. So I have not used many flowery words in it (smiles). I know there are some people who sit with dictionaries open on their laps and find big big words to use in their blog. But according to me, if you concentrate too much on the language, you tend to deviate from the true topic.

How was it working with newcomer Zarine Khan?
It was a lovely experience, working with both Zarine Khan and Liza Lasarus. (Looks at a male journalist) Don't you wanna be in my shoes?

Was Zarine asked to put weight just for the film?
Yes, it was to suit the character in the film. Those days, women had quite a round figure. They were not plump but they were healthy. You know hatti-katti (strong).

Which are your favorite period films?
I like many… hmm…let me think…I guess you can take down Lawrence of Arabia and Spartacus.

What makes a person a true fighter?
The capacity and capability of not fighting. Look at the situation and back off.

So you mean, one should give up?
No…don't give up. Give yourself in (to the battle).

Reporter and Author: Susan Jose

Salman amazed at hype over Zarine-Katrina resemblance!

Mumbai: While Zarine Khan has become a talk of the town for supposedly being Katrina Kaif’s look-alike, actor Salman Khan thinks otherwise. The actor insists that he does not see any resemblance between Kat and his ‘Veer’ co-star Zarine, except the fair skin and sharp nose!

"I am amazed at the hype over the reported similarities. God has never made two people look alike. If there was any resemblance, I should have noticed it first," Salman told reporters.

Sallu mentioned that since the producers of the film wanted a new face for the role of the Rajput princess, they zeroed in on Zarine.

"The presence of an established actress would have looked like as if the actress is playing the role. We wanted a yesteryear look and hence the need for a fresh face," Salman said.

Salman had first met Zarine on the sets of Subhash Ghai`s `Yuvraaj`. ‘Veer’ is slated for release on January 22.

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Salman respect for his ethos

Salman Khan, by his own admission, is often allured to overstep the law and do what he knows to be wrong. However, Salman has much greater respect for his spirit of a culture. When it comes to kissing his leading ladies he just won’t do it, in deference to his culture and upbringing.

Admitting his propensity to tread over the law, in a recent interview, Salman explained that he had an evil side that he is not very fond of.
“It is my conscious effort to control that and not to go to the evil side. I have got a tremendous evil side that I don’t like. I know this is good, this is bad, and what the right way is. And that is my constant battle, my constant fight with myself,” Salman Khan said.

In sharp contrast, when it comes to kissing his leading ladies on screen, Salman is clear headed and categorical – He won’t do it!

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According to a source, before he signed up for Marigold, his next release and first Hollywood film, the yet to be married 42-year-old told Willard Carroll, the director, that he will not kiss on screen.

“No kissing scenes, please!” he said.
Carroll confirms Salman made his sign up conditional.

“That’s right. Out there in the West, it’s different, but the culture in India is different, and I respect it. Salman came and told me, ‘what face will I show my father?’ Now, who can argue with that?”

Zayed Khan gifts Salman Khan a Mastiff pup
By: Tushar Joshi Date: 2010-01-13 Place: Mumbai

The little pooch has been named MyLove

Salman Khan has got a new addition to his family of dogs. And this one has been gifted to him by actor Zayed Khan. After his two favourite dogs MyJaan and MySon passed away last year, Sallu has been in a slump. Zayed, who bonded with Salman during the making of Yuvraaj, saw that he was missing his pets and gifted him a pup of the same breed as his dear departed pets.


Salman Khan and Zayed Khan

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Bhai ke liye!
An insider tells all, "Zayed loves dogs. He has three of them -- two Maltese Terrier and one Golden Retriever. He could see that the actor still had to come to terms with the loss. ZK contacted a dog breeder and asked him to get a healthy Mastiff pup, which he gifted to "bhai" He surprised Salman with he gifted him the pup when he met him a few weeks back."

Salman was extremely touched by his gesture and took to the pup immediately. "He is really tiny and over 25 days old. Salman has ordered his staff to take good care and keep feeding him at regular intervals. Since he's busy promoting Veer and is never at home, he keeps calling back and checking on the pup."

Salim Khan is Salman’s Veer

January 14th, 2010


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Eros International and Vijay Galani’s Veer starring Salman Khan is very close to the actor’s heart. Salman who has penned the script of the film has focused on the father-son relationship.

Talking about his idea of Veer Salman reveals “My father is a real Veer as he has always faced tough times with courage and I salute him for that.”

Reminiscing about his fond memories with his father Salman says “I remember I was small when I flunked in Maths. I was terrified to face my father and disclose the fact to him. Somehow I gathered guts to tell him; to which he politely reacted and told me not to worry and spoil my vacations. Exams are not the real test. Still, ‘beta agli baar zara dhyaan se padhna’”.

Now this gets us thinking -is the father-son relationship in Veer structured on Salman’s relationship with his father? Well that only time will tell.

-Anil A Kanojia/ Real Bollywood

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Readers' Choice: Best Actors, 2009: Rediff.com Movies

1. Salman Khan in Wanted

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It might not technically be the year's finest piece of acting. But when it comes to star power, there's nobody quite like Salman Khan, something he showed off with the year's second biggest hit.

Wanted has nothing but him. But Salman plays the outrageous cop-crook character with such superstar-power that it's hard not to smile. Truly a larger than life star, this.


Image: Salman Khan

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Salman Khan Causes Stampede In Hyderabad!
- Planet Bollywood Special Correspondant

Hyderabad, Jan 16 (PTI) Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's presence at a theatre here caused a mad rush as hundreds of fans thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the actor.
The press conference for the actor's upcoming film 'Veer' at Prasad's IMAX theatre went smoothly but commotion ensued as soon as the crowds outside came to know about Khan's presence.

Being Saturday a large number of people were present at the theatre and after seeing the OB vans of different TV channels parked outside they came to know that Salman was in town.

The crowd waited outside the venue of the press conference on the second floor of the theatre and tried to rush towards the actors when Salman Khan came out and waved to his fans.

Screaming fans jostled to have a glimpse of the actors and went out of control.

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Salman ‘Khan’a ho to aisa!


Salman Khan may have been the main draw at the races on Sunday afternoon but the brunch that followed was a thorough social do which saw the society’s swish set, dressed in their best. Yes, the hats were out and the summery outfits added to the appeal as hosts Vivek Jain and David Morris ensured that the guests were well looked after.


Salman’s family — mother Salma, sister Arpita Khan and brother Sohail Khan with wife Seema Khan — were present. Arbaaz Khan was spotted speaking with Sherlyn Chopra while Sonia Garware caught up with Vikram Assomul. Arti and Kailash Surendranath were spotted enjoying the ice golas. The stunning compere for the evening was none other than Jacqueline Fernandes, who made for a pretty picture in a lime green outfit. Shobhaa De and hubby Dilip caught up with Komal and Rajiv Vazir. Other guests who made the most of the sunny afternoon were Roohi and Chetan Jaikishan with their kids, Farah and Riyadh Oomerbhoy with their son, Natasha and Adar Poonawala, Neeta Lulla, Deepika Gehani, Roopa Fabiani, Aditya Kilachand, Nisha Javeri, Zeba and Rajesh Kohli, Ekta Raheja, Sangeeta and Madan Assomull amongst others.

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Salman concerned over rising students' suicide in Maharashtra

Posted: Tuesday , Jan 19, 2010 at 1125 hrs Mumbai:

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As 20 people have committed suicide over the past 18 days in Maharashtra, claimed Salman Khan. He said it is a matter of great concern and parents need to talk to their children.

"If every year there are ten kids committing suicide (in a week on average), it is a thing that will... can happen to you as well. It's something to worry about. We think that it won't happen to us but how do you know, if it happens tomorrow then what will we do. So before it happens it's better that parents sit and talk to children, advice them that they should study but at the same time they should say that if it's not happening, if you don't pass then it's okay, it will happen next time." said Khan.

Khan advised kids to do things in which they had a genuine interest.

"I told the kids that you should do things you are interested in. And I told them that you'd be successful in the field only if you're interested in it," he added.


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Salman gets 'Pride of the Nation' award

STAFF WRITER 20:4 HRS IST

New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Bollywood star Salman Khan was today conferred the 'Pride of the Nation' award for spreading the message of patriotism, secularism and national integration through films.

Constituted by Anti Terrorist Front, the award was presented to Salman by its chairman M S Bitta and eight children, who are terror victims, at a function here.

Bitta said Salman was conferred the award for spreading the message of patriotism, secularism and national integration through films, including his new film "Veer".

At the function, Khan and Bitta also presented ATF-Veer Bravery Awards to eight persons, including Delhi Police Inspector M C Sharma (posthumously for fighting terrorists) and Jammu and Kashmir braveheart Ruksana Kausar


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Brad Pitt stole my look: Salman Khan
Tuesday, 19 January , 2010, 16:50


Being compared to Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt would be considered a compliment by most, but the observation left Salman Khan fuming.

Special: Catch Salman as the Pindari warrior in Veer

The actor, who was promoting his upcoming period drama Veer, threw a fit when a reporter remarked that his look in the film was similar to the one sported by Pitt in Troy.

"He [Pitt] was wearing a miniskirt in the film. I am not. And does my hair look blonde?" retorted Salman angrily.

But the tirade continued with the actor telling the journalist, "I had long blonde hair in Sooryavanshi, so I should stand up and say that Brad Pitt stole my look. Did that guy in Gladiator, Russell Crowe, have long hair? No, he did not. This is rubbish. I play a Pindari soldier and my look is not a copy of any Hollywood film."

The film is the brainchild of Khan who turned scriptwriter for the period drama that revolves around the life of a Pindari soldier leading a revolt against the British in 1857.

The film directed by Anil Sharma has been in the making for three decades and in Salman's own words it was a "long and hard journey."

The actor, meanwhile, is leaving no stone unturned to promote the film, which releases on January 22.

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I don't break commitments: Salman Khan

Salman Khan Salman Khan has often been in the news for his relationships and break-ups but the superstar says he is very particular about his commitments - whether personal or professional.

"I'm a very committed person. If it (a personal or official relationship) breaks, it's always the other person who breaks it and not me. I don't interfere that much because it matters a lot to me," Salman, who is currently dating actress Katrina Kaif, told reporters Tuesday at the FICCI Auditorium here.

"It goes on the same way from my side. When I commit (to someone or doing something), I stick to it," said the 44-year-old, who is said to have dated Aishwarya Rai, Sangeeta Bijlani and Somy Ali in the past.

The star was in the capital to promote his upcoming film "Veer", which releases Friday. The epic, which has been written by Salman himself, has been produced by Vijay Galani and Sunil A. Lulla.

It also marks the big screen debut of Zarine Khan in the female lead. Mithun Chakraborty, Sohail Khan and Jackie Shroff also play pivotal roles in the movie.

The macho star is also undeterred with the failures of period dramas in Bollywood, as both Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Asoka" (2001) and Aamir Khan's "Mangal Pandey: The Rising" (2005) have been box office duds.

"I've given my best and left it for the audiences to decide if it works or not... if it does, the credit will be everybody's and if it doesn't, then I will take the blame," he said.

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Salman, Sanjay Dutt, Saif, Aamir or Shahrukh! Who started the body building in Bollywood?

Bollywood did not have the craze for body in its initial years. It was only in the late eighties when this craze for good body gripped overBollywood. Way back then some of the stars started to build bodies and then came the drastic change in Bollywood.

Salman Khan- This lad was the first who slowly brought in style of his own and building body. He started to show up in movies by 1988 and he steadily introduced the art of body building.

Sanjay Dutt- He is a person who has gone through a lot and has somehow or the other managed to come out of that. He too fell for body building and evolved as someone completely different.

Saif Ali Khan- In his initial days he was someone who did not have a single as to what he was doing. After that he restarted his career and came back in shape. Not only this his career shaped up in a different way and today he is a well know actor.

Aamir Khan- In the year 2008 with Ghajini, Aamir Khan proved to be another wonder as he completely changed his body. This chocolate boy turned into a muscular hunk.

Shah Rukh Khan- Apparently King Khan of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan also caught up with the craze for a flick called Om Shanti Om. Then there was no turning back and he had set a different example forBollywood after this.

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Cyclothon wt salman khan
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Salman the perfectionist!

People talk about the other Khans of Bollywood being perfectionists. But here’s Salman Khan taking perfection to another level. For Veer, his Friday release by Eros International that’s directed by Anil Sharma, Salman plays a warrior during the turbulent British Raj.

And to get his beefed-up bronzed look for the film, that Salman says was inspired from the 1970s hit Dharam-Veer, the actor took to training in the old-fashioned way. He stopped weight-training and started doing lot of free-hand exercises, push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups... exactly what a gladiator of that era might have done during a day and age when there were no air-conditioned gyms with state-of-the-art equipment. And the results speak for themselves.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, if he were to resurrect Conan the Barbarian, could take tips from Salman in Veer. Even Russel Crowe in Gladiator would need to go to the back of the class! For no motion picture hero looked better in armour with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other than Salman in Veer. The war horse is waiting for the battle trumpet to sound on Friday.

Mumbai:
Well, these are Salman Khan’s last pictures of weight training. The actor told DNA that he is giving up lifting weights so that he can lose all his muscles.

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This is the gym for power-training that Salman had set up at his farmhouse in Panvel at least 10 years back. Salman will not be training on these machines anymore.

“I need to get rid of these muscles. Now, that the shooting of my film is over, I have stopped lifting weights. I am only doing free-hand exercises. I think that there cannot be a better alternative to free-hand exercises when it comes to the good old Indian dan-baithaks. I can do one hundred dan-baithaks at one go,” says Salman.

At a time when Shah Rukh reportedly cannot spend two hours at a stretch without puffing on the cancer stick and Aamir famously admitted on his blog that he tends to smoke under pressure— Salman admits that he is suffering from withdrawal symptoms, as he is going through the process of giving up smoking and drinking altogether.

“I have realised that when I smoke, children and adolescents pick up the habit fast. I don’t want to be an excuse for teenagers to learn smoking. You will never see me smoking again. As for the screen, if there is a smoking scene, then the director really has to convince me very hard on why I need to puff that stick. Besides, I am not drinking also. I think every star who has a fan following should not be smoking or drinking on the screen or in public for that matter,” says the star, admitting, “Yes, you do suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Your body constantly draws you towards that habit while your mind reasons that you shouldn’t do it. I will let my mind do the talking because these symptoms go away after a while.

This is not easy, but what on earth is easy? And above all, I need to give up smoking and drinking for the kind of lean body that I am looking at.”

Salman, who has not been a method actor, is now turning to method acting like Aamir Khan. “I need to get into the skin of the character of my next film (Dabangg). It requires a lean body. Besides, I have always wanted a lean body. I have sported a muscular physique for a long time. It’s time for a different Salman Khan to emerge!” he ends.

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Salman's fan base is shocking!

TNN, 29 January 2010, 12:00am IST

You’d think that the way Salman Khan has conducted his love hate relationship with the media; they’d reserve any undue praise? Quite the opposite we’d say.

The man is hugely popular. Agreed, that Shah Rukh and Aamir got extra taalis, but the catcalls went through the roof when Salman appeared on screen with some deaf and mute kids doing a very touching part of Phir Mile Sur. Like they say, everyone loves a ‘bad boy’? But is Sallu really that? Try telling that to all the kids that Salman supports and spends time with — there will probably be mob fury by little tots to protect their Veer. Wotsay Katz? You agree?

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Salman: I will cook and paint now
INDIATIMES MOVIES, 28 January 2010, 04:03pm IST


On a pleasant winter noon in Mumbai, I get ru-ba-ru with the hot Salman Khan. Its one of the beautiful days when Salman decides to not live by his larger than life star image but play a simple being instead.

Sitting in his turf, surrounded by lovely sister Alvira, gorgeous sister-in-law Malaika, and their cute-naughty-hyperactive kids, Salman Khan seems a happy man. He’s known to keep aloof when media is around, but today is different. The dude doesn’t seem to care about the world and resolves to have a great time, cycling with his nephews and playing with his dog - a 2 month old French Mastiff, whom he lovingly calls Veer.

Salman finally takes a break from all the running around and soon after its time for lunch. Yummilicious aroma of home-cooked food fills the air as the tiffins and casseroles are opened one by one. Salman gestures me to come and grab a bite and that’s when we get talking over some delicious daal-chawal.

Being a fitness conscious person, Salman prefers carrying ghar ka khana to his sets. While he savours the mom-made food, I ask him if there is one dish that he would not like to share with anyone. Salman takes a pause and replies, “I like to eat everything, but there is nothing that I won’t share with others.”

While tales of his sharing his dabba with his co-stars and film crew while shooting are famous, there’s one thing that Salman secretly tells me. “I used to cook too. But I haven’t done it since long. I guess I should cook something again. I will cook and paint now. Yes,” he lets me in.

A fitness freak, Salman is also a regular cyclist and loves to pedal his way from home to the sets and back. Cycling is one thing that he wants the youth to take up seriously. Salman says, “There is more than one reason why people should take up cycling. In Mumbai’s traffic, you will reach your destination faster by a cycle than in a car. People go to office by bus, autos and taxi and end up spending money. Why not cycle to work and save that money?

“Cycling saves your time, money and very importantly our depleting resources - petrol and diesel,” says Salman and adds after a brief pause, “It also makes for a great cardio exercise and keeps you fit. Not to forget, there’s zero pollution!”

A great thought and a cause, no wonder then Salman Khan’s NGO, Being Human has partnered with Sport 18 and ID Sports to organize the first ever Cyclothon in Mumbai. The event will be held on February 21st 2010, and the money raised through it will go to the NGO.

Salman also plans to introduce Being Human biking gear and t-shirts around the cyclothon and with that I just can’t help but ask him about Being Human clothesline and accessories. Salman’s reply surprises me, “I request my fans to not buy Being Human t-shirts available in the market. They are a copy and not the original Being Human stuff,” Salman further explains, “What happened is that when I started wearing the t-shrits and media clicked pictures, someone copied the design. The money you are spending on buying those t-shirts and watches sold on the streets thinking them as a Being Human brand is not going to the needy, but is landing in the pockets of some con artist.”

The beefy Khan prefers non-veg but is extremely fond of veg food too. Being a complete foodie and a great fan of his mom’s cooking, Salman does have his days of indulgence in high-calorie favourites. But what follows is an extra one hour strenuous workout session in the gym. “Khao aur ghatao. Fir kuch farak nahi padta,” says the Khan who is loved and admired for his perfect physique.

Now, if such a thing happened with an apparel giant, it would have raised an alarm over its losses, but Salman is calm about it all and has a plan in place already, “Now I will introduce a whole new Being Human collection. It will take three to four months.”

I ask him if seeing the copy of Being Human clothes being sold on Mumbai streets angered him. Salman flashes his sweet smile at me and shares an experience that gave him the inspiration to tackle such problems and situations in life. It was while shooting for ‘Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ video with little kids. “I learnt a very beautiful lesson from those kids. They couldn’t hear or speak, but still they were happy in life. Aur hum chotti chotti batoon se pareshan ho jaate hain... Headache, fever, minor bruises and just simple difficulties and challenges in day to day life perturb us, sadden us. Life is about positive attitude. End mein sab theekh ho jaata hai...,” Salman bids me goodbye with a wonderful thought.

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VEER from wikipedia...

Critical reception
The movie was generally panned by critics. Taran Adarsh criticized the writing and direction of the movie, describing it as a colossal disappointment.Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN termed it as "an impossible film to appreciate", criticizing the performance of the support cast, while praising the performance of Salman Khan.Gaurav Malani praised the performance of Salman Khan, while terming the story as average.Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL.in also praised Salman Khan but added "Overall, ‘Veer’ has it’s pluses but it is sadly restricted to a very average film. It has nothing new and that only makes it seem slower."

Among U.S. critics, Frank Lovece of Film Journal International enjoyed it as "hokum of the highest order, punctuated with the most rousing musical sequences of the last several Indian imports," and after dissecting the film's numerous historical and chronological fallacies said, "Stateside Bollywood fans more accustomed to modern-day musical romances or stylish crime thrillers will be pleasantly surprised to find a period piece that's more Xena: Warrior Princess than A Passage to India.