Will Salman Khan's Trademark Machismo Be Shed For Bharat? Director Explains

New Delhi: We might not be able to see superstar Salman Khan fighting, pulling off his shirt or showing off his well-toned body on screen in Bharat. Yes, you read that right. But why? Director Ali Abbas Zafar explains. According to him, it is important to show Salman in a different light as Indian cinema is changing and leaving a mark with every film is important, he told mid-day. "There is a secret method of working with Salman, and I will keep that information to myself. The face of Indian cinema is changing and you need to make a statement with every film. One must be open to experimenting with genres instead of sticking to one," Ali Abbas Zafar said, adding that exaggerated machismo becomes 'redundant' and highlighting Salman Khan's other side is essential for his character in Bharat.

He has directed Salman, 52, in two blockbuster films - Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai - which has earned over Rs 300 crore (and counting). "To keep up with the current landscape, it is important to keep rediscovering the superstar that Salman Khan is. It is imperative that as a writer, I give him the material that enables him to discover new dimensions while portraying his character," Mr Zafar further told mid-day.

Salman Khan's Bharat is a remake of Korean movie Ode To My Father and Ali Abbas Zafar earlier revealed that the actor had suggested him to adapt the film in Hindi. "That film came to me from Salman himself. He gave me the film and said he really likes it and asked me to watch it. I saw it and really liked it... Salman said after Tiger Zinda Hai, you do this," Ali Abbas Zafar told news agency PTI.

Bharat goes on floors in March and will arrive on Eid 2019.