i was crushed when angel said buffy could handle herself in home bc like….. she wasn’t. she was drowning, but it’s not like he could read her mind. buffy repressed until the very end until she was finally released from being the only one with the sacred duty, whereas even tho angel DID come back to help her, he didn’t overstay. im glad she wasn’t the one who put him back on the right path in s5 bc not only were they not ready to talk just yet, but angel did not come into his own, not even in not fade away. the story of buffy and angel is a decades-long one, and i think angel needed a LOT more time to come into his OWN power, whereas buffy was finally released from hers in chosen. even tho los angeles burned in not fade away, im glad he had to go at it knowing his friends were mostly dying if not dead. if the metaphor is to suffer until the end, then suffering it is. im much more appreciative of cordelia’s part in angel’s story now bc truth be told, angel’s story was too difficult for joss to tell in just a few seasons. here’s a man whose devil never really dies because HE is the devil, and until angel can learn to mourn his losses without implementing a new timeline every time things just Do Not Go His Way, he’s never going to become human. he hates himself too much, is willing to have a hissy fit at every turn, can’t handle his losses and CANNOT deal with his goddamn emotions to save his undead life. even tho i believe not fade away would have been different if we got a season six, we didn’t NEED a season six. you couldn’t tell angel’s redemption in five or even ten seasons. his sins are aplenty, and what he deserves is up for debate, but what we DO know is that he’s not ready to become human again. he’s got to love a hundred more people and lose them, deal his catholic guilt and resolve his religious trauma, work out the daddy issues and own that he’s used and abused people both without and WITH a soul, come out of the closet and admit he enjoys sex with both men and women and demons, admit there’s a part of him that’s always craved finality and death, and ACCEPT that he IS a monster at heart.

and that monsters have a choice too. to DO good, not BE good, bc even after five seasons of angel and three seasons of buffy, angel still had to struggle with the concept of what’s inherent vs what’s learned. he never really forgave himself for anything, and sometimes he got too much of a pass to put his sins to rest by establishing a couple of new timelines, but like, hey, he’s both a champion and a harbinger of the apocalypse, right?

until he chooses to be a champion for good. until he can forgive himself for his sins and accept that angelus is a part OF him and not a piece to repress forever. if buffy’s story is a metaphor for the inevitable agonies of adolescence and the crushing loneliness that comes with it, then angel’s metaphor is that the past never really dies. and you can’t kill it, but you can’t brood and repress it either. bc redemption isn’t eating rats in a sewer for a couple of decades, just like establishing new timelines doesn’t erase the fact that he’d killed his son to save innocent lives and ruined his chances of being buffy’s human househusband. the fight is forever, forever working on yourself and helping the helpless, and finally accepting that even he himself is just a human being, and that it’s a CHOICE to wake up and do good everyday. angel wasn’t ready for that. he might not be for a long, long time, but trust, when he finally grows the fuck up and can introduce himself as liam at the town christmas party without buckling down in shame, buffy will be right at the center of the dance floor, waiting for him.

I've finished rewatching Our Flag Means Death and I've got some thoughts. So so so.

I think it's neat that Stede Bonnet's leadership methods actually worked on his crew, and I would argue this implies a lot about what might happen in season two (inshallah we get one). I mean. They start out trying to be real cutthroat pirates but in the end, mostly because of Stede's values, they go from planning a mutiny in episode one to standing by their captain in episode nine. They've banded together to form a real crew. This character growth is a consequence of Stede's worldview in action, which is being challenged by the show.

As such, episode ten is the crucible in which Stede's values are being tested. Things fall apart, and certain characters fall back on old habits. Ed retreats back to the familiarty of being Blackbeard, and the crew starts to turn on each other after being marooned. Blackbeard's old crew, who have grown to be sympathetic, have returned to their old roles at his side. However, there are a few characters who make different choices- namely Stede and Jim.

Stede tries to go back to his old life, finds he doesn't fit in at all, and then with help from Mary finds a way to move on. He makes amends with her and with their children, and decides on a new path for his future. Jim takes Spanish Jackie's words to heart and let's go of their revenge quest. They choose a path that takes them back to someone they love, hoping for an outcome that refutes their Nana's worldview- that life is pain.

Stede makes his choice because it's in his character to choose altruism, and Jim makes theirs because they've decided to take a risk and put their faith in the lessons they've learned on their journey.

Ed also has a choice to make- he's torn between two identities and two different paths, which are directly tied to the themes of altruism vs. revenge. Like the others, his choices and their outcomes play a large part in determining the over all thesis statement of the show. We just... still don't know what the outcome will be.

And so season two will have to deal with the consequences of these choices. It will have to affirm or refute Stede's worldview, show whether or not Jim's gamble was worthwhile, and determine by Ed's choices whether or not altruism is worth more than revenge.

There's already been a few hints at where the show stands on this- Mary helps Stede instead of killing him, even though she has every reason to resent him. Stede shows up in time to prevent the crew from turning on each other, and in the end, it seems like Ed still doesn't fit into his old persona, as much as he is trying.

I guess what I'm saying is, there's hope for a good ending, maybe. That or it will be a particularly tragic comedy of errors. In any case a thesis has been made, to be upheld or disproven, if we get a season 2 to see it. I hope we do ;-;

★ “Stardom will go away. It is not permanent. ” – Salman Khan!

He is Bollywood’s evergreen lover boy ‘Prem’, favourite action star, ‘Chulbul Pandey’ and without any doubt, the ‘Tiger’ of the film industry. We are talking about the man who needs no introduction, Salman Khan. After ‘Race 3’ in 2018, Bollywood’s beloved ‘Bhaijaan’ is all set for the release of his next film ‘Bharat’ on the occasion of Eid 2019 and gets candid with CineSpeaks on the film, it’s plot and much more. Read to know further.

Q) So Salman, the film is about to release, the songs are amazing and the trailer is fantastic is well. So tell us something. How are you feeling inside?

Salman – Everything is there in the film which we look forward to. Action, comedy, thrill, drama everything but the main reason why the film has been done is because of the ‘plot’ of the film. The fact how a 9 year old boy has been given the task to take care of his mother, 3 siblings and how he does that to ensuring they finally settle down and marry. From the age of 9 to 72,his journey and everything. It’s lovely.

Q) Seems like it pretty much reflects you in reality because you are always so supportive towards your parents and friends?

Salman – It’s actually ‘ulta yaar’. They have been supporting me throughout. I need the support. (Laughs)

Q) Do Fridays make you nervous anymore?

Salman – Hahaha. If 2-3 go wrong, I will be.. But till now, inshallah has been good. Even though we talk about ‘Race 3’, it did more than 170 crores. So inshallah going good as of now.

Q) We heard there were changes in the story and script. Tell us about that.

Salman – See, I had narrated the story to Sooraj(Barjatya) and he made a very nice suggestion. After that when me and Ali spoke, I told him that they should not get married. Otherwise the whole thing gets diluted. Him taking care of the mother, siblings, father etc, the whole point gets a little diluted. So bass itna nahi.

Q) Salman, you are the only actor whose presence itself just makes the audience go wild..they clap, whistle and what not and due to this, you are still at the top. Do you think you are still the biggest heavyweight in front of the new stars?

Salman – Uparwaale ne mujhe nawazaa hai.. Fans ka support hai bass and undying support. Pata nahi wo mujh mein kya dekhte hai ki unka wo side nikal aata hai. Also the kind of films I do or have been doing till now, I have been seeing them since childhood and used to react the same way. So now when I am on the other side of it on screen, I feel I am sitting there with my fans and watching it and it somewhere gives me a feel that I would want my hero to do these things. So that’s it.

Q) Do you watch shows on the web as in digital?

Salman – When I start, I end up finishing 4 seasons. It’s dangerous and addictive man.

Q) So which are the ones you watched?

Salman – I saw ‘Game of Thrones’ till the 4th episode and then couldn’t see it after that because ek break lag gaya tha aur phirr ho nahi paya. I finished ‘Vikings’ recently. Then ‘Taboo’, ‘Arrow’, Then I watched ‘Peaky Blinders’ as well. I want to now watch ‘Money Heist’. There are 3-4 more.

Q) You are a magnanimous superstar today. You have name, fame and everything today. Is there anything still on the dream list?

Salman – Hahah sadly enough, dream karne ka utna time hai nahi mere paas kyunki main utna sota nahi hoon. Toh yeh chakkar hai. Kaise dream karu?

Q) Salman, where do you think your stardom is heading? You are confident of it being there always?

Salman – Stardom will go away. It’s not permanent. I think fortunately enough, Me, Shah Rukh, Aamir and Akshay are the only ones who have been able to hold it for so long. Otherwise it’s not easy to keep it going for such a long time. I am sure after a few years, our box office collections too would end up being 8%, 10% etc. But thankfully enough, that phase hasn’t started yet.

Q) Salman, a few days back, Akki told us that he can do action oriented movies till 56 57 maybe. How long do you think you will be able to do it?

Salman– Not too long I guess. Another 30-35 years max. (Grins)

Q) Coming to marriage, have you been approached for marriage by anyone till now?

Salman – No man. I am dissapointed. I haven’t been approached for marriage.

Q)  Are you upset with Priyanka regarding leaving the film?

Salman – No, not at all. I think it was a very brave, bold and great decision that she chose to get married at a time like this when she got a big film like ‘Bharat’.  She had also come to the house once to talk about it where she said she is going to get married.. So I initially asked her if she wants adjustments in the dates or not. Then I got the vibe that she isn’t willing to do the film anymore so I said fine enough and fair enough. At a time when people wait to get married for a major film in their career, she has gone ahead to marry and left a film. So it’s such a bold thing to do. Damn good man.

Q) Your mother, Salma aunty said that ‘Film mein 70 age mein wo jitne handsome lag rahe hai reality mein bhi 70 mein wo itna hi lagenge’. What do you have to say on that?

Salman – She said that? Wow.. Nahi pata tha yaar. I mean what can I say? Have you seen her husband at 84? The way he looks. (Smiles hinting at his father Salim Khan)

Q) Salman, you think your change in look will be widely accepted or are you nervous?

Salman – See, I heard throughout my life that ‘Agar hero ke baal chale gaye toh wo nikal gaya hero bracket se’.  In ‘Tere Naam’, I removed my hair and that look was accepted. Not just once, I have done it 2-3 times. So I am sure it will be well received.

Q) Last but not the least, whose idea was it to cast Jackie Shroff?

Salman – Mera. I know kal Ali isska credit leke bhaag jayega issliye maine pehele se bol diya haan. Mera idea tha. (Laughs)

Interview with Max Pam in 2014

Australian photographer Max Pam has a wanderlust that does not extinguish. At the age of 20, he landed in Singapore for the trip of his lifetime, traveling by land all the way to London, and traversing the most remote parts of India and Pakistan on the way.

His interest in photography began at the age of 16, when he took a camera and 60 rolls of film with him to document his travel experiences. This first journey would mark the beginning of a photographic career, or better yet, a pilgrimage that is still ongoing after more than four decades.

Max is here to give a special representation tonight at the projection evening at 8:30 PM at the FCC Angkor. He will also exhibit his body of work “Kailash”, a journal about the Mount Kailash in North India, which he travelled to in 1999. The exhibition opens tomorrow, Dec. 6, at 5.00PM at the Riverside Gardens, supported by Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor. It is also part of the inaugural GreenLight Exhibition Series, jointly supported by the AIMF (L’Association Internationale des Mairies Francophones), Ville de Genève, and the Siem Reap Municipality.

“I am not a travel photographer,” Max said when met in Siem Reap. “I am a photographer that travels a lot”.

We sat down with Max in Siem Reap for a chat on his photographic journeys and his deliberate choice to put his travel experiences into book format, of which there are 15 to date. The interview has been edited for brevity.

APF: You are an avid traveler. Do you keep count of how many places you have travelled to?

Max: There are places I have never been, but in a lifetime how much can one see? You are not going to tick every box, and I am not really interested in that.

But in the course of one’s photographic career, even because of the festival scene, they invite you to countries you’ve never been before.

In 2011, I had an exhibition in Chile and I had never been to South America before. It is interesting how photography works in that. You began as a photographer who loves to travel, and then the system catches up to you and actually and it takes you on trips.

My mother is 94 years old, and so, Inshallah, I will live to a good old age. If I keep going on this way, I might see everywhere!

APF: Why do you choose to show your photography in books?

Max: Traveling is something I do for myself and that is the primary concern. But for me, the book is everything. It is more important than an exhibition. To get a book is kind of like a validation of what you do.

Exhibitions come and go, and you are only as good as your last exhibition. The whole idea of a book, to me, is they become a record, a testament.

APF: Tell us about the process involved in making a Max Pam photography book.

Max: I didn’t finish my first book until I was 42 years old. It is a lot of work. My last book took me about seven years and 32 drafts. Right now I am working on a new book. It is 400 pages now. If I keep going, it could reach 500 or 600 pages, and it is becoming overweight. It is like cooking, you keep reducing the gravy until it becomes tasty. Now it is a very fat kind of book. And then, I slim it down to make it fat-free.

APF: Your photobooks have more than just photographs, as you also play with texts and drawings, making those books highly personalized bodies of work. Why do you do that?

Max: There is only a certain amount that you can photograph that delivers experience because photography is mostly in descriptive in nature.

I find it hard to photograph emotions. The emotions that I am interested in are not in photojournalism, nor bearing the results to something excruciating happening, but the subtleties of the emotions.

And that is why writing is so important. There are certain things you just can’t photograph, but you want to make a visual language out of it. Photographers can also be good writers. And photographers can be good watercolourists and painters. It is all about taking the time to touch base with all these disciplines. It is surprising how if you invest enthusiasm into it, you can quickly get very satisfying results.

APF: Are you always photographing?

Max: There have been long periods of time when I didn’t photograph. In the literal sense, I didn’t photograph every day. Maybe I photographed one month every year.

But in my mind, I am always thinking about photography. So, I really see myself as photographing in that sense, as it occupies my psyche, my thinking process, my notion of aesthetic, interests and curiosity about things.

In a sense you can say that I have a hidden camera in my mind. Photographers should have that sensibility, like, if you see a situation that could be a really good photograph, that’s when you put it down in your notebook “MUST TAKE THIS PHOTO”.

★ Salman Khan claims he's confident about Bharat: My stardom will fade away but that hasn't started yet!

Jun 04, 2019  It has been 31 years and counting. Salman Khan remains on top of the Bollywood game and at the peak of his stardom. As the critics and opinion makers try to unravel the mystery of his ever increasing popularity, the actor wears it light and appears baffled himself. Excerpts from his interview:

How difficult it is for a superstar like you to maintain his stardom?

It will fade away. It's a huge task to keep it going for such a long time. After a point, every superstar’s film does not perform as well and their collection comes down to 8-10 per cent. That will toh happen with me as well but I don’t think it has started yet (smiles).

But you still give the younger brigade of actors a run for their money whenever you appear on the silver screen.

I still don’t know what fans see in me. The kind of films I do are like those I have grown up watching. I used to react to those films the same way my fans react to my films. When my film plays on screens and fans enjoy, I feel I am watching with them and that I am watching what I would want to see myself.

Recently, Akshay Kumar said that he will be able to do action films maybe till he is 56-57 years of age. What about you?

Not too long I guess, another 30-35 years max (Grins).

Bharat will hit the screens in a few days. What is your feeling about the film?

The trailer and songs are good. It has a huge canvas. It’s been shot really well. Action, thrill, comedy, romance and all that stuff is there. But the main reason why this film was done is its plot. Here, a nine-year-old boy has been given the responsibility to take care of his mother and three siblings. There is a father, who promises to return. From the age of nine till 72, he has done everything to see that everyone stays together and his siblings get married and settle down. His journey shows it all.

It is being said that the character reflects your personality. You too have always supported your family and friends.

(Smiles) Actually, it is just the opposite. They always support me. I need the support.

Is Bharat your best film ever?

Every film is my best film.

Are you nervous?

If two-three films don’t do well, I may get nervous. So far, it’s been good. It was said that Race 3 did not do well, but it did Rs 170+ crores.

Heard that you narrated the story of Bharat to Sooraj Barjatya first?

Yes, I had narrated this subject to Sooraj Barjatya, and he made an amazing suggestion for the love story. I told Ali (Abbas Zafar, director) that he (Bharat) should not get married to her (Katrina Kaif’s Kumud). It just deviates everything. If he has his own family then what about his mother and siblings? Also, what about his focus on his father?

Which is your favourite Bharat look?

The character of the older one is awesome. He has humour, anger and swag.

Do you think your fans will accept it?

I have always been told that a hero has to have long hair. Whenever an actor’s hairline recedes, his career takes a backseat. In Tere Naam, I took my hair off and that look was accepted.

Ali says that you are a versatile and phenomenal actor but people do not look at you that way because you do not talk seriously or intellectualise your acting skills like others, who say, "I isolated myself.." or "I didn’t sleep for two days to prep for the role"

(Cuts in) But as it is I don’t sleep much, I sleep for just two to three hours and it is not because I work hard on my characters in the night. I paint, I write and I watch TV. I have this habit when I watch TV — if something is already going on it, I don’t change the channel. I get upset when somebody comes and changes the channel. Even if it is the Tata Sky homepage, I keep watching it. Then somebody comes and changes it. If cricket is going on, I watch it though I don’t understand much. If some South channel is on, like Raj TV, I watch it. The most dangerous thing nowadays is web shows. I finish four-four seasons in one go.

Which one are you watching these days?

I was watching Game Of Thrones but I stopped. I watched till the fourth season. Then there was a break, so I couldn’t see the whole thing. Then I watched Vikings. It’s outstanding. I finished Taboo. Then there was a show called Arrow. I like watching period stuff. I watched Peaky Blinders. Now I want to watch Money Heist. There are three-four more web shows that I would like to watch.

Do you take suggestions from your family?

Yeah, from my sisters! The day before yesterday, I heard the climax of Game Of Thrones from my sisters. They told me who killed whom and all of that.

You are producing something for the web space, right?

Yes, there is something in the pipeline. We are also producing a lot of content for television like The Kapil Sharma Show and Nach Baliye (Season 9).

Will you feature in any of the web shows you are producing?

No. But our Indian sensibilities are different, so we need to make web content keeping that in mind. I started TV because a lot of friends — with whom we cannot work in films — are big names on television. I started TV because of that, not to make money. We started to give more and more employment to directors, producers and actors.

Have you watched the Baahubali movies?

I watched Baahubali: The Beginning but could not watch Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. So I don’t know who killed Katappa (laughs). By the way, I won’t mind if you give me spoilers. Even if you tell me the whole story, I will still watch it.

How did Katrina take your comment about her winning the National Award for her performance in Bharat?

She thinks I am joking about it. She told me, "You have been saying National Award and everybody thinks it is a joke, and that I may not get it." I told her I was serious about it. But she says the way I have been saying it, people might think I am joking. I really think she truly deserves the National Award for Bharat.

Do you think Katrina was the right choice for Bharat, and not Priyanka Chopra?

Priyanka was very keen to do this film. Initially, Ali and we thought that it was Katrina Kaif's film. But she had just done Tiger Zinda Hai with me. Straight after Tiger Zinda Hai, doing another film with me did not make sense. Moreover, Ali said it was the role of a Hindustani girl. I said, ‘It’s strange. Katrina is your friend. You have worked with her on multiple projects.' I asked him if Katrina herself did not have the confidence to pull off a Hindustani role. I mean, she has been living in India for the last 20 years. I told him, ‘Don’t be ridiculous. She has done so many films like Raajneeti, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. Just because she has recently done films like Bang Bang, she won’t be able to play an Indian?’ It was ridiculous!

But then Ali said Priyanka had called him up and wanted to do this role. Priyanka and my sister, Arpita, are good friends. After that, the 'Nick story’ happened. She chose to get married, which is a very bold, brave and amazing step to take. She did what she wanted and Katrina got what she deserved.

Your films are panned by critics but loved by audiences. What do you have to say about critics and movie reviews?

These are the negative people. What to expect from them? It does not matter to me what they will say about me and my film. At times, they will give my film five stars, the other time minus five. They don’t understand anything. Even if their reviews affect 10-15 percent of the audience and people don’t go to watch it, that 10-15 percent less income makes a lot of difference to the poor producer. Films are not cheap to make. Films are not made in Rs 1 crore today. My film, Maine Pyar Kiya, was made with the budget of Rs 1.11 and it was the highest budgeted film at that point of time. The scenario is not the same anymore. Today, even the smallest film is made with Rs 25-30 crores. So you need to recover that money. Write reviews, but don’t be irresponsible. Don’t make fun of somebody’s work. Let the audience go and watch it. It may not make any difference in my life, but there are people who get affected by it.

When are you starting Inshallah?

Inshallah, Inshallah will start soon.

★ Salman Khan: Who am I? Even I don't know myself! 

iNTERVIEW: SALMAN KHAN

May 22, 2019

Salman Khan admits he has changed a lot over the years, opens up about future projects, joking that Dabangg will stop at 743rd instalment... He’s the boss even in a makeshift shamiana in the parking lot of a city studio. The night is young, and the mood is mellow. As he gears up to embark on a six-decade cinematic journey, Salman Khan, as always, is full of surprises. He cracks jokes with a straight face, shares changes that he’s noticed in himself without the slightest discomfiture and reveals plans that sound impossible but with Salman you can never tell. Excerpts from an interview: Your director Ali Abbas Zafar has said that Bharat is a film that could only be made with you because of the beautiful relationship you share with your father (Salim Khan)? Everyone shares a beautiful relationship with their parents. So, this film could have been made with anyone and they would have done complete justice to the film because the script is so beautiful. Ab bolne ke liye it can be said that because I share a beautiful relationship with my father, mother, sisters, brothers and friends I was the only choice but the fact is that had anyone else done it, it would have turned out just this way, maybe better. It’s an official adaptation of a Korean film, Ode To My Father… We’ve taken the rights of that film, but it’s changed a lot. Their culture is different from ours and when you adapt it, scenes change, moments change, the screenplay changes. But the plot has remained the same. Having written stories and screenplays yourself, what was it about this one that caught your attention? My visual of this film is that of two old men standing together at the end with tears in their eyes. Beta bhi buddha, baap aur buddha.. Since the age of nine, this guy has been waiting for something like this to happen… Ali says he now has a two-hero script for a film which he’d like to make with Shah Rukh Khan and you. I don’t know anything about this. At the moment there’s only Bharat. What does the word Bharat mean to you? It means my country, the country I love, and what I can do for it. Every year on Eid you come with a film which is like a gift... an Eidi for your fans. Films arrive during every festival, whenever one is ready, aa jaate hain. Dabangg 3 will come this Christmas and I’ve had releases during Diwali too. It’s just a coincidence that some of my films have opened around this time which makes people say that Eid is booked by Salman Khan. Arre, any actor can come during the festival, it’s a good date, a holiday, when people have got their salaries and their bonuses. Since this is the only entertainment we have, they come flocking to see their favourite heroes. It’s strange, when you are watching something on the digital platform, you watch alone, but when it’s a film, you always take family or friends along. Picture sab saath mein baith ke dekhte hain aur isse bonding ho jaati hai theatre ke andar. What kind of films did you grow up watching? The kind of films I’m making right now, and I went to the theatres to watch them. And believe me, the best kind of marketing for a film is still in-theatre promotion. The posters we saw in the foyer and the trailers we waited for, are what draw cinegoers. People come to the theatres to watch films all the time and for them posters must be tangaoed and trailers chalaoed so they know what’s arriving next.

There’s another Korean film, Veteran, around a detective and a crime syndicate…

Yeah, it’s an outstanding film. Atul (producer brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri) has acquired the rights of both Ode To My Father and Veteran. Will you feature in the Hindi adaptation of Veteran too? We will see about that. Dabangg 3 traces how neighbourhood rowdy Chulbul became Inspector Robinhood Pandey. What triggered off the idea of a prequel? The plot was in our minds when we were writing Dabangg. So the franchise was conceived as a three-part series. No, the first and the second parts which were linked lead up to the third. It was like iske baad yeh hoga aur third mein yeh hona chahiye. So there’s going to be a Dabangg 4, 5,6… Where do you stop? We will stop at (after pondering for a moment) Dabangg 743. It will spin for 700 years? No, we will finish everything Ek saal mein kitne aayenge? (Smiling) Aa jayenge. The TV show, Bigg Boss, has become synonymous with you but buzz is, you will not be hosting this season. True? I wish it were true but I’m doing it. What do you enjoy about getting people into the house every year? I don’t enjoy it. Endemol and Colors enjoy picking up people and putting them in the house who I have to then deal with. Sometimes I enjoy it, sometimes I don’t enjoy it, not at all. But I get to learn a lot from them. Would you allow anyone to lock you into a house like that? I would never allow it, but unfortunately, I don’t have a choice. They do come and pick me up and block me. Not anymore… No? I hope not. As an actor you’re always playing characters written for you, in the process don’t you lose sight of the real Salman Khan? People write different characters for me and I think I am doing them differently, but they all turn out the same. That’s my speciality! Kitna bhi different le kar aao, they all end up looking alike. As Ali says, even when you are playing a character, Salman Khan doesn’t disappear 100 per cent. Perhaps that’s what your fans like… They come to see Salman Khan, but they need to see who I really am. Who am I? Even I don’t know myself. I have no idea. So you see a lot of changes in Salman today from the one who did Maine Pyar Kiya? Oh, yes. But your director, Sooraj Barjatya, says he saw the same “beautiful soul” of Maine Pyar Kiya a quarter of a century later in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo… Sooraj sees what he is in others. He has not lost his innocence and his niceness. But I know that naivety in me disappeared a long time ago. I see a huge change in me and that’s how it should be. You can’t have the same innocence at this age, you will look like an idiot. Sanjay Leela Bhansali who is reuniting with you on Inshallah after almost two decades mentioned that you simply picked up from where you had left off… That’s how it should be, whenever he and I meet, there is this connect It’s just not an actor-director relationship. Just because he was working with other actors, it didn’t have to hamper or spoil our equation. I work with other directors too, so should he. Now, we will be collaborating on this very sweet love story. The film pairs you with one of the most promising young talents we’ve had in recent years… See how she’s turned it around, from a student to now, it’s beautiful! And no one can take credit for her growth except Alia herself. Jo bhi bole humne usko banaya hai, is not to be believed. It’s Alia who has honed her talent. What’s it like to be working with this bundle of talent? A godown of talent will be meeting with a bundle of talent… (Laughs) Actually there’s no talent here. Tiger Zinda Hai 3 is expected to start soon... It might, I’ve still to hear the script. Right now, I have two films. Will Katrina Kaif return? Of course. Dabangg will always have Sonakshi (Sinha), Jackie (Jacqueline Fernandez) will always be a part of Kick and Tiger can never be made without Katrina. Talking of Jacqueline you brought art into her life… (Smiles) Yeah, she was painting a lot during Race 3. Planning to share some of your paintings with the world? There’s just no time to paint now, but in around three months time I’ll have an exhibition for sure. What about your other ventures? There was talk of you starting a restaurant… Restaurant? No, that’s not on the cards, but we are retailing in clothing, jewellery, gyms and equipment, with the focus being on quality and durability. Mashallah, all the ventures are doing well with plans of getting much bigger. As a producer you recently gave your nod to a romcom revolving around a wedding to be directed by Rohit Naiyar… Rohit was the assistant director on two films I’d done with Raj Kanwar. Minutes into the narration I stood up and began laughing. It’s one of the funniest scripts I have heard. Your wedding has become a national concern…. Yeah, I think I should announce it on May 23… (Laughs) Seriously, any plans? Not for some time. And children? You love them… (Smiles) I want children, but with children comes the mother. I don’t want the mother, but they need one. But I have a whole village to take care of them. Maybe I can work out a win-win situation for everyone.