Shah Rukh and Salman Khan at an award show in Mumbai last year.
On the sidelines of IIFA weekend (being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), director-producer Sajid Nadiadwala revealed three secrets about the Khans - Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir.
Speaking to NDTV's Pooja Talwaar, Mr Nadiadwala said that the Khans a) would remain bankable 'for the next 20 years' b) they were 'always friends' and 'were just acting' and c) he still plans to cast all three in a film together.
Just days ago, Shah Rukh Khan rated the 'fakeness' of reports of an all-Khan film in a Twitter chat with fans as "somewhere between moon is made of cheese and the Loch Ness monster." Mr Nadiadwala, who made his debut as a director with Kick starring Salman last year, isn't giving up just yet. Salman has starred with each of the other Khans - with Aamir in cult comedy
Andaz Apna Apna and with SRK in
Karan Arjun and
Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam - but that was decades ago and there's never been a film with the trinity that has ruled Bollywood since the Nineties.
SRK and Salman might disagree with Mr Nadiadwala's "just acting" description of the six-year-long feud they conducted since falling out at actress Katrina Kaif's party in 2008. However, they have behaved impeccably since making up last year at Salman's sister's wedding, with SRK visiting Salman at home the day before his hit-and-run trial and then revealing the first look of his new film
Bajrangi Bhaijaan on Twitter.
And as for being bankable for the next 20 years, it's true that some of Bollywood's biggest profit margins have been Khan-created. This is the year they turn 50 (Aamir already has) and in 20 years, they will be 70 - just like actor Amitabh Bachchan who still commands box office crores at 72, and so Mr Nadiadwala's summation of their profitability might not be inaccurate. Heaven forbid, however, that we still have to watch Salman play ageing versions of Chulbul Pandey or Devil or Tiger or any of the other he-man roles he specializes in at 70 plus.
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