The evergreen on-screen couple Salman Khan, and Bhumika Chawla recently came together for the recently released Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. The much-awaited moment in fact! The Pioneer quickly connected with the actress over an exclusive chat, who expressed her mutual admiration for the leading actor, working on a familiar ground once again, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Actor Salman Khan and Bhumika Chawla seem to have re-developed quite a camaraderie after working together in the recently released Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.
In an exclusive interview with us, actress Bhumika Chawla expressed her mutual admiration for the leading actor and much more.
“Personally, my interaction with Salman Khan is a little less than his other co-stars,” shares the actress. “Of course, he has changed a lot. After Tere Naam became a massive blockbuster hit, I always wanted to sign a film as big as Tere Naam. At least the buzz should be the same! I used to get nervous if the film is not making a similar noise like Tere Naam or MS Dhoni. I used to feel as if I won’t be able to perform. But now my viewpoints have changed a lot because I can’t live with one character my whole life. Salman and I are also poles apart now.
He’s into commercial films, films for the masses. My genre has changed over time. Still, I didn’t bind myself! There was a time when I was even part of blockbuster commercial films. And they were remade very recently, crossing the hundred crore mark. I just didn’t want to do a role that demanded me to sing a song with the hero and sign off. I have done small-scale films too, then a woman-centric film!”
For this already-released project, it was Salman Khan’s production house that approached Bhumika. “We spoke at length about my character sketch. Strangely, I wasn’t in touch with him for the past few years. I wanted to come on board because I know him so well. And then, there was Venky too (she giggled). I was on familiar ground once again. Salman is known for his family-centric movies, it’s been a while for me too that I hadn’t done one. Everything was in tandem, that way. The family emotions were being blended into a South Indian culture, which made me hop on the boat instantly. But when I recall my days with Salman during the shoot of Tere Naam, I was so coy and reserved that I was only into reading books even when the camera was not rolling.”
Well, that’s how she recalls her memories with Salman Khan! The leading lady doesn’t stop there; she had some more anecdotes to share with us. “All of the co-stars were pretty okay on the sets of Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. But Shehnaaz and I have something in common! Both of us follow the Brahma Kumaris, it was so interesting for me to see how such a youngster is meditating for peace.
There is a part of her which is so spiritual! There is a difference between being religious and spiritual and I engage in benevolent actions only for self-satisfaction. It’s more on the humanitarian grounds. You have to be kind if you’re following Sanatana Dharma. I hear a lot about what sister Shivani known as B.K. Shivani to the world, has to preach; the way she approaches a sentiment is so impactful, and that urged me to follow Brahma Kumaris.”
Bhumika by all means does not believe that the unification of stars is something new in the industry since she is aware that it has been coming from the nineties, and she explains, “We always had female leads coming from the south and working in Hindi. Even Venkatesh sir and Nagarjuna sir have done a few films in Hindi. Suddenly, now it’s a lot more because in the last two or three years films like Pushpa, RRR, and Baahubali, have done really well and it’s been back to back. When there’s no gap, your memory takes it more. So, we are kind of catering, it’s become like that both ways.”
On the whole, she understands very well that most probably SS Rajamouli could be the person, who pushed the movement ahead once again in the industry but the stars had already gained prominence years ago with successful hits across genres.
