Even ten years later, ‘Sultan’ remains a firm favorite among Hindi cinema blockbusters. The film, directed by: Ali Abbas Zafar and starring: Salman Khan:followed the inspirational path of the underdog in the wrestling ring. Its appeal goes beyond the akhada, with popular tracks like ‘Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai’ and ‘Jag Ghoomeya’ adding to its charm. As ‘Sultan’ marks a decade since its release, Ali shares memories of shooting the film, Khan’s remarkable transformation, and whether a reunion with the star could be on the cards.
Ali Abbas Zafar at the beginning of ‘Sultan’
In a conversation with Variety India, when asked about the origin of the film, Ali shared, “The idea came from a one-line story of a man who rises against all odds and fights his own ego. I’ve always been a big fan of game play. I want to make a film that is rooted and earthy, as you call it a “desi” film. So, we chose wrestling because it is a sport with a long history in India, and it is about mud, earth, earth, falling, getting up and trying to fight your opponent and put him down, and in a way that is very similar to life.“
Ali Abbas Zafar on how Salman Khan said yes in 15 minutes
He added, “Salman Khan was the only choice for this film. When I explained the idea of the story to: Aditya Choprahe said that there is only one person who can play this role, Salman Khan. I agree wholeheartedly. We decided that we will do this film only if Salman agrees to do it. When we narrated the film to Salman, it took him exactly 15 minutes to say, “I did it.”
Ali Abbas Zafar in the casting Anushka Sharma opposite Salman Khan
When asked about pairing Anushka Sharma opposite Salman for the first time, with Anushka admitting earlier that she found working with him intimidating at first and how the initial difficulty went away, she said, “Casting Aarfa opposite Sultan was difficult because we wanted a new pairing. Sultan’s journey, but that journey is Aarfa. What Anushka brings to the character is amazing. They are not the same as each other, and I think that added opposites attract a kind of equation. Anyone who did not know Bhai well would have found him intimidating. But once you get to know him, you will understand that there is a very lovable person behind that hardness. When we shot the film, in the end, it went very smoothly because everyone knew each other.”
Ali Abbas Zafar in a possible fourth film with Salman Khan
On the prospect of teaming up with Salman for the fourth film, he shared, “Everyone keeps telling us that we should work together. I think we’re close.
