It looks like a do-or-die situation for Bollywood megastar Salman Khan.
Inching toward entering the club of sixties, the actor who once called the shots at the box office finds his career teetering on the brink of hitting the abyss.
With his movies biting the dust in the last two to three years, the knives are out, with critics going hammer and tongs on him, even gearing up to pen his professional epitaph.
However, if you thought the resident of Galaxy Apartments at Mumbai’s plush Bandra Bandstand is throwing his hands in despair, then you could be in for a rude shock.
After the debacle with his last release, Sikander, even his fans were left wondering if their idol’s illustrious career had hit a dead end.
There were also reports that Salman didn’t give his best to the movie and his casual style of functioning had a ravaging effect on the movie’s fate.
Another logic indicates that frequent life threats are a major concern, dissuading him from focussing 100 per cent on his work.
But such conjectures are based on hearsay and abiding by them would drag you into a cobweb of incalculable speculations.
Shun the lean phase, the good news is that Salman is in no mood to leave anything to chance to salvage his career.
Apoorva Lakhia’s Battle of Galwan, many are of the view, is his last chance of redemption, which Salman would himself acknowledge.
Perhaps the film’s paramount importance has led Salman to go full throttle. According to media reports, the shooting of the movie has been postponed because the actor wants to be in the best shape before hitting the floors.
No biriyani, no liquor and a stringent diet accompanied by a rigorous fitness regime – that’s what Salman’s plan of action is. The superstar will essay the role of an Army officer in the war movie and hence the physique has to be shaped accordingly.
Battle of Galwan requires Salman to be engaged in high-octane hand-to-hand combat sequences at a height of 15000 ft. So a sturdy physique is the need of the hour to lend authenticity to the character.
Not that the string of average grossers has led filmmakers to turn their backs on him, yet apprehensions do emerge, especially when all his experiments in recent times have come a cropper.
Salman too, on his part, was extremely meticulous before picking his next after the dud Sikander.
In fact, Salman even halted the sequel to Bajrangi Bhaijaan – arguably his best piece of labour till day to prefer Battle of Galwan.
Amid the myriad offers on his plate, Salman put his bet on a movie, a maiden tryst with the military avatar (if we leave aside his cameo in Samir Karnik’s Heroes).
With so much at stake, Salman can ill afford to take it easy.
All said and done, Salman’s star power stays stoic. The very fact that he could pocket over Rs 150 crore for the upcoming season of the reality show Bigg Boss lends credence to his brand value.
However, it’s Salman the actor and not a show host who is worshipped by millions of his fanatic fans.
If the list of ordinary fares extends, then beyond a point, he might be left by the wayside, much to the disappointment of those die-hard backers who have stood by him through thick and thin.
And Salman himself isn’t oblivious to the possibility of an imminent fading of his prowess at the ticket counters in the absence of a back-with-a-bang venture.
If you are an ardent Salman Khan buff, then you would be hoping that the tedious process he has put himself in yields him rich dividends.
Salman would hate to let his fans down. And his fans still swear by their Bhai.
With such a spectacular career behind him, does Salman have to prove anything more to anybody?
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No for sure, but as he steadily moves into the twilight zone of playing a hero, he should be dying to prove that he still has the fire in his belly.
Here’s a huge shout out to the OG Darling of the masses.
