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'Salman Khan refuses to believe Bodyguard's success'

Salman Khan is recovering after an eight-hour surgery in Pittsburgh and refuses to believe that his " Bodyguard" has broken box-office records, says his brother-in-law and co-producer Atul Agnihotri.

Salman, who underwent surgery for a nerve problem that was causing exruciating pain in his head, jaws and cheeks, believes his family is just trying to cheer him up by telling him that "Bodyguard" is rocking the box office.

"He is not totally convinced. He is thinking that we are saying this to cheer him up. This is because he is totally cut off from his regular sources. If he had been in Mumbai, he would have had more interaction, seen more TV and read editorials. There he is totally depending on what we are saying," Atul, who co-produced the film with Reliance, told IANS in an interview. "Bodyguard", which released on Eid Wednesday, has surpassed the opening day box-office collection of "Dabangg" (Rs.14.5 crore) and " 3 Idiots" (Rs.13 crore) by garnering Rs.22 crore in the domestic market.

Salman, 45, is expected to be home in 10 days. He is currently under observation, said Atul. ?First, they did some test on him and then he was subjected to the first medical procedure. The surgery went for eight hours. Now he is under three-day observation. I think tomorrow night (Saturday) or day after (Sunday) morning they will review and go for the next step. He will be there for a week or 10 days more," he said.

Atul is riding high on the unprecedented success of the Salman-Kareena Kapoor starrer action-drama, which has received overwhelming response from the audiences despite bad reviews. "We were expecting a good opening but the number has gone beyond our prediction. For us, before the release (of 'Bodyguard'), 'Dabangg' was the benchmark. That we have surpassed, which is a great thing," he said.

The film is scoring high even in south despite being a Hindi remake of Malayalam film of the same name. It was also made in Tamil. "Even in Cochin where people have seen both its Tamil and Malayalam version, the film is doing extremely well. Till yesterday (Thursday) we had two theatres, today (Friday) we have opened up third screen so that?s an indicator of the reaction of the audience in south," said the 41-year-old actor-director-producer.

Atul is expecting the box office collection to touch Rs.85 crore by this weekend. "As 31st was a holiday, we did a business of around Rs 21.57 crore, then yesterday (Thursday) we have touched about Rs.19 crore again. In that sense we have already done around Rs.41 crore and above, across India. Today is a Friday. In three days (including weekends) there is a possibility that we would cross Rs.80 to Rs.85 crore in India," said Atul.

Abhishek Bachchan to miss Messi

Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan who is busy shooting for his next movie " Bol Bachchan" in Jaipur, had all plans to attend the friendly match being played by Messi in Kolkata.

However, he reportedly won't be able to do so. According to sources, "Abhishek is crazy about football and is a huge Chelsea fan. He never misses watching any football matches. Unfortunately, even though he was keen to be a part of the mega sporting event happening in Kolkata, he can't make it due to his busy shooting schedule."

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Paisa vasool: 'Bodyguard' Salman wows box office home & abroad

He is Bollywood's biggest paisa vasool star today. That's what theatre-owner Rachit Malhotra thinks of Salman Khan. Malhotra owns Agra's Jwala cinema, a single-screen theatre with an abundant 1,139 seats. Yet on Wednesday (Eid) and Thursday, they weren't enough to accommodate the frenzied fans who queued outside for a ticket. Every show of Bodyguard, Salman's latest release, was houseful.

"For the audience, Salman is the film. Everything else is secondary. They aren't just whistling when he bares his chest. They are even dancing outside the hall. They know a Sallu bhai movie is always tension-free, with entertainment guaranteed," says Malhotra.

It's a similar tale in each of the four single-screen theatres and the three multiplexes in the city of the Taj. "Combined, there are about 60 shows of Bodyguard every day in Agra. Most are houseful. That's staggering," he says.

The success story is being replicated across India, even abroad. Trade expert Komal Nahta says the film raked in a record-breaking 11 lakh dirham (about Rs 1.36 crore) on Tuesday, the opening day in Dubai. Even in UK, the first-day collection of £60,000 (about Rs 44 lakh) was equally impressive.

"The movie could cross Rs 85 crore in the first nine days. Overall, it could end up netting around Rs 125 crore," says Nahta, editor, Film Information. Bodyguard's box-office figures - his third major recent hit along with Dabangg (2010) and Ready (2011) - might bring a smile on the lips of India's most famous bachelor. Smiling won't be easy though. Salman has trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that causes acute pain in the jaw. He is currently undergoing treatment in the US.

Like Bodyguard, Dabangg and Wanted (2009) were also released during Eid. "He has a huge following among the Muslim youth. With an Eid release he is able to capitalize on it," says Nahta. That's correct but not the full truth. The 45-year-old actor is equally popular among urban lower-middle class youth and the underclass across communities.

Social scientist Shiv Viswanathan believes the secret of Salman's popularity lies in his ability to combine machismo and irreverence, innocence and mischievousness. "He combines opposites effortlessly," he says.

Distributor Sanjay Mehta puts the second surge in the star's popularity in perspective. In the past 10 years, Bollywood was dominated by feel-good family dramas, love stories and naughty comedies. "Salman was the first to spot the shortage of action films. and its possible demand. With Wanted and Dabangg, he reinvented himself as an all-action hero who also delivers one-liners, makes people laugh. With a few changes, Bodyguard continues in the same vein," he says.

Salman's bulging biceps in Veergati (1995) spurred the 'bodybuilding' craze in small town India. Almost two decades later, he continues to be every neighbourhood gym's No. 1 poster boy. Yet, his major early hits were either romantic comedies or emotional dramas: Maine Pyaar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam .

The actor's reinvention as an action star became possible after the regular men of muscle -- Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgun and Akshay Kumar -- recast themselves as funny-face comics and uneasy romantics. The new Salman filled that gap. True, he was always at home in action flicks (Garv, 2003). But with Wanted and Dabangg, he repositioned himself as Bollywood's top action man.

Viswanathan says that part of Salman's charm lies in the fact that he makes no claims of being an intellectual. "He is just normal and healthy, a child of nature, the boy next door. And he is sheer entertainment. He is non-problematic intellectually. And that works in an age where everybody seems to be into problem solving," he says. Mehta says that Salman's rebellious streak has also endeared him to the masses. "They find him more human," he says.

In recent years, the actor has matured in real life. Salman doesn't make headlines any more for allegedly shooting black bucks or breaking glass panes of his girlfriend's home or reportedly driving over people sleeping on the pavement. Now he makes news primarily for breaking box-office records, for being able to figure out the people's pulse unerringly. Time and again. There is something about Salman Khan.