Sukanya
Verma
lists
15
scenes
that
reveal
facets
of
Salman
Khan
outside
the
formula.
When
one
thinks
of
Salman
Khan,
it’s
not
acting
but
his
‘Bhai’
fuelled
stardom
that
comes
to
mind.
More
than
cinema,
it’s
the
charm
of
the
experience
his
presence
gives
rise
to,
inside
a
jam
packed
theatre
of
fans
cheering
on
at
every
punch
and
punchline,
while
he
struts
all
over
the
silver
screen
in
his
superstar
swagger.
For
a
while
now
though,
Salman’s
not
had
a
single
big
blockbuster
that
would
infuse
life
into
his
waning
distinction.
Will
yet
another
action-packed
spectacle
Sikandar,
this
time
directed
by
A
R
Murugadoss,
be
his
shot
at
renewed
glory?
Eid
will
tell.
But
we’ll
always
have
these
15
scenes
from
the
star
who
rarely
gets
out
of
his
comfort
zone
—
scenes
I
like
for
revealing
facets
of
Salman
outside
the
formula.
Maine
Pyaar
Kiya
After
all
the
drudgery
and
drubbing
when
Salman’s
Prem
finally
reaches
ladylove
Suman’s
house
to
ask
her
hand
in
marriage
—
having
fulfilled
the
condition
of
making
his
own
hard-earned
money
—
her
still-so-pissed
off
father
scoffs
away
at
the
sight
of
the
damp,
destroyed
notes.
Unfazed,
he
pleads
for
another
chance
and
promises
to
start
afresh,
‘Main
phirse
paise
laonga,
bauji.
Aur
is
baar
mein
vaada
karta
hoon
bauji,
note
bheegenge
nahi.’
The
sheer
josh
of
youth
and
Salman’s
heart-melting
enthusiasm
to
not
give
up
hits
all
the
right
notes
in
this
sentimental
moment
that
catapulted
him
to
heartthrob
hall
of
fame.
Andaz
Apna
Apna
Andaz
Apna
Apna
is
a
series
of
one
funny
gag
after
another.
As
its
foremost
fan,
there’s
no
way
I
can
list
only
one
favourite
scene
from
the
comedy,
which
comes
alive
in
Aamir
Khan’s
smarty
pants
sass
playing
off
against
Salman’s
dummy
energy.
So
here
goes:
Salman
laughing
his
guts
out
like
a
jubilant
hyena
outside
the
restaurant
after
learning
Karishma
is
Raveena
while
wiseass
Aamir’s
plans
are
foiled
is
the
actor
at
his
freest.
One
gets
another
glimpse
of
his
flair
for
farcical
when
he
tries
to
convey
his
‘dil
ki
baat‘
to
Raveena
whilst
constantly
interrupted
by
a
plate
of
oranges,
the
rumble
in
his
upset
tummy
caused
by
the
laxative
mixed
in
his
lunch
as
well
as
the
constant
trips
to
the
loo.
Salman’s
hilarious
mix
of
seriousness,
desperation
and
misery
never
gets
old.
I
could
name
a
dozen
more
but
the
handsfree
faceoff
between
him
and
Shakti
Kapoor
in
the
climax
and
Salman’s
arsenal
of
thrusts
and
twerks
is
all
kinds
of
droll.
Khamoshi-The
Musical
Given
his
reality
remains
shrouded
in
controversies,
Salman’s
readiness
to
show
his
tears
and
vulnerability
on
screen
is
a
lesser
appreciated
attribute
of
his
performances.
One
of
his
finer
efforts
reflect
in
his
gentle
portrayal
of
a
considerate
son-in-law
in
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali’s
Khamoshi.
The
scene
towards
the
climax
—
where
he
insists
on
interpreting
his
deaf
and
mute
father-in-law’s
emotional
speech
in
the
church,
eventually
too
choked
up
to
continue,
is
all
heart.
And
heartbreak.
Hum
Aapke
Hain
Koun..!
Before
Salman
got
caught
up
bashing
the
baddies
of
the
world,
the
man
lived
it
up
as
the
pretty
pinup
for
all
things
Prem
in
Hum
Aapke
Hain
Koun..!
The
only
reason
one
can
still
sit
through
Sooraj
R
Barjatya’s
awfully
demure
romance
three
decades
later
is
the
charm
and
chemistry
exuded
by
its
attractive
leads,
which
peaks
in
the
flirtatious
swimming
pool
sequence
that
starts
with
her
quizzing,
Hum
aapke
hain
koun
and
ends
in
him
privately
admitting,
Shit,
I
love
her.
Kuch
Kuch
Hota
Hai
It’s
rare
to
see
an
easy-going
son-in-law
and
mother-in-law
bond
in
Hindi
movies.
So
it’s
nice
when
Salman,
in
an
extended
guest
appearance,
elevates
Kuch
Kuch
Hota
Hai‘s
emotion
quotient
through
his
sweet
banter
and
tender
inquiries
around
to-be-saasu
maa
Reema
Lagoo.
Especially
when
he
shares
his
insecurity
over
his
fiancée’s
affections
to
her
tongue-tied
mom.
That
quietly
whispered
‘jawab
nahi
diya‘
to
himself
in
the
end
is
a
nice
interjection,
something
Salman
does
rather
well.
Bajrangi
Bhaijaan
Humanity
prevails
in
the
most
poetic,
idealistic
fashion
in
Kabir
Khan’s
ode
to
harmony
and
Salman’s
titular
Bajrangi
Bhaijaan
becomes
its
most
wholehearted
embodiment
after
he
goes
all
the
way
from
India
to
Pakistan
sans
documents
or
direction
to
reunite
a
knee-high
stranger
from
across
the
border
with
her
mother.
But
it’s
the
sight
of
the
little
tot
uttering
her
first
words
‘Mama’
and
a
misty-eyed
Salman
rushing
to
hug
her
amidst
cheering
crowds
from
both
sides
that’s
both
powerful
and
poignant
in
its
messaging.
Hum
Dil
De
Chuke
Sanam
Salman’s
Sameer
is
a
chatty,
mischievous,
extrovert
musician
from
Italy
visiting
India
to
learn
classical
music
from
a
no-nonsense
guru.
He
gets
kicked
out
of
his
guru’s
house
when
everyone
learns
of
his
romance
with
the
latter’s
daughter.
We
see
his
despairing
side
for
the
first
time
when
he
departs
from
the
haveli
without
exchanging
goodbyes
against
the
melodious
cries
of
Tadap
Tadap.
All
he
does
is
freeze
his
sweetheart
in
her
tracks
by
doing
the
statue
gesture,
once
a
means
of
flirting
between
them,
now
turned
into
a
farewell.
Salman
does
well
in
blending
in
the
Bhansali
visual
brand
of
drama.
No
Entry
No
Entry
is
a
silly,
dispensable
comedy
about
straying
men
for
most
part.
But,
but,
BUT
for
the
cliffhanger
climax.
It’s
a
standalone
piece
of
slapstick
that
never
fails
in
evoking
a
cheap
chuckle
following
Salman
hanging
for
dear
life
at
the
edge
of
a
hill
with
Anil
Kapoor
and
Fardeen
Khan
grabbing
onto
his
respective
legs
and
nervously
joking
about
their
rescuers-turned-rescue
situation
while
our
man
sneers,’Abbe
tu
Sunny
hai,
Sunny
Deol
nahi!’
The
goofy
tone
of
the
shtick
and
the
troika
embracing
its
no-holds-barred
stupidity
without
any
pretensions
makes
for
one
helluva
paisa
vasool
third
act.
Dabangg
A
bungling
goon’s
phone
rings
in
the
middle
of
a
daredevil
chase
between
cops
and
crooks.
But
instead
of
clobbering
time,
Salman
not
only
spares
the
fella’s
life
but
also
shakes
a
leg
to
its
beats
like
only
the
whimsical
Chulbul
Pandey
can
and
the
superstar
would
like
by
doffing
a
hat
at
the
ringtone’s
Wanted
reference.
The
desi
Robin
Hood
had
no
trouble
finding
its
place
in
pop
culture
gold
thanks
to
antics
like
this.
Jaan-E-Mann
Shirish
Kunder’s
Jaan-E-Mann
deserves
a
lot
more
love
its
way
than
it
usually
gets.
As
rollicking
it
is
to
watch
Salman
bicker
with
Akshay
Kumar
every
time,
it’s
his
aww-inducing
audition
for
Boo
Boo
diapers
in
an
American
studio
in
hopes
of
salvaging
his
reputation
before
his
estranged
wife
and
baby
that
shows
the
actor’s
proficiency
at
puppy-eyed
atonement.
Saajan
Salman’s
excitement
knows
no
bounds
on
seeing
Madhuri
Dixit
chatting
with
his
brother
like
bestie
Sanjay
Dutt
in
their
home
in
the
blockbuster
love
triangle.
Saajan
has
ample
hit
songs
of
its
own
but
our
hero
breaks
into
a
spontaneous
jig
to
Jab
Jab
Phool
Khile‘s
Affoo
Khudaya.
Dressed
in
pyjamas,
face
smeared
in
foam
and
dancing
like
no
one’s
watching,
Salman
goes
bananas
in
the
truest
sense
to
make
us
believe
every
word
of
his
skirt
chaser
turned
smitten
kitten.
Karan
Arjun
Salman’s
ease
at
the
brooding
angry
young
man
in
Rakesh
Roshan’s
reincarnation
tale
would
mark
the
beginning
of
his
success
in
action
vehicles.
There’s
abundant
showcasing
of
his
muscle
chops
in
the
drama
co-starring
Shah
Rukh
Khan
as
his
reborn
brother
but
the
stirring
intensity
in
his
feverish,
forceful
cry
—
‘Bhaag,
Arjun’
—
has
a
haunting
effect
on
his
onscreen
sibling
and
offscreen
audience.
Pathaan
Salman
popping
up
in
the
middle
of
Pathaan
to
pull
Shah
Rukh
Khan
out
from
the
mouth
of
trouble
is
every
bit
wolf
whistle-inducing
but
it’s
their
end
credits
exchange
that
hits
a
sweet
spot.
Two
tired
guys
at
it
for
30
years,
inching
closer
to
60,
contemplating
retirement,
candidly
admitting,
‘Ab
nahi
hota,
yaar‘
while
wondering
who
can
take
their
place
only
to
dismiss
the
idea
and
keep
going
is
tragically
true
and
deliciously
meta.
