Satish Sundaresan, Nov 13, 2015 

The very name of 'Sooraj Barjatya' has always been synonymous with clean, light hearted films that mirror Indian values and traditions. While Sooraj Barjatya has always been known to be a low-profile man, his works always speak superlatively about him. Satish Sundaresan of Bollywood Hungama spoke to Sooraj about his new film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, a film that will see the return of Salman Khan as Bollywood's most adored character 'Prem'.

Over to you, Sooraj ji...

To start with, what are you feeling now? Are you feeling nervous, excited or you are taking each day as it comes? I think it's a little bit of all the three. There's always a fear as to what will be the audiences' reaction after seeing the film, because they are the ones who have come to see the film after paying for the tickets.

In a nutshell, what is Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo all about and what does it mean to you? To me, Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo means unconditional love without wanting anything in return. And if I had to tell you the gist of the film, in a nutshell, the film is about one boy named 'Prem' who comes and changes lives in a family who is wanting the same love, but were asking in various other ways.

We all know the reason why Salman Khan was signed up for the film. But, what everyone wants to know is the reason behind you signing up the following members of the film:

Sonam Kapoor Her Indianness

Armaan Kohli His hunger and excitement to do the role

Swara Bhaskar For her talent

Neil Nitin Mukesh In the film, I wanted someone for the role of a prince. I like the way Neil Nitin Mukesh carries himself. So, I signed up for the 'actor' in him as I thought that he will do total justice to the role.

How much of the rumor is true that the film was earlier titled as Bade Bhaiyya? Not at all. The film was never titled that.

Is it true that you got the title of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo when you were meditating in the morning? That's really true.

Recently, Salman Khan's mother Helen and the veteran actress Waheeda Rahman surprised everyone fans by grooving to the Prem Ratan Dhan Payo's title track in their first Dubsmash video. How did you react after seeing that? It was so very emotional for me. I was really moved. Not just them, there are so many others who have done it. They have taken time out of their busy schedules to do this. I really feel that there is definitely something magnetic in the melody. It has been my biggest hit number till date. I am so happy for everyone who has been associated with this song.

How different is 'Prem' in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo from all the other 'Prems' that Salman Khan has played so far? Unlike his earlier films, he will be an evolved person who is out to change lives. He is not judgmental in this film.

Did you feel that when CBFC cleared the film with 3 cuts that they were justified in doing so? Absolutely. It (the cuts) has nothing to do with the main story. It was the 'Ramleela' sequence in which certain words had to be deleted, but, purely in the interest of the film.

The only person missing from the cast in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is Alok Nath. Any specific reason of not casting him in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo? I always want him to do a role wherein he can do full justice to the role and the one he rightly deserves. I did not want to give him a role just for the heck of it.

Did you miss his presence in the film? Quite often.

What role does music play in the film and which is your favourite track? Music has always played a huge part in all my films and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is no different. The music helps in carrying the film forward. Himesh Reshammiya has done a wonderful job. He has delivered exactly what I wanted. My favorite track is the title track, which is very catchy.

Whose idea was it to rebuild the iconic 'Sheesh Mahal' of Mughal E Azam and why? It was a joint decision. We required one structure like that which represented family bonding. We wanted one structure wherein any mirror you look will show you the good times that you spent with the family. That's why the mirrors were important. A lot of credit goes to Nitin Desai and Mani Kandan for making the 'Sheesh Mahal' scene come alive.

People are raving about the Salman Khan's sword play scene in the film. Is it true that Salman Khan took special training for the sword play scene in the film? There were the action directors who were called in from abroad, who taught him the sword fights. Being such an experienced man, Salman Khan easily learnt the steps with utmost ease.

These are the times when technology reigns supreme. In times like these, do you still write the script by hand, even today? Any specific reason/s for the same? The flow of ideas is very natural and easy flowing that way. I find writing with hand more convenient. For me, writing is prayer. Writing with hand actually helps me get connected directly to the conscious rather than going through mechanics.

Handling one star is a mammoth task in itself. In every film, you handle a whole galaxy of stars, without any complaint from anyone. What is the secret? The secret is 'Homework' and 'planning', both of which needs to be done and executed to the minute detail possible.

With films like Maine Pyaar Kiya, the 100 crore club was almost unheard of. But, these are the days of 100 and 300 crore clubs. How important are the 'crore clubs' to you? As long the money invested is recovered and the audiences' appreciation is positive, I am happy. I feel that if the audiences appreciate your film, the money will then come in automatically. I want my audiences to have a smile on their faces by the end of the film.

Is it true that Prem Ratan Dhan Payo boasts of having the longest song in Bollywood ever (where Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor will be seen playing football at a marriage ceremony)? It is not a song. It is one of the sequences that has been choreographed by Ahmed Khan.

If you had to rename the film, what will that be? I will still name it as Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. I cannot change the name at all as I am really happy with this title.

What's your take on the ongoing 'award waapsi'? I feel that people should sit together and come to a conclusion peacefully.

Lastly, now that Prem Ratan Dhan Payo is complete, what next? That would take a while as I have to launch a couple of TV shows. Also, I would really want to sit for a while to decide as to what to do next.

Sooraj Barjatya said: "There is a whole royal feel to the movie. My films are always about values and traditions but I am telling this story in a more contemporary way."

November 12, 2015 

Family and values are at the core of Sooraj Barjatya’s films but the director says he is exploring a slightly darker world in Salman Khan-Sonam Kapoor starrer “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo”.

“There is a whole royal feel to the movie. My films are always about values and traditions but I am telling this story in a more contemporary way.

“There is a brother in rage and a sister in turmoil. There is another brother who says if this is the family then everyone is better off without one. The characters are more real. It is more grey. The society is always evolving, this is my attempt to show what is happening around me,” Barjatya told PTI in an interview.

When asked about claims that the film has a feel of ’90s, Barjatya said he is from that era so his films are bound to reflect what he believes in.

“That’s how I am and that’s the kind of films I would like to make. Why should make something I don’t believe in? I have great actors in Swara Bhaskar, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Deepak Dobriyal. They are today’s actors and are very entertaining. It is a combination of old and new and I prefer it that way.”

The director, who gave Salman a great debut as a lead hero in Maine Pyar Kiya’s Prem and subsequently collaborated with him on “Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!” and “Hum Saath-Saath Hain”, says his biggest motivation behind making this story was to see the superstar back in ‘Prem’ avatar.

“Both of us started together. When two people begin their career together and have seen the highs and lows, their bond is deeper. Even today, we are director-actor only in the credits. We don’t judge each other. We had the same vision for ‘Prem Ratan…’.”

The director is confident that Salman’s larger-than-life persona will help carry the message of film, which released today, to a wider audience.

“There was this great attraction to make one more film with Salman because he knows me as a director. Me and my father developed this concept while waiting for Madhuri’s (Dixit) dates for ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun?’. In 2011, I decided to develop that story further.

“I wanted to see Salman in a family film once again. He has such a powerful connect with the audience that he can actually change lives. He can show people that unconditional love is the way to live. It is a coincidence that our story begins on dussehra and ends on bhai dooj and we are releasing it on Diwali.”

Talking his lead actress, Sonam, Barjatya says he owes her casting to Aanand L Rai’s “Raanjhanaa”. “There were many other actresses we were considering for the part. But then I saw ‘Raanjhanaa’ and I loved the Indian-ness and purity that Sonam portrayed in the film. Her image stayed in my mind.”

The director denied that the film is a remake of “Raja Aur Runk”, a 1968 movie that Rajshri distributed.

Bollywood star and director Sooraj Barjatya reunite for the romantic drama 

November 11, 2015 | Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Senior Reporter

Director Sooraj Barjatya should take a bow for presenting the real-life rogue Salman Khan as the lovable Prem.

His 1989 blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya (Khan’s breakout role) defined the ideas of romance and courtship — especially for those who grew up in the ’90s — and his subsequent Khan-starrers such as Hum Saath Saath Hain and Hum Aapke Hain ... Koun! entrenched Khan as India’s most suitable boy. In Barjatya’s films, Prem is invariably a stand-up gentleman with strong moral values and a willingness to sacrifice his personal happiness for the greater good.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (PRDP), which releases in the UAE this Thursday, will see Khan step into the shoes of the do-gooder Prem again.

“Sooraj is someone who can bring out that simplicity and purity in me ... There’s this huge bonding between us. We may not see other for months, but we are like brothers. I know he’s there for me and I will be there for him,” said Khan. It’s been fifteen years since their release, but Khan, a convicted felon out on bail after his five-year prison sentence for a 2002 hit-and-run accident that killed one person and injured four others was suspended, believes that it was worth the wait.

“For us to work together, we needed a bigger and a better film. I am not talking about business alone, but the scale and the script had to be big. So here we are,“ said Khan. Some may call Barjatya’s films cloyingly sweet and utopian, but there’s no denying the popularity of his works that are filled with good-hearted people in large joint families.

tabloid! takes a look at some of the Sooraj-Salman signature touches and the lessons that we have learnt from them ...

Joint families live happily ever after

Indian families may be going nuclear, but director Barjatya is an advocate of keeping things traditional. The joys of living in extended families and treating your parents, brothers, elders and even your pets (remember Tuffi, the Pomeranian dog in Hum Aapke Hain ... Koun!) with respect form a good chunk of what his movies stand for.

In the cult romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Khan played the dashing Prem, who may race with his rich dad in a red convertible, but not before he touched his dad’s feet as a mark of respect and blessings before he got behind the wheel.

His Hum Saath Saath Hain — which had the tagline ‘We Stand United’ — tapped into a loving mother’s (Reema Lagoo) fear of her three boys fighting over the family wealth. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (PRDP) is unlikely to stray from his usual family-trumps-all formula. PRDP is a tale of a good-hearted Prem who falls in love with a princess, Maithili, and the conflict that arises from it. There’s a chance that Khan plays a double role in it.

In the trailers, Prem happily espouses family values and claims that family members may bicker, but they are blessed because they have a family in the first place.

“It’s Diwali, whether you watch the film or not, go to your villages and meet those whom you haven’t met in years. That’s the whole spirit,” said Barjatya at a recent press meet in Mumbai.

What’s in a name?

Everything, if you ask director Barjatya. He has directed six films in his career and all the heroes in them are called Prem (which means love).

“But our Prem has evolved from what you saw in Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain ... Koun! or Hum Saath Saath Hain. He’s always morally and ethically correct. He’s the kind of guy that you want to marry,” said Khan. In real life, Khan is a troubled star.

“I know there’s a Prem deep down in me somewhere. But you have to dig very deep,” joked Khan.

“I make sure that it never comes up,” he added. However, Khan claims that playing such a good-hearted character made him want to be a better person.

“This Prem is the best Prem ever. Every time I see this film, I want to be Prem,” said Khan, who has been called Prem in fifteen of his movies.

Celebrate all things Indian: Be it women in ornate ghagra-cholis (skirt and blouse), jalebis, gulab jamuns, Indian villages ...

In real life, actress Sonam Kapoor may know her Moschino from her Manish Malhotra, but in PRDP she’s embracing all things Indian. Maithili is no haughty princess. She’s kind-hearted and blushes on cue. She even manages to look shy when thinking about her lover. But do these women actually exist in today’s times and is this romance relevant?

“People like that should ideally exist. Perhaps, that’s why Soorajji [‘ji’ added to a name indicates respect] made his women so beautiful. When you hear Hindu mythology, there are so many characters whom we can look up to. In the same, the ideal idea of what men and women should be is shown beautifully in Soorajji’s films. This is how couples should ideally exist. Even if they don’t exist, his characters are highly aspirational. We need to learn from them about love and how to communicate to each other,” According to Khan, the viewers should imbibe the collective virtue shown in Barjatya’s films.

“We should follow them. Even if you don’t worship them — just follow them,” said Khan. In Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain ... Koun! and Hum Saath Saath Hain, Prem’s ethical radar was strong.

Another standout in Barjatya’s films is his tenacious grip on celebrating Indian cultural norms. In PRDP, there’s a song, Aaj Unse Milna Hai Humein, in which Khan’s character is wondering what he should get his lady. Should he get Indian sweets, or some colourful Indian bangles? In the background, there’re a dozen dancers singing out his confusion.

Hum Aapke Hain ... Koun!, starring Madhuri Dixit and Khan, was a film that chronicled a big, fat Indian wedding with all its rituals intact. In Maine Pyar Kiya, there’s even a scene in which the heroine is making jalebis (crisp spiral Indian sweets dunked in sugar syrup) before she gets ready for a date in a park with her boyfriend, Prem. That’s the best part of Barjatya’s films: his women are lethally good-looking, but they are knockouts in the kitchens too.

Conflict resolution guaranteed

It’s clear that Barjatya doesn’t do morose films. His movies are squeaky-clean, wholesome entertainers, with charming heroes and hapless waifs. The conflicts are omnipresent, but they are not lethal enough to obliterate the human race. He keeps conflict simple and resolution swift. In Vivaah, starring Shahid Kapoor and Amrita Rao, the evil member of the family was Rao’s stepmother, who hated Rao for her beauty and luck at finding a wealthy suitor. It was decidedly Cinderella-esque, and the ending had the snarky mother come to her senses. It was a huge hit. In Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon (2003), featuring Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor, the tale revolved around mistaken identities and a mother’s aspiration to marry her beautiful daughter Sanjana, played by Kapoor, into a wealthy family. But her greed clears up by the end of three hours.

In PRDP, good versus evil is also explored in depth.

“It’s a romance, but we also show how family, humour, sensitivity, patience and tolerance is important in life,” said Khan. He adds that Barjatya is one of the few directors who can spin a virtuous tale out of the most violent, garish storyline. Khan asked a journalist in the room to name a disastrous film and when the answer went: Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag ...“Even if the script is bakhwaas [nonsense], he’s one of the filmmakers who can transform the worst film into a beautiful movie like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. Even in bad stuff, he digs out the good,” said Khan.

It’s all song and dance for Barjatya

In Maine Pyar Kiya, there were eleven songs and in Hum Aapke Hai ... Koun! there were 14 songs. PRDP stands at a respectable 10 songs. So it’s clear that Barjatya uses razzle-dazzle to push his stories forward. In Hum Aapke Hain ... Koun!, there were songs about every ritual surrounding an Indian wedding. A teary bride setting off to her groom’s home, the bride falling pregnant, the bride’s sister falling in love, the families playing a friendly cricket match.

Don’t miss it

★ INTERVIEW - Neil Nitin Mukesh talks Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Salman Khan & more| Cinemarkets !

November 11, 2015 | Srishti Dixit

Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor would be greeting us this Diwali with Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. We caught up with Sonam for an EXCLUSIVE chat about all things PRDP, Salman Khan and more.

Read on for excerpts from the interview…

First of all tell me who came up with the idea of sharing all the Prem Ratan Dhan Payo Dubsmash videos?  

Prabal Gurung came up with the idea. It’s so good because the beat is so great! Have you seen the mash-up of Beyonce doing it? That was so cool, I loved it!

Which PRDP Dubsmash is your favourite?

Waheeda ji and Helen ji! They are so cute. It was the most touching of all.

Did you expect it to become such a rage?

No, I had no idea. Everybody should be doing it!

Tell me what makes Princess Maithili a special character

Well, she is a modern girl, she works, she knows what she wants and she is not afraid to ask for it and that is amazing about her. There is a scene in the film where she tells her fiancé that “listen to me if you’re not happy I’m not happy, I can’t deal with the stress. I rather be alone I am very happy on my own and don’t worry I’ll speak to my parents and my grandmother and we’ll settle it because I’d rather be calm. It is done in a full Sooraj Barjatya style but I love that attitude of saying that this is what it is and the great thing is that then he (Maithili’s fiancé) tries to win her over. That is the most amazing thing I find about Maithili. These days women are so afraid to be alone that they will settle for anything. I think the great message that this character gives out is fight for what you need and what makes you happy and don’t settle for anything. If the guy really loves you he’ll fight for you and give you what you deserve and if not then he is not worth your time.

What will a common girl who is not from a royal background take away from the film?

People loved Khoobsurat and it was in a royal setting, it was so beautiful! It was about a regular girl who says that even if you are prince dude it doesn’t matter, you need to take me for who I am! So there is a knight in shining armour but I will not change for him, which was an incredible idea. People took to it because the emotion was right and it is the same thing with Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The ideas, morals, the ideals are right it’s about the relationships we have with our brothers and sisters, boyfriends, fiancés or husbands; the crux is that we have stopped communicating. We have 3000 means of communication and it’s the easiest to communicate in this day and age but we actually don’t communicate. We are glued to our phones and stuff but we are talking into space instead of talking to people. I loved the idea that if you just say it out loud then anything can be solved. The main thing is that communication fixes relationships. It is a very simple idea but it is done in a beautiful way so that people enjoy watching it.

The grandeur of PRDP is unparalleled…

There are some amazing films made but a lot of people don’t go and watch them because they want to watch beautiful things and be entertained because they have spent that kind of money to go into a theatre and watch it. I hope people accept PRDP for what it and not criticise it. There is grandeur and beautiful stuff but beyond all of that it is a simple story which should make people happy.

You are looking no less than a goddess in the movie. Did you sit and ideate with the costume department?

Anamika Khanna has designed my clothes and my mother has given the jewellery very kindly but I have styled it myself. So Sooraj ji just gave me all the freedom that I wanted. He would tell me that these are the colours and if I didn’t like something I would just ask his, “Sir, do you think this color would be better?” Once my costume was decided everybody else’s costume would be decided based on that. He was so sweet. I am going to miss working with Sooraj so much, I hope he takes me in his next film I don’t know if it’ll happen or not. I was like how am I going to work with anybody else because he literally treated me like a princess.

Did you look at any reference points like previous Rajshri heroines while prepping for your character?

Salman Khan says this and I don’t know if it’s true but apparently Sooraj ji wrote this role for me. I just know that Sooraj ji was like “Sonam just be yourself, just be the way you are” and I was like awesome!

What was the hardest part about playing Princess Maithili?

I feel really stupid saying this but it was wearing all the clothes and the jewellery and dancing. You’ve seen my movies, when have I ever been dressed up in my movies? The last film I was dressed up in was Aisha and after that haven’t been dressed up at all. So it was really hot and I was dancing with all this jewellery, lehengas and dupattas on my head and I just wanted to tear everything off! For the first twenty minutes I was like these are so beautiful and I look amazing and after the third day I was dying saying get this off me!

What’s one thing about Salman that you discovered only after working with him on PRDP?

Salman hates leaving set. He is a workaholic and he doesn’t like to not work!

Who was the goofiest on the sets?

Swara Bhaskar is the goofiest. She is mental. I’m going to dig up some really stupid videos of her and put them up without her knowing. ‘EXPOSED! Swara Bhaskar is a goofball’ should be your headline!

What’s your fondest memory from the film?

It was my make-up artist Namrata Soni’s birthday and we decided to ask Salman to come and celebrate with us. He had to leave that night because he had to shoot for Bigg Boss that night but he came, he wished her at 12 he stayed with us for an hour and half! Isn’t that the nicest thing?

Salman Khan's upcoming film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, in which he will be seen romancing Sonam Kapoor, is already a hit on social networking sites. In a candid chat with IndiaToday.in, Sooraj Barjatya shared his experience of working with Salman and about Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

Apoorva Nijhara   |   New Delhi, November 11, 2015  

Salman Khan's upcoming film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, in which he will be seen romancing Sonam Kapoor, is already a hit on social networking sites. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo marks the reunion of director Sooraj Barjatya and Salman Khan after a gap of 16 years. They have previously worked in three blockbusters - Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Hum Saath Saath Hain. The trailer and songs of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo have already struck a chord with the audience. Salman Khan will be seen playing a theatre artist who performs the Ramayan, whereas Sonam will play the role of a princess in the film.

The makers have all the reasons to enjoy the festive season as it's the solo big release on Diwali this year. The craze is such that the advance booking for the tickets were open five days prior to its release.

Salman plays the role of Prem in the film, for the 16th time. Talking about Salman's character in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Sooraj had earlier said, "I really wanted that if one goes to see a Salman film, we are sure that he is a vishwas ka paatr and I wanted to make him shraddha ka paatr. If you to go to his film, you are sure that you'll start evolving into a better person." Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, which also features Neil Nitin Mukesh, Swara Bhaskar, Armaan Kohli and Anupam Kher in pivotal roles, is all set to hit the screens on November 12. In a candid chat with IndiaToday.in, Sooraj Barjatya shared his experience of working with Salman and about Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

Excerpts from the conversation:

How is Prem Ratan Dhan Payo different from the other films you have done with Salman? By far, this script is the most evolved one. I have made it with a lot of passion. The film is about family morals. When I went to Salman Bhai with the script, he just connected with it. Salman just said, "Let's do this, Sooraj Babu, and take it 27 years back." Salman has been on a high in terms of his success with the roles he has been playing in Dabangg and Kick, but I wanted to get him back to the image he had earlier.

In an earlier interview, Salman had said that he is worried about this character, as it was difficult for him to get back the same innocence of Maine Pyar Kiya on the silver screen. Did you feel the same?

No, not all all. For years, he has been waiting for this film. It's so generous of him that he has been worried for the film and his character in it. He is so pure in real life, and that's what is reflected in the film. He is what he plays on the screen in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. He's the most natural actor I know with the best comic timing.

While writing the script, who did you have in mind for playing the character of Maithili in the film?

When I was writing script of the film, I just had Salman in my mind to play the main male lead of the film. It took me some time to decide who will play the role of Maithili. But when I saw Sonam Kapoor in films like Raanjhanaa and Khoobsurat, what got reflected was the Indian tradition, with all the grace which was needed. And yes, after watching her in these films, I had Sonam in mind.

In one of the posters of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Salman is seen pulling Sonam's braid. This similar scene was also there in Hum Dil Chuke Sanam, with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Did Salman have any apprehensions about this?

Honestly, he liked the idea of this scene. And yeh toh baad mein aaya ki Aishwarya ke saath bhi tha. No one had Aishwarya and Salman's scene in mind while we were shooting for this particular shot. And yeh scene toh Salman has with Madhuri Dixit too in Hum Aapke Hain Koun.

When the trailer of the film was released, it was trolled on social media for its family values. How is it different from the films that you made in the 90s? And why would an audience go and watch this parivaarik film in 2015? What's so new about it?

A family, as an unit, is an integral part of the society. Talking about what's new in the film, the photography is contemporary. I have young characters like Swara Bhaskar and Neil Nitin Mukesh, who will impart some freshness to the film. But the main thing in the film is parivaar. Earlier, some 15 years ago, it used to be joint families, and now you have nuclear families. But the family, as an unit, is important. The audience will be able to connect to it, as everybody suffers from some or the other family issue. The film has all the humour and entertainment that people expect from a Salman Khan film. I really wanted people to see Salman this way.

The film has been made on a large scale, and we have even heard that the film's budget is around Rs 90 crore. Are you a bit nervous about that? Financial planning is always a part of the whole direction of a film. It is a sound planning for Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. If my film is worth it, the audience will come and see it. The film is such that one will be able to watch it with elders without being uncomfortable.

Were you nervous about casting Salman in this film - his second this year? Especially after the huge success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan? No, Salman brings spontaneity to my film. He adds all the spice and fun to Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

The music rights of PRDP were sold for a whopping Rs 17 crore, and Himesh Reshammiya is the music director. Do you think he will be able to connect to the audience? Yes, of course. He did exactly the same what Raam-Laxman had done for my films. The lyrics are simple and the common people will be able to connect to it instantly. And the title song of the film is already a hit with the people.

Did you ever think of casting Aishwarya with Salman in Prem Ratan Dhan Payo? If ever, kabhi yeh point uthta toh I would have thought about it. I had only Sonam in my mind opposite Salman.

★ (Paper) Salman Khan: Sooraj Barjatya has always taken my life up !

★ ‘I am going to be choosy’ !