#rediff

February 07, 2019

'When I came to Mumbai, I did not know anybody.' 'I met Salman Khan and he told me I would be singing in his film soon.' 'And he lived up to his promise.'

Palak Muchhal, 26, has sung some of Bollywood's biggest hit songs like the title track of Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo and Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2, in her decade-long career.

And she thanks her 'angel' Salman Khan for giving her her big break.

The singer, who recently launched an app, which allows her to interact with fans on a personal level, lists her favourite songs and also sings for us.

She tells Rediff.com Contributor Mohnish Singh, "Whenever a new song comes up, I wonder whether it will be accepted, but every song ends up being a hit."

You have been a part of the industry for a decade. How do you see your journey?

I realised it has been a decade when I got the 'The Favourite Singer of the Decade' award recently.

Yeah, it has been a decade and the journey has been amazing.

I had never thought I would come so far.

I had thought I would sing one or two songs after coming to Mumbai and doing my bit of struggle.

But when I came here, the first person I met was Salman Khan sir. Since then, there was no looking back at all.

I managed to sing so many songs in these fantastic years.

Whenever a new song comes up, I wonder whether it will be accepted, but every song ends up being a hit.

What does Salman Khan mean to you?

There are so many adjectives I can use for him, but my favourite is 'angel'. Also, godfather and mentor.

When I came to Mumbai, I did not know anybody.

I met him and he told me I would be singing in his film soon.

That meant a lot to me.

And he lived up to his promise.

If I have to make any important decision in life, I consider his opinion after my parents.

He has guided me at every step of my life.

He will always tell me what is right and what is wrong.

His contribution in my life is not limited to just him recommending my name for songs, it is beyond that. So, I am really grateful.

How did you meet him?

There is this renowned writer-director Rumi Jaffery who is from Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and I knew him from there.

When I came to Mumbai, I met two-three people whom I knew and asked them to let me know if there was any work for me.

On my seventh in the city, Rumi asked me to meet Salman sir at RK Studios.

When I met him, he already knew about my charity work. He asked me to sing something and I sang Lambi Judaai. He said, 'Soon you will be singing in my film.'

I came home and celebrated!

I clearly remember I went to a restaurant with my family to celebrate that statement.

Soon he made me record a song for Veer.

After that, I recorded for Ek Tha Tiger, Jai Ho, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and many more.

I would have been nowhere had I not got that break.

'When Sultan released, I got greedy. I decided to make another film with Salman because he gets me a lot of box office.'

Patcy N | December 19, 2017

After making Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Gunday and Sultan, director Ali Abbas Zafar gives us the biggest movie of the year, Tiger Zinda Hai.

Zafar says he got 'box office greedy' after Sultan, and couldn't make his next film with anyone else but Salman.

So he adapted a script, and made it a sequel to the hit Tiger franchise (Ek Tha Tiger).

Zafar tells Rediff.com's Patcy N that he's been having sleepless nights since.

How was your experience working with Salman after Sultan?

It was a great experience.

He's funny as always, always pulling my leg.

In the first film, we were still trying to get to know each other. This time, we were more comfortable.

Once again, I pushed him hard in the film, and he would keep complaining.

But we enjoy working together.

Salman's last film Tubelight didn't do well. Did you have a discussion with him about his fans wanting to see him in a certain way?

No, it comes from the story.

Sultan was also very challenging for him as an actor. He was not in his best shape then.

The idea was to make him look a certain way, as that was a part of the story.

It was about a man who has given up everything and living the life of a recluse.

But the film had great wrestling sequences, which made people emotional. The story was also very emotional.

Tiger is also an emotional story. Obviously, there is a lot of action, as there is a rescue mission.

A lot of his fans like him doing action. That's why I wanted to present him in a way where his fans will not be disappointed, but it will all come from the story.

This is your second film with Salman. Will it be tough to do a film without a superstar?

Yeah. The box office is directly proportionate to the money you spend on your film.

For me, the biggest film of 2017 is Hindi Medium because it was made on a shoestring budget of Rs 5 crore (Rs 50 million) and it made Rs 60 crore (Rs 600 million).

I always believe that you should cast for a film according to your script.

When I wrote Sultan, I was clear that only Salman Khan could do it because only he can pull off the character.

Plus, no one else has the physique of a pahelwan.

When you write a character like Tiger Zinda Hai you need a star because when he goes to save the nurses, it should look believable.

This has been our traditional style of storytelling from the time of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. We need our quintessential hero.

It is very important for the director to understand that certain films will work only with a superstar, and sometimes you don't need them.

For me, the box office is not a high. My high is the story.

I felt equally passionate about Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Gunday as I did about Sultan or Tiger Zinda Hai.

When I write a film, I don't think which actor is going to play the part. I just know that this is the story I believe in.

But when Salman is a part of the film, doesn't it add a lot of box office pressure?

Yes, it does. It gives you sleepless nights. I have not slept in the last two, three weeks and I won't sleep till December 25.

What is the progress on your next film, Bharat?

The script is done, and Salman has loved it.

Once Tiger releases, I will take a small break and hopefully start work in February.

Bharat is an adaptation of a Korean film, Ode to My Father. But they are different films.

That film is about the country's history, so obviously we will adapt it to India.

We will have to consider our history, so a lot of research has gone into that.

It's a big budget film and it will take a lot of time to mount it.

How much did Salman and Katrina's stardom affect the filming process?

I could only mount a film of this budget because of the stardom.

With time, superstars like Salman Khan and Aamir Khan are getting careful about the characters they play. They want their characters to be bigger than them.

Whether it is Dabangg, Sultan or Bajrangi Bhaijaan, they want people to call them with their character names because of the impact the films create. And that is possible only if the characters become bigger than them.

Because he is Salman, people love everything he does. They think he is contributing to their lives.

Will Salman and Katrina's chemistry overshadow the story?

When you make a small or niche film, it's easy because with your trailer, your audience will make up their minds whether they want to go and watch it or not.

But it's very difficult to make a commercial film.

A segment of the audience may like action films, another may like romance, others may like a family film... you have to cater to everyone.

When you're making the most hyped film of the year, you have to keep in mind that no one should feel that 'isme hamare liye kuch bhi nahi hai.'

So I can't be selfish and say that if it's an action film, I will only show people firing their guns.

I have to be true to his fan base. People who like to watch Salman and Katrina together will also get excited and come to the theatres.

When they watch the film, my story will either hold their attention or it will not.