They can hurl abuses and blows but you still wouldn’t find more honest and good men around in this industry. Shubarna Mukerji Shu gives her salaam to B-town’s favourite hot-heads!
Here’s a trade secret: no one likes to ask the first question to Bhai at a press conference! The simple truth of the matter is that Salman Khan’s mood could swing fast, and sometimes even within the course of the Q&A, so everyone is a little wary. In Bhai’s defense, the root of the problem lies in how cumbersome he finds fools. He would not suffer their presence gladly. While that doesn’t speak highly of the scribe population, it does singularly rule out warm-up questions at press-cons. Before we discuss this further, let’s first establish the fact that this is not a Bhai-phenomenon.
All the old timers are of the same school of thought. Deep down, they hate the microphone and would love to simply chat up people without being put on record. The new lot is a whole different story – under heavy doses of PR lessons, they are diplomats in rather fetching garbs. They too would probably want to shake a few people till their teeth rattled but they will not give into the urge. We are however discussing those who have succumbed to this temptation. Yet these hot-headed heartthrobs have one thing in common – each has a heart of gold. Their intentions cannot be questioned, though the doses in which they mete out ‘justice’ are debatable.
Salman Khan
Since we began talking about Bhai dearest, we might as well discuss him first. He is clearly the epitome of the hot-headed hunk. He is someone who is most loved and yet, most feared too. Ask Vivek Oberoi – he still shivers at the sound of Salman Khan. Worse, Bhai hadn’t really done a thing to snip Oberoi’s budding career, it is just that no one in the industry wanted to invest in Vivek once he crossed swords with Bhai; that’s the power of ‘Being Salman Khan’!
No one bats an eyelid when you find him jumping out of his car and racing after fans who forget their limits, even yelling at designers who have not bothered to give the best to his sisters, telling those who dared to roast his family members, in no uncertain terms, that the consequences will be dire if they feature his beloved ones. The whole of the film industry knows that Bhai won’t allow anyone maligning who and what is dear to him. So it is obvious why everyone wants to be in the right with him, on his side, screaming ‘How high?’, every time Khan says ‘JUMP!’ Yet the question remains – why does he leave people trembling every time they cross his path?!
“If there is one thing that I would say about myself, it is that I have be en misunderstood,” he once confided to the media, something that his fans readily agree with. If you ask his friends, they blame the image wholly on the media. “With the need of the hour being ‘sansani’ news, all and sundry are trying their luck at getting a cutting remark from the actor. The probes are getting more pointed, thus the anger is more blazing. We cannot blame the man, for he is someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves and he hurts, it is as simple as that. And being the man that he is, every hurt has him hurling, not howling,” expound his friends and close ones.
Shah Rukh Khan
You cannot be the Badshah of Bollywood without rubbing some people the
wrong way. However, with Shah Rukh Khan the fuse doesn’t spark off very easy. Of course, his bite is more stinging than any of the above but it takes a while to get him there. The only people who can bring out his wrath are those who dare to target his children. A complete family man, he doesn’t take kindly when his innocent family – especially the youngest member – gets caught in the crossfire.
“The only time I have seen Shah Rukh really angry was when the media went on and on during the birth of his son AbRam. He was upset that people were not sparing the young child. It was an emotional time for the family because the child wasn’t too well then and the promotions for CHENNAI EXPRESS were on. It was really tough times, it is hardly a surprise he blew his top at the press con!” shared a senior journalist who has seen him tide over a lot of hardships in life.
Sanjay Dutt
The only one to have crossed paths with the Dutt and still come out smiling is Salman Khan. Simply because the two love too deeply to hold a grudge too long! Their fight happened when Khan assumed Dutt would be more than happy to play his father in BODYGUARD – instead Dutt expected an apology!
However, all this was in the past. The two love each other to bits, simply because when these boys love, they truly do love. Sanjay is that man, whose ideas and notions come straight from the days of his youth. Wherein you spoke what you felt and the only trying you needed was attempting to be articulate. However, the concept of diplomacy is completely lost on him and it is something he cannot seem to master at his present age. He tries but then there are times when he just has to put his foot down, which he does with a resounding thud that might sink your heart.
“The thing with Sanju is that he is a no-nonsense kind of person, he is spontaneous too. So you will find him telling you what he feels very frankly,” shared a trade guru and friend of the actor. Roughly translated, that means Dutt might tell his director to buzz off if he is asking for a take too many. He might not even dance the way the choreographer asked him to dance but he will be there sticking his neck out for both of them if they ever need him.
John Abraham
If someone asks you, ‘John Abraham ko gussa kyun aata hai?’ promptly tell him the
answer is ‘women’! No, he never gets angry with women, it is more like he gets upset with those who dare to disrespect them.
During the days when he was going around with Bipasha, John had been extremely vocal about how Indian actresses shouldn’t allow people to take them for granted because they are public figures. His vehement speeches gave him the image of being an intolerant celebrity but that didn’t stop him from ‘disciplining’ people. John has admitted to having ‘taken matters in his own hands’ when it came to people who did not know where to draw the line when it came to his friends and/or co-stars.
Recently on the sets of WELCOME 2, John did run off a fan who was acting too possessive of his favourite actress Shruti Haasan. “There are times when people fail to realise that the person you are dealing with is a lady and you cannot get over-familiar with her. John did put the person in his place and we were all grateful for his intervention,” quipped a set-hand who was witness to the whole episode. However, these noble reasons are not the only time you will see John upset; he does not think too highly of people who forget they are merely beginning while he has come a long way.
Apparently, Shraddha Kapoor, who refused to work with the actor, faced the brunt of her decision… but then so had Kareena Kapoor, right? Of course, part of his charm is the fact that he never did declare war with any of his co-stars. He merely let his work speak… but the anger simmered persistently through it all. According to those who know the man well, he forgives but he doesn’t forget.
Ajay Devgn
He is a cool customer. He doesn’t always tell you how he is feeling in many words, but his eyes are enough to reflect what he is feeling. And when Ajay Devgn is angry, it is best to give him a free way. “When he is upset, everyone starts running helter-skelter seeking protection, no one wants to cross paths with him! The unfortunate ones who get stuck get an earful,” admitted his wife Kajol on national television. Yet it is the charm of the man that makes you want to rather get an earful from him than not experience what it feels like to be on his team.
He can abuse till your ears turn red, but he is a friend to die for. He is there when you need him the most and that is more than anyone can say about even the best of this industry.
Personally, if you ask anyone from Cine Blitz, we would prefer these hot-heads over any one of the young diplomats because when it comes to filmstars, these are the last few good guys remaining.
