Even ten years later, ‘Sultan’ remains a firm favourite among Hindi cinema’s sports dramas. The film, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and starring Salman Khan, followed an underdog’s inspiring path in the wrestling ring. Its appeal went beyond the akhada, with popular tracks like ‘Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai’ and ‘Jag Ghoomeya’ adding to its charm. As ‘Sultan’ marks a decade since release, Ali shares memories of shooting the film, Khan’s remarkable transformation, and whether a reunion with the star could be on the cards.
Ali Abbas Zafar on the origins of ‘Sultan’
In a conversation with Variety India, when asked about the film’s origins, Ali shared, “The idea came from a one-line story of a man who rises against all odds and fights his own ego. I have always been a big fan of sports drama. I wanted to make a film which was rooted and earthy, as you call it a “desi” film. So, we chose wrestling because it is a sport that has a long history in India, and it’s all about mud, earth, soil, falling down, rising up and trying to fight your opponent and put him down, and in a way that is very synonymous to life.“
Ali Abbas Zafar on how Salman Khan said yes in 15 minutes
He further added, “Salman Khan was the only choice for this film. When I narrated the story idea to Aditya Chopra, he said there’s only one person who can play this role, Salman Khan. I agreed wholeheartedly. We had decided that we’ll make this film only if Salman agrees to do it. When we narrated the film to Salman, it took him exactly 15 minutes to say, “I’m doing this.””.
Ali Abbas Zafar on casting Anushka Sharma opposite Salman Khan
On being asked about pairing Anushka Sharma opposite Salman for the first time, with Anushka having previously admitted she found working with him intimidating at first and how that initial awkwardness eventually faded, he said, “Casting Aarfa opposite Sultan was difficult because we wanted a fresh pairing. It is Sultan’s journey, but that journey is Aarfa. What Anushka brought to the character was phenomenal. They’re unlike each other, and I think that added to the opposites attract kind of an equation. Anyone who doesn’t know Bhai well finds him intimidating. But once you get to know him, you understand that there’s a very lovable person behind that hardness. As we shot the film, towards the end, it became very smooth because everyone knew each other very well.”
Ali Abbas Zafar on a possible fourth film with Salman Khan
On the prospect of teaming up with Salman for a fourth film, he shared, “Everyone keeps telling us that we should work together. I think we will very soon. Once we have the right story and script ready, we will come together and make something special.”
