| Q.: This is your third film with Soorajji. How
do you feel ? Sallu： When I did Maine Pyar Kiya with Sooraj, I realised how brilliant he was as a director. His biggest asset is his understanding of family and human relationships...what is right, what is wrong. That is why his films revolve around good vs.bad. Infact, now he doesnt even like to touch the bad aspects of life, he prefers to look only at the good side of things. Thats what Sooraj is all about and with every film, he has grown about a hundred times as a director and as a human being. |
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Q：What was your first reaction after Soorajji
narrated you the script of Hum Saath-Saath
Hain? Sallu：When Sooraj narrated the subject of HSSH to me, he gave me about a 6 hour narration, he told me which role he wanted me to play and asked me what I thought of it. He felt that it was a very different kind of role, something I had never done before and I would love playing it. I loved the role, but what I felt even more strongly about was how much Sooraj had grown from Maine Pyar Kiya to Hum Aapke Hain Koun and now to Hum Saath-Saath Hain. My character too, in his eyes, had grown with each movie. In effect, I was to play what Sooraj is right now, so my character in the movie is what he is in real life. |
| Q：You have always been Prem in all three movies,
Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun and
now also in Hum Saath-Saath Hain. Why? Sallu：I think, first of all, Prem is a very romantic name and it has stuck with me so strongly after Maine Pyar Kiya, that we have used it in all our films after that too. Maybe its just plain lucky, or maybe, it suited my roles. Its become kind of a trademark for Sooraj, Rajshri Productions and me. |
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Q：Which is your favourite song in HSSH? Sallu：The ABCD song is amazing. Though its a song for the children, the whole family sings this song together...weve shown togetherness in this song. Besides me, there is Mohnish, Tabu, Karishma, Neelam, Mahesh, Saif, Sonali, plus a whole bunch of children. Its like a picnic song, very well shot, with the whole group travelling from one place to another. Even the Maiyya Yashoda song is a very happy song and at the same time is very emotional. Even in Hum Aapke Hain Koun, the Samdhi Samdhan song is a very happy song, but towards the end, you get tears in your eyes. The Maiyya Yashoda song from HSSH is also pretty much similar, but in a totally different way. |
| Q：What is your character in HSSH? Sallu：This is one character that I havent done before. Ive played similar roles in Karan Arjun, but that was an action film. My character in HSSH is that of a boy who is the most loved one in the family...someone who doesnt want to hurt anyone. He knows everything, he is very aware of everything going on, he is very smart, but his face is so innocent. The boy has studied in America all his life, hes come down here, keeps on going back and forth. He is the most amazing, sweet, helpful and romantic boy in the family. I mean, even the romance between Sonali and me is the most amazing romance...its just in the eyes and he keeps on doing things to her, teasing her innocently and she starts blushing at every opportunity. He is very aware of what he is doing to the girl, about his sexuality, hes very aware of what exactly will happen to her and everybody around her. |
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Q：Which is your favourite scene in HSSH? Sallu：My best scene in the film is between Rima and me, because here the boy is not fighting for himself with his mother - he is fighting for his brother. That is what I like, it is very selfless...he wants to give up his power and position and he asks his mother why she has done this to him and his brother. Now I am not going to tell you everything because I want you to see the film..! |
| Q：What rapport do you share with Soorajji? Sallu：More than a director - actor relationship, we are brothers, in a way . We are two different people altogether, we are two extremes but we have similar qualities. There is some kind of bond between him and me, maybe because we both began together. I think of him as my brother and he feels the same way. I am very fond of him and he cares a lot about me. |
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Q：How far do you identify your character in
real life to the character youre playing
in HSSH? Sallu：In many ways, the character that I am playing in HSSH is very similar to that of my younger brother Arbaaz. Arbaaz is exactly like that. I am like what Mohnish is playing in the film and Sohail is like what Saif is playing in the film. Its surprising, but true. This fact also helped me perform my role better. |
| Q：Your message to cinegoers. Sallu：The family that prays together, eats together, stays together Its that feeling of togetherness - HUM SAATH-SAATH HAIN. |
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