Boney Kapoor recalls convincing Salman Khan for ‘Wanted’

Mumbai: Filmmaker Boney Kapoor has revealed how he had convinced superstar Salman Khan for the action thriller drama ‘Wanted’.

The celebrity dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’, will be welcoming its very first guest of the season.

Taking a trip down memory lane, the show will commemorate the cinematic legacy of the eminent filmmaker and producer, Boney in the ‘Boney Kapoor Special’ episode.

The dance floor will come alive with amazing performances to the beats of some chart-topping songs from Boney’s iconic films. From timeless melodies that defined an era to foot-tapping numbers that still rule playlists today, the contestants will take everyone on a mesmerising journey through Boney’s illustrious career spanning over 43 years.

An unstoppable force in the sports arena, wrestler Sangeeta Phogat will now don the quirky look of Sanghu Bhai, as she performs with choreographer Bharat Ghare, to the song ‘Mera Hi Jalwa’.

Talking about the performance, Boney said: “You have shown amazing skills in wrestling, but I am seeing you for the first time as a dancer. Well, now that there is talk of a medal, I would like to give a medal to you, Sangeeta. You’ve earned fame all over the world by wrestling, today, she has earned a name by dancing on this stage.”

He further went on to say, “The film was released in 2009, and we started making it in 2007. I was sure this would get action back in filmmaking. Because, during that period, only romantic, family dramas were being made and somewhere, action disappeared. As I understand, for the masses, the greatest happiness can be with an action film. When I started with this film, I decided that I would make it and decided to make it with only Salman Khan.”

“Also, when we took the rights, the original was made in Telugu with Mahesh Babu. I was after Salman to see the film. The preview was fixed, but then it was cancelled because the shooting got extended. The second day also the same thing happened. Then on the third day, I went to him and said, Salman, I’ll never come after this. If you don’t like this film, I will never even attempt to offer you another film. You just come and watch this film,” shared Boney.

He added: “So he came at 12 in the night to watch it. And when the movie ended, he left without saying anything, went near the car and just showed me a ‘thumbs up’ and I knew he was on board. And after that, it was ‘Jalwa hi Jalwa’ (laughs).”

The 2009 film is directed by Prabhu Deva and produced by Boney Kapoor. It stars Salman in the lead role. The film also stars Prakash Raj, Ayesha Takia, Vinod Khanna, Mahesh Manjrekar and Inder Kumar.

Mesmerised by Sangeeta’s versatility, judge Farah said: “Sangeeta and Bharat, I can’t believe this is the same girl who performed on ‘Hawa Hawai’ last week. By transforming into a completely different character, she’s unrecognizable. Sangeeta, I feel like you enjoyed this avatar even more. It was a solid performance, just the way ‘Wanted’ was entertainment, this performance too was entertainment.”

‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ airs on Sony.