Salman Khan: Casting of a star doesn't mean film will run. Tubelight proved that

There was a time when people would say, 'Salman sirf khada ho jayega screen pe toh movie chal jayegi,'" Salman Khan tells mid-day during this interview. Like most stories that kick-off on that note, we understand where this one's heading. Close on the heels of the debacle of his last outing, Tubelight, Khan acknowledges that the presence of a superstar in a film, doesn't guarantee success anymore.

"It has been proven that no one can take stardom for granted. The casting of a star doesn't mean the film will run. [The failure of] my last release proved that. So, there is a pressure [to perform] at all times." Several months after Tubelight hit screens, the actor seems to have deciphered the reason behind its debacle. Having established himself as an action hero, his fans, Khan says, hate to see him teary-eyed.

"Whenever my fans watch my movie, they want to have a great time. With Tubelight, they were shocked. They were crying, hurt and disturbed, as they couldn't digest the fact that someone was beating their Bhai, and that I was crying. So, even though they watched it in theatres, they didn't go back again. The film lacked the repeat value that Sultan (2016) or Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) had." That the Eid release also hit screens during the festive period was another dampner. "It's a beautiful project, but it should not have released on a festival. I had warned people to not expect dhamaal and masti."

He has his hopes pinned on his upcoming release, Tiger Zinda Hai. He promises that the film has enough "soul" to appeal to masses. "We already established the characters in our last film, so, taking them to the next level was not a problem. But, finding the right plot was. The film needs to have a soul, and that's what this one has."

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here.

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go