Arbaaz Khan on Dabangg 3: Salman knows how he wants to present himself

Salman Khan

After their first schedule in Maheshwar, Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha kicked off the second leg of Dabangg 3 in Mumbai yesterday. Although Arbaaz Khan had ably helmed the second instalment of the popular franchise, the actor-producer surprised many when he handed over the baton to Prabhudheva for the third edition. "In a franchise, it's always good to bring a fresh perspective since the surroundings are essentially the same," he reasons, adding, "The next instalment may be directed by someone else, or I may return to helm it."

Arbaaz Khan

Trusting a director with the universe of Chulbul Pandey - a character that Salman has made iconic over the years - does not come easy. A lot of factors came into play before the Khan brothers zeroed in on Prabhudheva, who had shown his flair for masala movies with Wanted (2009). "Directing, producing and acting are big responsibilities, and right now, I was not up for all of them. Salman's stardom has catapulted since Dabangg and he has a clear idea about how he wants to present himself. As a director, I may want to function in a particular way [that may not align with his approach] and being brothers, that may be a tricky scenario. To avoid that, it's better to get someone who we know. It was a conscious decision to get Prabhudheva," says Arbaaz, talking on the sidelines of the launch of his web show, Poison.

Prabhudheva

Even as Dabangg 3 has two parallel tracks - one in the present day and another tracing the protagonist's past - Arbaaz says the audience will learn more about the Robin Hood-styled desi cop. "We will show how Salman's character turned into Chulbul Pandey. We hope to release it during the last week of December, but we aren't committing as there is a possibility of delay in shooting or post-production."

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