AR Murugadoss on Salman Khan-starrer ‘Sikandar’: With superstars, you can’t be 100% true to script

AR Murugadoss, who has directed Aamir Khan in Ghajini and has now collaborated with Salman Khan in the upcoming movie Sikandar., has said that a filmmaker cannot stay true to the script completely while mounting a film with a superstar, “as it is important to cater to their fanbase”

AR Murugadoss, who has directed Aamir Khan in Ghajini and has now collaborated with Salman Khan in the upcoming movie Sikandar., has said that a filmmaker cannot stay true to the script completely while mounting a film with a superstar, “as it is important to cater to their fanbase.”

As a storyteller, Murugadoss has also worked with the biggest superstars from South cinema, including Rajinikanth (Darbar), Vijay (Sarkar, Kaththi & Thuppakki), Suriya (Ghajini), Ajith Kumar (Dheena), Mahesh Babu (Spyder) and Chiranjeevi (Stalin).

There is no option of making a regular film with a superstar, said Murugadoss, as one has to ensure that the movie has all the elements that would appeal to fans. “When you are working with superstars, you cannot be 100 per cent true to the script. We’ve to compromise for the audience, for the fan base, for the opening. We cannot go with being 100 per cent genuine as a director. We’ve to satisfy the fans and think about them. It is difficult to be in that zone,” Murugadoss told PTI in an interview.

The superstars he has collaborated with have been “sincere” and very passionate about their fan base, he added. “They want to keep their stardom very strong, they want to build it, they want it to grow. So, we have to learn from them.”

Sikandar, which marks his maiden collaboration with Salman, is made for the hardcore fans of the superstar, he said. “The film, however, is different from Salman sir’s previous films. It has some unique points. Like in Ghajini, there was a beautiful love story. Similarly, there’s a husband and wife love story in this film,” Murugadoss said about the movie, which also features Rashmika Mandanna.

In Sikandar, which features Khan as the action hero, the director said he has underscored the importance of family amidst life’s hustle. “Today, people do not have time to spend with their family, whether it is their father, mother, or friends. We always focus on work... Though it is a commercial film, it has a beautiful message.”

His dream of working with Salman dates back to 2014, when he collaborated with Akshay Kumar on Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty. “While making Holiday, I met Salman sir. We were shooting at Madh Island, and he was there for a courtesy visit. I went and said hello. Then I said, ‘I want to make a film with you.’ He replied, ‘Even I want to do a film with you’.