Fortunate enough to work with Salman: Ali Abbas Zafar

Mumbai: Director Ali Abbas Zafar says he feels fortunate to work with superstar Salman Khan in the forthcoming film "Sultan".

"I think I'm fortunate enough to work with sir (Salman). The most important thing is that when you write a character, you visualize an actor who can pull it through. When we wrote the script, me and Adi (Chopra) were very clear that we will only make this film if sir agrees to do it," Zafar said at the trailer launch of the film.

Zafar, who has helmed "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" and "Gunday", added: "The most difficult thing when you go to such a big star with a script is whether the character justifies the stardom of the star. When he heard the script in the 20-minute narration, he instantly said that it is something that he relates to. And that is where the journey of 'Sultan' began."

Based on wrestling, “Sultan” is a “completely fictional story. It is an Indian story. It is a story of relationship. Sports is its backdrop, and the one common thing between life and wrestling is that in both, people fall but the name of life is to stand up and that's what the film stands for,” Zafar said.

What did he learn from Salman?

Zafar said: "The most important learning experience for me was that he has worked with so many directors and has a career which spans over 25 years. No one can beat that experience. There is lot of Salman in the film because his contribution to the text is phenomenal.”

“There are certain things which someone who has learned the craft over years, seen and gone through so many texts understands. He didn't point bigger things to me, only smaller things. My learning from the film is that the depth of everything lies in the smaller things, not the bigger things,” he added.

“Sultan” also stars Anushka Sharma and Randeep Hooda.

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Sultan