Sultan completes a decade this year, and director Ali Abbas Zafar has now opened up on how the sports drama came together, revealing that Salman Khan needed barely any convincing to sign on. In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, Zafar looked back at casting decisions, memorable moments on set, and the chances of a fourth film with Khan.
Salman said yes in 15 minutes
Zafar recalled that when he narrated the film’s idea to Aditya Chopra, the producer immediately felt only one actor could carry the role. “When I narrated the story idea to Aditya Chopra, he said there’s only one person who can play this role, Salman Khan. I agreed wholeheartedly,” Zafar said. The team had decided the film would move forward only if Khan came on board, and when the story was narrated to him, he took just 15 minutes to respond, saying, “I’m doing this.”
Khan reportedly committed to the physical transformation the role demanded the moment he heard the narration. “This story requires a certain kind of transformation, and I’ll do that,” he told Zafar, who added, “Salman Khan gave everything as an actor to Sultan, from physical transformation to speaking Haryanvi to the kind of hard work he put in learning wrestling, to putting and losing weight, was incredible.”
Sylvester Stallone was considered before Randeep Hooda
Long before Randeep Hooda was cast as Sultan’s coach, several names were in contention, with reports earlier suggesting Sanjay Dutt had been considered. Zafar revealed that Sylvester Stallone was the most seriously discussed choice, given his association with Rocky. “We thought, let’s get Sylvester Stallone because he has done Rocky, and there would be nobody better than Rocky who can train Sultan. I met him. He loved the script, but his dates didn’t work out,” Zafar said. Hooda was eventually chosen, having already shared a good rapport with Khan from Kick, and Zafar said, “I think what he did with Fateh was phenomenal.”
The one take that left the crew in tears
Among his most vivid memories from the shoot, Zafar pointed to a scene inside a container, where Sultan looks at himself in the mirror, confronting how physically unfit he has become. Zafar had warned Khan from day one that it was the film’s make or break moment. “When he performed that scene, we had only one take. He just nailed it in the first take. Inside that container, it was just him, me, my camera operator and one focus puller. And when he did that take, all three of us had tears in our eyes,” Zafar said.
A fourth collaboration could be on the cards
Zafar and Khan have worked together on three films, Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai and Bharat, and speculation about a fourth continues. “Everyone keeps telling us that we should work together. I think we will very soon. Once we have the right story and script ready, we will come together and make something special,” Zafar said.
More Pages: Sultan Box Office Collection , Sultan Movie Review
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