Jul 06, 2026 11:42am IST
Ali Abbas Zafar on 10 years of ‘Sultan’: ’Salman Khan agreed to do the film in 15 minutes’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Even a decade after its release, “Sultan” remains one of Hindi cinema’s most beloved sports dramas. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and headlined by Salman Khan, the wrestling drama brought to life the story of an underdog. Beyond the action in the akhada, the film also had memorable tracks like “Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai” and “Jag Ghoomeya.” As the film completes 10 years, Ali Abbas Zafar looks back on the making of the film, Salman Khan’s transformation and possibility of another collaboration with the superstar.
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‘Sultan’ remains one of the defining sports dramas in Hindi cinema. How did the idea for the film first come to you?
The idea came from a one-line story of a man who rises against all odds and fights his own ego. I have always been a big fan of sports drama. I wanted to make a film which was rooted and earthy, as you call it a “desi” film. So, we chose wrestling because it is a sport that has a long history in India, and it’s all about mud, earth, soil, falling down, rising up and trying to fight your opponent and put him down, and in a way that is very synonymous to life.
Why was Salman Khan your choice to play the title role?
Salman Khan was the only choice for this film. 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. We had decided that we’ll make this film only if Salman agrees to do it. When we narrated the film to Salman, it took him exactly 15 minutes to say, “I’m doing this.”
The film shows three phases of Sultan’s life. What kind of preparation went into getting that right?
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. I was not worried because the day I narrated him the story, he said, “This story requires a certain kind of transformation, and I’ll do that.”
The film paired Anushka Sharma opposite Salman Khan for the first time. Anushka has said in interviews that she initially found working with him intimidating. How did the ice between them eventually break?
Casting Aarfa opposite Sultan was difficult because we wanted a fresh pairing. It is Sultan’s journey, but that journey is Aarfa. What Anushka brought to the character was phenomenal. They’re unlike each other, and I think that added to the opposites attract kind of an equation.
Anyone who doesn’t know Bhai well finds him intimidating. But once you get to know him, you understand that there’s a very lovable person behind that hardness. As we shot the film, towards the end, it became very smooth because everyone knew each other very well.
There were reports that Sanjay Dutt was considered to play Sultan’s coach before Randeep Hooda came on board. How did Randeep land the role?
There were all kinds of names discussed for the role Randeep Hooda played. The most discussed name was Sylvester Stallone. 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. We went with Randeep because I was clear that I needed a very good actor for that role. Randeep had worked with Salman in “Kick,” so they had a good chemistry. I think what he did with Fateh was phenomenal.
Looking back, what is the most unforgettable memory from the sets of ‘Sultan’?
My most beautiful memory of that film is where he is inside a container, looking at himself in the mirror and changing his shirt. He finds that he’s physically unfit and down and out. That scene for me on paper was just one line. I told him from day one that this is the make-or-break scene of the film. 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.
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You have worked with Salman Khan in three films, ‘Sultan,’ ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ and ‘Bharat’. Have you both ever disagreed over a scene or creative decision?
We have collaborated on three films, but we don’t interact like director and actor. I consider him my elder brother. So, I’m very honest with him and so is he. We disagree with each other many times. We’ve had arguments and rough times, but my love for him is always the same because he’s very emotional, hardworking and passionately believes in what he does, and that’s what I respect the most about him.
Is there any possibility of a fourth film together?
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.
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