It will be unstoppable: ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’ directors recall Salman’s prediction for their film

Mumbai, Feb 15 (PTI) Salman Khan was confident about “Sanam Teri Kasam” and predicted that it would be a “superhit” in theatres, remember director duo Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao, who are delighted that the superstar’s words have come true nine years later.

The 2016 film, which recently rereleased in theatres, is witnessing a strong response, drawing audiences who are eager to relive its heartfelt storytelling, soulful music, and the chemistry between the lead pair.

“Sanam Teri Kasam”, which marked actor Harshvardhan Rane’s Hindi film debut alongside Pakistani star Mawra Hocane, has raised Rs 30.67 crore nett, a marked improvement from its original release earnings of around Rs nine crore.

“Today we can proudly say that when the world did not acknowledge that this movie was a superhit, Salman saw two minutes of the trailer and he said it is a blockbuster,” Radhika told PTI in an interview.

The duo blamed the studio attached to the film for failing to create the buzz around the film that it deserved.

“Before shooting we trusted them and handed over our baby (the film) to them. But by the end, we came to know it was all false. There is a standard template of promoting a film like a five city tour, going to big boss and other reality shows to create awareness. They did not do anything. We were shocked,” Vinay said.

Days before the release, they turned to Salman and asked for his opinion.

“We thought we made the wrong film. There is no buzz around it. The studio people put the blame on us… We went to Salman and told him about the movie. He asked, ‘Which one?’ We wondered that in four days our film is releasing and he doesn’t even know.

“He (Salman Khan) saw the trailer and said ‘The film is a superhit. It’s a mind-blowing film but the only thing is no one knows about it. You guys need to delay the film and promote it. This is an unstoppable film,” Vinay said.

Radhika said Salman even asked them to bring the cast to “Bigg Boss”, which the superstar hosts, but the studio declined it.

“They said the channel is not interested in your artists, story and movie. It’s not possible they only want big artists. The studio said this to us. We also told the studio that bhai (Salman) is a kind, compassionate person and he promotes new talent,” she added.

“Studio said you think you made a masterpiece. You are Bhansali (Sanjay Leela Bhansali). No, you have not made it. So, whatever we are doing it’s right,” Rao added.

She further said that Salman told them that they should have approached him earlier.

“He said, ‘you know me directly, why didn’t you guys come. You guys made such a good film. I would have 100% supported this film.’ He asked, ‘What can I do for you now?’ We asked him to tweet and he tweeted that very moment. We could see the compassion in his eyes,” she added.

“Sanam Teri Kasam” revolved around a tough ex-convict Inder (Rane) and a traditional librarian Saru (Hocane) who fall in love and get married but a tragedy changes their lives forever.

The directors credit the digital era which gave the film a cult status and contributed to its success in the re-release.

“It’s a happy time for us as the writers and the directors of the film… Of course, it is a redemption of sorts when your film runs (at the ticket window) after nine years. The joy is unlimited because me and Radhika had confidence that we made a very good film. When it did not work back then, there was disappointment. Now we feel completeness as a writer and director,” he said.

“We feel redeemed and redeemed four times over. It’s just not the direction but also the other part which is the foundation story, screenplay and dialogue. Back then we took that responsibility very bravely. And after nine years this happened so of course we are very happy. And we are also very proud of ourselves,” Rao added.