‘Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are not superstars', says Abhinav Kashyap

‘Salman Khan is arrogant than Raavan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman are not superstars', says Abhinav Kashyap

Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap, known for directing the blockbuster Dabangg, has once again sparked controversy with his comments on Bollywood’s biggest names, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. In a recent interview with Bollywood Thikana, the director dismissed the idea of either being “superstars,” calling the term nothing more than media-driven illusion.

Abhinav, who had a highly public fallout with Salman Khan and his family after Dabangg, said bluntly, “People who have brought genuine change to society are superstars, not people like Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan. They are just normal actors who have made some money. And to earn that money, they sold paan masala and danced at weddings.”

He went on to question the very definition of stardom. “I am not comfortable with the word ‘superstar.’ The only star I know is the one in the sky. I don’t believe Shah Rukh is a superstar. This is all wordplay to misguide the media. As an actor, yes, Shah Rukh Khan has done some good work. He has also had flops. But he is not the first actor,” Abhinav said.

The filmmaker also took issue with Shah Rukh Khan’s past statement where the actor called himself ‘the last of the superstars.’ Reacting sharply, Abhinav commented, “There have been several actors before him and there will be several actors after him. This will continue, actors will come and go, but the art will never die.”

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For Abhinav, success isn’t about box office figures or fame. “One’s bank balance can’t decide one’s stardom. These are all fabricated terms created by the media. I don’t respect a person because of his status; I respect them for their behaviour and character. I have several friends who treat me well, and they are my true superstars,” he added.

Salman Khan, who rarely addresses Abhinav Kashyap’s claims publicly, finally reacted during a recent Bigg Boss episode. Referring to the director without naming him directly, Salman said, “Ek Dabbang insaan hai. Mere saath unhone Aamir ko bhi lapete mein le liya. Pichle Weekend Ka Vaar pe maine aise hi bola tha ki ‘Kaam karo yaar. Nobody’s interested.’ Aaj wapas se puchna chahta hoon, ‘Kaam mila kya bhai?’”

The actor didn’t stop there. “Agar kisike parivaar ke peeche padhna hai toh khud ke parivaar ke peeche padho. Apne bhai se pyaar karlo, maa-baap se pyaar karlo, biwi-bachhon ka khayal rakh lo. I’m saying that they are worried about you. Agar koi aapko advice deta hai ki ‘bhai, soch samajh kar bola karo, I want to see you grow, you are a talented man, achha likhte ho.’ Yeh gully mat jao; wapas aa jao highway pe,” he added.