Salman Khan‘s Sikandar co-star, Ayaan Lall recently defended the superstar against AR Murugadoss’ claims of being late, calling him an angel on Earth and praising his charity work during the Punjab floods. He also disagreed with the claim that Salman kept the crew waiting for eight hours.
Being on set with Salman
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Ayaan said he’s never seen anyone like Salman. He described him as an angel on Earth and said being around him makes you feel special. Ayaan added that Salman makes time for everyone on set, all 300 people, and while he might shout or scold, he always ends with a caring reminder to go home and eat.
Addressing the claims of tardiness
Addressing AR Murugadoss’ claims against Salman, the actor said he was called to the set at 3 pm, and Salman arrived by 5:30 pm. He explained that Salman is the biggest star in the country and has many responsibilities beyond acting, like helping people during the Punjab floods. he called him the biggest Bhai and an icon, saying he isn’t just making movies for fun but also looking out for others. Waiting a few hours for him, he added, isn’t a big deal.
Clarifying the eight-hour wait
Clarifying further about the eight hours wait on the set, he said he’s seen Salman call ahead to let people know if he would be late. He added that there’s no need to wait all day—if someone says they’ll arrive at noon, don’t start waiting in the morning. Ayaan also pointed out that Salman has a lot to manage and touches millions of lives every day, so it’s not easy being him.
Challenges of shooting with a superstar
The filmmaker had earlier told Valaipechu Voice that shooting with a big star isn’t easy. Even scenes meant for the day had to be shot at night because Salman would often reach the set only by 8 pm. He added that the crew is used to starting early in the morning, but that wasn’t possible here. Most scenes were shot on a green screen, and VFX was used heavily to make them look like daytime. On top of that, many people kept suggesting changes to the set and script.