Sooraj Barjatya recently talked about how his goals have remained consistent since the beginning. In an interview with Komal Nahta at his podcast Game Changers, the filmmaker discussed his journey in filmmaking. He also opened up about his unique bond with Salman Khan.
Barjatya describes their friendship as one rooted in shared experiences and mutual respect, despite their contrasting personalities and lifestyles. Intrigued by this unexpected connection, Nahta asked, “Your friendship with Salman Khan is quite unique. Your food habits and personalities are completely different. How did this unlikely bond form?”
Sooraj said his early career with Salman was like “starting school together,” emphasizing the uncertainty they shared about making it in the film industry. He shared, “I had no work, he was doing advertising. We went through that phase where we didn’t even know if we would make a film. We were 21-21 years old.” This shared vulnerability created a strong bond between the two.
Barjatya revealed that Khan was very supportive, agreeing to work with any heroine he liked, showcasing Khan’s trust in Barjatya’s vision. Sharing an anecdote, the filmmaker said, “If any heroine I liked, he would say, ‘Yes, yes, we will work with her.'”
Barjatya shared that both he and Salman faced early career rejections, recalling being advised to work with established figures like Yash Chopra or Anil Kapoor. “As a director, we have rejected… We were told that we should work with Yash ji or Anil Kapoor ji, then we will do it. So we came back. We have gone through a lot of this,” he revealed.
Sooraj’s notable works include ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!’, ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’, ‘Vivah’, ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’, and ‘Uunchai’, which earned him a National Film Award.