Salman Khan to Play CPI Lok Sabha Candidate Kanhaiya Kumar in a Web-Series? Here’s the Truth!
The show is reportedly called Taandav, and is speculated to be helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar
For some time, there has been a 'report' going on that Salman Khan, one of the biggest superstars in India, is making his digital debut soon. Rumour has it, that Salman Khan is all set to play the lead in an upcoming web-series that is based on the life of Kanhaiya Kumar. Kumar, former JNU alumni, is a popular student-activist and is currently contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as a CPI (Communist Party of India) candidate from Begusarai, Bihar. The show is reportedly called Taandav, and is speculated to be helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar, who has directed Salman in Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai and the upcoming Bharat. Bharat: Ali Abbas Zafar Reveals How Long It Took for Salman Khan to Get ‘Old’!
Interestingly, the rumour started from a report published in Dainik Bhaskar, which doesn't quote any source to verify the report. We checked with sources close to Salman Khan camp and they are clueless about the whole thing. Even without the need for verifying, it feels incredulous that Salman Khan would act in a web-series at this point of his career.
Now it is not that big stars won't want to associate themselves with web-series. Saif Ali Khan is already playing the lead in the Netflix show, Sacred Games. Recently, Akshay Kumar made a grand announcement that he is playing the lead in an Amazon Prime show. Then there is Abhishek Bachchan who is playing the lead in Breathe season 2.
But Salman Khan is someone who knows that his strength lie with the theatre-going masses. Doing a web-series right now is not exactly a Salman Khan thing to do. There is also the fact Salman himself is busy with quite a few projects, all biggies like Dabangg 3, the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie, and the rumoured Kick 2. Another rumour going strong is that Ali Abbas Zafar himself might direct Salman Khan once again for Tiger Zinda Hai sequel. So where's the time? Will Kick 2 Be Salman Khan and Deepika Padukone’s FIRST Film Together?
Interestingly there are other reports that Ali Abbas Zafar is planning a web-series with Saif Ali Khan in the lead. There is no confirmation on this, though.
The biggest argument for this debate is the star's own disdain for the medium itself. In an interview, Salman Khan had once said, "I don't like it (web-series). I mean, it's a damn good space but I don't like all that is being shown on the digital platforms." He further added, "Web series is fine but the content should be clean. I don't like all that rubbish that is going on. I have been approached and I have not said no. I will produce web content but it is going to be 'Hum Aapke Hai Kaun' type." The key word is 'produce' here. Also, Taandav doesn't sound anything like Hum Aapke Hai Kaun types.
Even if Salman Khan is offered an unheard-of sum by a platform like Netflix and Amazon Prime to take up a web-series, pretty sure that one on Kanhaiya Kumar won't be the one Bhai would take. Kanhaiya is one of the most vocal opponents of Narendra Modi, India's Prime Minister, right now. So will Bhai, who had once flown kites with Modi, take up a project that is about his detractor? Your guess is good as ours!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 14, 2019 05:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).