Is Salman Khan ‘unprofessional’? Chitrangada Singh reveals truth

Filmmakers like A. R. Murugadoss, Abhinav Kashyap, and producer Viveck Vaswani have previously raised concerns about working conditions on sets involving Salman Khan

Mumbai: For many actors, sharing screen space with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is nothing short of a dream. Over the years, while several stars have also spoken highly of him, some industry people have, at times, labelled the actor “unprofessional,” citing late arrivals and unpredictable shooting schedules.

Filmmakers like A. R. Murugadoss, Abhinav Kashyap, and producer Viveck Vaswani have previously raised concerns about working conditions on sets involving Salman Khan. However, his co-star Chitrangada Singh, who will be seen alongside him in the upcoming film Maatrubhumi (earlier titled Battle of Galwan), has now come forward to strongly dismiss these claims.

What Chitrangada Singh said about Bhaijaan

Speaking at a recent event, according to Indian Express, Chitrangada shared how preconceived notions shaped her expectations before working with Salman. “Film bohot mehnat se banai hain, dil se banai hain (The film is made with a lot of hard work and heart). People talk about Salman as if he is like this and he is like that, and I also received a lot of tips on that topic that I have to be ready when he is not on time and the schedule might be stretched,” she said.

However, her actual experience turned out to be quite the opposite. “In reality, nothing like that happened. I was prepared after hearing so many people say he is unprofessional… but there is no truth in it. He is so approachable and easy,” she added.

What impressed her the most wasn’t just his professionalism, but his empathy on set. Highlighting this, Chitrangada said, “He has that amazing quality where he looks out for the least seen person on set, might be the lightman, or the fourth AD. He will ask whether they had a break and had their food on time. How are they being treated? Things like that and after years of working in the industry, to still have that concern, is amazing.”

What Salman Khan said about the claims

Salman Khan himself had previously addressed such accusations during an appearance on Bigg Boss 19. Taking a sarcastic dig at Murugadoss, the actor said, “Lekin kya hai na main set pe raat ke 9 baje pahuchta tha, toh usme gadbad ho gayi. Meri pasaliyan tooti thi… lekin unki picture abhi ek release hui hai jisme actor 6 baje pahuchta tha.”

He further revealed that the film Sikandar underwent major changes during production. “Initially, the film belonged to Murugadoss and Sajid Nadiadwala. Later, Sajid left, and Murugadoss also moved on and made a film in the South,” Salman claimed.

Murugadoss’ claims about Salman Khan

Earlier, Murugadoss, in an interview, had opened up about the challenges of working with the superstar. “It’s not easy to shoot with a star. Even day scenes, we have to shoot at night because he turns up on set only by 8 PM. We are used to shooting right from early mornings, but that’s not how things work there,” he had said.

He also pointed out how late-night schedules affected child actors, adding, “If there were four kids in a scene, we would have to shoot with them at 2 AM… they would become tired and usually dozed off.”

With contrasting narratives emerging from different corners of the industry, the debate around Salman Khan’s work ethic continues.