Salman says character in 'Antim' one of his toughest on-screen portrayals

Bollywood actor Salman Khan recently called his character in the Mahesh Manjrekar directorial 'Antim: The Final Truth' as one of his toughest on-screen portrayals. The actor referred to it as the binding agent that holds the narrative together.

Commenting on the character, Salman said, "In 'Antim', I played the role of a cop, but a little different this time around. It has been one of the toughest characters that I have played till date. Everything- right from my look of a Sikh cop to my dialect and calm-peaceful persona of the character is more unusual than my previous roles."

He added how the character is integral to the film's storyline, saying, "There are no romantic songs and angry young man nuances, yet Rajveer Singh's character is very crucial that ties the film together. I am glad that people have shown so much love and support for both characters - Rajveer Singh and Rahulya."

The film will have its World Television Premiere on Zee Cinema on January 30 at 8 p.m. Commenting further, Salman praised his fellow actor in the film and his brother-in- law, Aayush Sharma, saying, "It was amazing to see Aayush work so hard for the project. I see a lot of potential and his hard work really came through. With the World Television Premiere of Antim on Zee Cinema, a wider set of my fans will be able to enjoy the movie."

Elaborating on his thoughts on the movie, director Mahesh Manjrekar said, "Salman and I have come together after a long time, so, with Antim, I wanted to bring a story and characters that the audiences have not seen before. I tried to push both Salman and Aayush beyond the kind of roles they have done in the past and break the mould."

He added how he always had the faith that Salmana's character in the film will be loved by the audience, "Salman's character in this film, a simple and calm turban-clad cop, is different from the parts that he has previously played in his career. But I had faith that this change will be loved by the audience."

Talking about Aayush, he said, "Aayush had made his debut in Bollywood with a romantic film while his character in 'Antim' demanded him to get into the skin of the gangster and push him beyond his comfort zone. They worked together as the perfect power duo. I saw a spark in Aayush, much like the one that I had seen in Sanjay Dutt's eyes years ago." He further added, "I asked him to be honest with his character and I saw him follow that with absolute conviction. The fans took notice of this and it's overwhelming to see the response that the film got."

Mahima Makwana who made her film debut with 'Antim: The Final Truth', said, "It has been quite a transition for me - from the small screen to films. It was my childhood dream to make it to the big screen that has come true with 'Antim'. When I got selected for the role, I didn't even know that Salman sir was going to be part of this film. I came to know about it later. Working with the superstar himself made me feel intimidated at first."

She added, "However, as we started the shoot, both Salman Sir and Mahesh Sir made me feel comfortable and confident. I was absolutely in awe of Salman Sir, and I'm grateful for such an amazing opportunity." Recollecting her initial meetings with the superstar, she said, "In fact, I remember that at first, I couldn't find words to say in front of him but the whole team of 'Antim' brought in such humility on the set that I didn't feel like it was my big Bollywood debut. It has been a journey filled with learnings that will go way beyond this project."