From Salman to Varun: Blockbuster actor-director pairs are back

Like Salman Khan and Rajkumar Santoshi, a number of actors and directors — who have had hit partnerships — are set to team up again.

They last teamed up for the 1994 cult film, Andaz Apna Apna. Now, 22 years later, Salman Khan (who had a guest appearance in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani; 2009) is set to work with film-maker Rajkumar Santoshi on his upcoming film. Not just Salman, a number of other stars, too, are set to work with directors they have shared successful professional relationships with in the past.

After Andaz Apna Apna, Salman Khan is set to work with Rajkumar Santoshi in his upcoming film. (Yogen Shah)

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Mutual trust

While Ajay Devgn will work on Baadshaho, which will be directed by Milan Luthria, with whom he has done films such as Kachche Dhaage (1999), Chori Chori (2003) and Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010), Shahid Kapoor has wrapped up the shoot of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Rangoon. They have earlier worked together on Kaminey (2009) and Haider (2014).

Akshay Kumar is reportedly set to work with Priyadarshan in a sitcom.

“There’s a mutual trust [when you work with people you know], so you don’t need to break the ice. But even in such a case, an actor respects a director only if the latter keeps the actor challenged,” says Luthria, who will direct Emraan Hashmi again in his new film. “Also when you work together, the fun element and comfort level are obvious,” he adds.

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Geniuses at work

This list also includes Akshay Kumar, who is apparentlypreparing to work with Priyadarshan on a situational comedy, after a string of hits such as Hera Pheri (2000), Garam Masala (2005) and Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007). Also, Ranveer Singh, after Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela (2013) and Bajirao Mastani (2015), will apparently be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati. Varun Dhawan will team up with his father, David Dhawan, in Judwaa 2, after doing Main Tera Hero (2014) with him.

Ranveer calls Bhansali “a genius”, and feels that he has “the ability to push” an actor to do better. He says, “I keep teasing him by calling him Martin Scorsese and by calling myself Robert De Niro, or I call him Manmohan Desai and myself, Amitabh Bachchan. I hope he casts me in all his films.”

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Work in progress

Shahid, too, considers Bhardwaj his Martin Scorsese. “It’s great. He has cast me for the third time,” says Shahid. The film-maker also feels that Shahid “has been a good actor, and he continues to evolve”. “I can see it in his films. He is the best actor in his age group,” says Bhardwaj.

Ranveer Singh has apparently signed Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next, Padmavati. (Yogen Shah)

Akshay says if he could, he “would do a Priyadarshan movie every month”, as he is “most comfortable with comedy films”. David insists that even though he has “done so much work” in Bollywood, Judwaa 2 is feeling like his first film. Varun shares his sentiment. “I’m dying to start working with dad,” he says.