Sridevi became star because of Himmatwala: Sajid Khan

Director Sajid Khan, who is lookingforward to the Friday release of his film Himmatwala- the official remake of the 1983 blockbuster of the same name, says it was the original film that catapulted veteran actress Sridevi to stardom.

Director Sajid Khan, who is lookingforward to the Friday release of his film Himmatwala- the official remake of the 1983 blockbuster of the same name, says it was the original film that catapulted veteran actress Sridevi to stardom.

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"Sridevi became a star because of Himmatwala. I think that Himmatwala was no less than a Mughal-E-Azam for her", Sajid said in an interview.

The official remake of original Himmatwala, which had actors Jeetendra and Sridevi in the lead, casts Ajay Devgn against south actress Tamannah.

"I personally don't know Sridevi, so I didn't speak with her about the film. I had a word with Jeetuji (Jeentendra) two days before I started shooting the film. He was glad to know that I am directing the film.

"He said I was the right person to make the film, as according to him, I understood this genre very well. He also blessed me", Sajid said.

However, Sajid prefers his film to be called as a rewrite and not a remake in general sense of the word.

Sajid said though he made some changes in the original avatar of Himmatwala, he also carried forward the boisterous melodrama typical of 1980s in the new version.

"The scenes and the characters in my version of the film are completely different. I have added some nuances like slightly over-the-top acting, typical filmy scenes between mother and son which today's youths wouldn't have experienced", Sajid said.