Salman Khan is more arrogant than Ravan, says Abhinav Kashyap: ‘Shah Rukh Khan isn’t a superstar…’

Speaking to Bollywood Thikana, Abhinav Kashyap said: “I am not comfortable with the word ‘superstar.’ The only star I know is the one in the sky. I don’t believe Shah Rukh is a superstar. This is all wordplay to misguide the media. As an actor, yes, Shah Rukh Khan has done some good work. He has also had flops. But he is not the first actor.”

Abhinav criticised Shah Rukh Khan’s repeated claims that he is “the last of the superstars,” adding: “There have been several actors before him and there will be several actors after him. This will continue—actors will come and go, the art will never die.”

He further explained: “One’s bank balance can’t decide one’s stardom. These are all fabricated terms created by the media. I don’t respect a person because of his status; I respect them for their behaviour and character. I have several friends who treat me well, and they are my true superstars.”

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For Abhinav Kashyap, true superstars are those who create real social impact through their work.

“People who have brought genuine change to society are superstars—not people like Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan. They are just normal actors who have made some money. And to earn that money, they sold paan masala and danced at weddings.”

In the same interview, he also claimed that Salman Khan has more haters than fans in India.

“All my interviews against him are getting popular because he has many haters in this country. A lot of people don’t like him. So how does that make him a superstar? Declaring yourself a superstar doesn’t make you one. Shah Rukh Khan calling himself the ‘last superstar’ is more like being obsessed with oneself.”

He added: “People believed me when I said, ‘Salman Ravan se bhi zyada ghamandi hai’ (Salman is more arrogant than Ravan). Salman has been appreciating himself for the past 33 years.”

Previously, in his interview with SCREEN, Abhinav Kashyap alleged that the Khan family attempted to take undue credit for Dabangg: “Salman is never involved. He is not even interested in acting, and he hasn’t been since the last 25 years. He does a favour by turning up to work. He is more into the power of being a celebrity, but he is not interested in acting. He is a gunda (goon). I was not aware of this before Dabangg. Salman badtameez hai, ganda insaan hai (Salman is ill-mannered, he is a bad person).”

He added: “They have claimed credits for things they haven’t done. It’s a landmark film in their career, and they felt the need to take the entire credit—so it’s a compliment to me. Success has many fathers; failure has none. After Dabangg, I was pushed out, the credit wasn’t shared. I think it was a deliberate attempt by the Khan family to set up Arbaaz.”