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Celebrity photographer Avinash Gowariker has shot with many film stars over the years and has been responsible for many iconic film posters of Hindi movies, including Dangal, Chennai Express, Jodhaa Akbar, among many others. But the first film poster that he shot happened by chance and it was for the Salman Khan starrer film Judwaa. He recalled that the pictures were shot “just for fun” but because they clicked with producer Sajid Nadiadwala, he decided to use them in the poster.
Gowariker, in a recent interview, shared how he was introduced to Salman Khan by Karisma Kapoor and how his life changed after that. Speaking with Mid-Day, Gowariker shared, “I always say this if Salman Khan likes you, your life is set. So, I am lucky he likes me and my work. He has a full family and their heart is of pure gold. I didn’t have a place to stay, and he said to stay at (my) home. I was staying at his home, shooting and it was like one big party happening.”
The celebrated photographer revealed that most of Salman’s pictures that came out between 1995 and 2002 were not shot in any studio but in and around his house in Mumbai. Gowariker said, “Any picture you see of Salman from 1995 to 2002, I have shot it. Every photo is shot in an around Galaxy, with no lights nothing. He just goes there, stands and looks great. I look back at all of that with gratitude.” Salman lives in the Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, Mumbai.
Recalling how the poster of Judwaa happened, Gowariker narrated, “One day we were doing nothing and he (Salman) just removed his ganji and tied it on his forehead. There was a fisherman’s boat outside Galaxy. He just went down and posed with it. I shot that just for fun.”
But little did Gowariker know that the photos will make the poster of a superhit film. He continued, “When the prints came in the evening, Sajid Nadiadwala was at home and the Judwaa shoot was going on. He looked at the prints and said, ‘This is our poster.’ I said this has no connection with Judwaa but he said, ‘No no, this is mind-blowing. We will put this on the poster of Judwaa.’ In the climax of Judwaa, he ties that ganji on his forehead because they liked that look in that picture. That was my first big poster.”
Judwaa was a 1997 comedy-drama, starring Salman Khan in double roles. Helmed by David Dhawan, it also starred Karisma Kapoor and Rambha in the lead roles.
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