EXCLUSIVE: Sooraj Pancholi Recalls Travelling The World For Free While ADing For Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger; Reveals Insights Of Bhaijaan’s Workout Regime

Sooraj Pancholi is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi-language films. The son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, he debuted with the 2015 romantic action film Hero, for which he won a Filmfare Award for Best Newcomer. He also starred in the 2019 action drama film Satellite Shankar opposite Megha Akash. In his FIRST podcast post getting acquitted in his 12-year-long legal battle with Bollywood Bubble, Sooraj Pancholi recalls working as an AD for Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger and his gym workout sessions.

Sooraj Pancholi Recalls Salman Khan’s Workout Sessions

When asked how it was working with Salman Khan, Sooraj Pancholi said, “Salman would work out after pack-up, sometimes at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., or even 3 a.m. He would say on set, ‘I’ll see you at the gym,’ and not just to me — he’d say it to all the boys. Everyone was invited. It was a full-on setup, primarily for him, but open to everyone. Even today, on his sets, there are Being Human gyms that he sets up for himself, but the entire unit is allowed to use them. Whether you’re a light boy, an actor, a director, a co-star, or even an assistant director, you can use the gym. So in that way, he’s definitely been an inspiration. But he’s a very, very different person from Hrithik Roshan.”

He added, “Salman Sir doesn’t really care about anything; he’s very relaxed. Hrithik, on the other hand, is extremely focused and quiet. During Guzaarish, Hrithik would be on set even before the assistant directors arrived. I’d get there and he’d already be in costume, sitting in his chair, rehearsing his lines. Salman Sir was the opposite; he’d arrive on set like he’s been doing it for years, just very casual. That’s just who he is. I think it’s just how they each prepare themselves.”

Sooraj Shares His Experience Of Working In Ek Tha Tiger

Speaking about working as an AD for Ek Tha Tiger, the actor said, “Oh, that was a completely different experience. It was Yash Raj Studios, Kabir Khan, Salman Khan, and Katrina Kaif. That was something else. We shot in Mumbai, Thailand, Turkey — places like Mardin, Istanbul, and Antalya. We went to South America, Cuba, and Ireland, Dublin, to be specific. I might be missing a few more locations. That film was just as tough as it was easy, because you’re working with a completely different breed of filmmakers.”

Concluding, he said, “And honestly, I got to travel the world for free, so why not? For a young boy, that was a dream. I was the last assistant director on both films, so they made me work hard. I’d recommend that anyone who wants to learn filmmaking, whether they want to be a director or actor, should try getting hands-on experience, especially with Yash Raj Films.”

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Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Sooraj Pancholi Comments On ‘Some Actors’ Receiving Films Even After 15 Flops In Bollywood; Says, “Whether It’s A 3rd, 4th or 5th Chance…”