I’ll share my income with Bollywood workers: Salman Khan

The actor sets his sight on noble causes and hopes to help the underprivileged.

MUMBAI:

Bollywood star Salman Khan, also known as the Hindi film industry’s enfant terrible, says he wants to help workers in filmdom by sharing his income and also work for the underprivileged in society.

“Right now, I want to give a percentage of my earnings from the film that I will start to workers of the film industry,” Khan told IANS, adding that the amount is not fixed yet. “It can be half of the remuneration or it can be one per cent.”

“Even if everyone gives half a per cent of their remuneration, it will be a lot of money.

“The government takes 30 per cent from the industry, plus the entertainment tax. Where it goes, I don’t know. I know that the money, whatever small percentage we give, should go to the workers in the film industry,” said the actor, who gave two back-to-back hits: Wanted and Dabangg.

The 45-year-old actor says he will first strategise his initiative and then take action.

“I have to sit with all the heads of the film workers’ associations and find out where the maximum amount of money is required. And the money would go there,” said Khan, whose film Ready will hit the screens on June 3.

Directed by Anees Bazmee, Ready is a remake of a Telugu comedy of the same name, and also stars Asin Thottumkal who teamed up with Khan in London Dreams.

The actor’s life has been dotted with legal troubles and other unpleasant incidents: He was involved in a hit-and-run case, in the hunting of a black buck and has also been known for picking fights with fellow actor Shah Rukh Khan and allegedly hitting his girlfriends.

But now it seems that Khan has left those troubles behind and set his sights on nobler causes. In fact, he says he will mix professional work with social work by utilising some time and money for underprivileged people while promoting a film.

“I haven’t started publicising the film Ready as yet. The way I will promote it is being finalised. Now this new funda has come up, that you need 15 days to promote a film. Whenever these 15 days come, I will make sure there are 15 to 20 places where I can go and help those people under Being Human and come back,” said Khan, referring to his NGO Being Human.

“When I go to these places, I will see who needs money and help. This money will not go to the administration. It will go directly to those kids who need it. Two or three operations will happen every day. When one goes out for something like this, it’s better not to waste time by just smiling. That’s the most fraudulent act one can ever do,” he said.

The actor has planned to reserve a sum of the promotional budget to accomplish his charity work and hopes other actors will catch on.

“You are going to special children, underprivileged children and cancer patients and giving just a smile. What after that? I hope people catch up to this, and it starts a competition on how much charity they do while promoting their film. Instead of spending the money on promos, PR and all that stuff, let the money go into the country,” said Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2011.