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Salman The Actor
Interviewer: What inspired you to become an actor?
Fortunately for the millions who love to watch him onscreen, Salman was persuaded by people in the industry to change direction and try his hand at acting. For someone who started acting almost accidentally, and certainly as an afterthought, Salman displays an impressive virtuosity and versatility as an actor.
By virtuosity we mean the consistent and recognizable quality of his craft, a standard that he has maintained through all his films, from the earliest to the most recent. Many, if not most, times, this commitment to craft goes unacknowledged, perhaps even unnoticed, because Salman's acting does not follow the established modes of Hindi cinema. It is not excessively stylized, nor ostentatiously "prepared" -- it is an understated and naturalistic approach whose seeming effortlessness belies the effort that goes into making a realistic portrayal of the character. Some actors rely on external transformations like costumes, makeup, and mannerisms to define their characters, while others rely on internal transformations, becoming and being the character, through feelings and emotions. Since the internal changes are not visible, they are assumed not to exist. Because Salman's acting doesn't call attention to itself, many people think that he "doesn't act", little realizing that this is the greatest compliment that can be paid to a film actor.
"Acting ... has to come from the heart. Dil se feel karke acting jab karte hain to woh acting nahin kehlati, natural lagta hai. (When you feel from the heart and perform, it looks natural.)" -- Salman Khan
Aside from the understated nature of his acting, Salman also labors under another serious disadvantage. As Anil Kapoor said, " He’s a far superior actor than he is credited with. Because he is also so extremely good looking, and he has such a great personality [physique], people talk about his looks and not his acting. I feel his acting is on par with if not better than his looks and personality. I feel his talent as an actor is not yet tapped. It is such a plus point for him. He is a very uncanny kind of an actor, an actor full of surprises."
Salman is often described as a very spontaneous actor. His character's emotions are always apparent to the viewer, and he makes the viewer feel what the character is feeling. This is the essence of good acting.