Dabangg 3: The time when villain Sudeep refused to hit Salman Khan

Kichha Sudeep, a the Kannadiga actor, recently gave an interview with a leading publication about his role in Dabangg 3. He said that he was used to seeing Salman Khan films from a distance on screen, and suddenly being there, he had no idea what they would be expecting. In the interview, the actor claimed that he felt nervous about playing his character in front of a crew that he wasn't familiar with. Read more to know the behind the scenes relationship between Salman Khan and the newest Dabangg villain:

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And the award for the sweetest villain goes to...

However, Dabangg 3 director Prabhudeva made sure that the Makkhi actor was made comfortable with his set before he performed. According to a source, the actor told Prabhudeva to give him some space and he and the rest of his crew complied without hesitation or resentment, asking Sudeep to take his own time. One day was enough for the actor, and he found that the atmosphere the next day was good for a shoot. They delivered, and the scene was wrapped up early in the morning. 

Sudeep had certain fears about working with Salman Khan before he arrived at Mumbai airport, and he was influenced by the media coverage that the actor has received over the years. But as time went by, working with Khan on the sets, Sudeep realized that Salman Khan is a very different person than what people put him across as. Sudeep is sure that Khan has a big heart. Talking about Salman's character in the film, the cocksure yet lovable Chulbul Pandey, Sudeep reportedly said that he feels Pandey is, in fact, more than a character for Khan: He's an alter-ego. 

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The actor is said to believe that for both him and Salman Khan, there is no in-between when it comes to people; they either like a person or the person doesn’t exist. He maintains that for people (like Khan) who’ve “achieved so much in their life,” one should be good at the position that they put one in. However, he reportedly found it hard to put this principle to practice when he found himself in the middle of a shot where, as the villain of the movie, he was required to kick his co-star in the chest. He says he did kick Salman a little, but this did not satisfy director Prabhudeva at all. He asked Sudeep to hit harder. At this point, Sudeep found himself at his wits' end. He couldn’t possibly hit someone he held in such high regard. It dawned upon the cast and crew at the shoot that the scene would have to be reimagined. Sudeep, it seems, is as soft-hearted in real life as he fierce and ruthless on-screen. 

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