Salman Khan, who is heading out to the US soon to get a second medical opinion about his ailment Trigeminal Neuralgia and Aneurysm, has quite a few films and endorsements waiting for him. And we're not talking about Bodyguard that releases on Eid, August 31.
"With every release, the money riding on Salman increases because his films make so much profit," says media professional and industry observer Abhijit Mhamunkar.
Out of all his forthcoming films, Ek Tha Tiger is the only one that has gone on the floors. It is touted to be the biggest budget film of 2011 because it will shot in six countries.
"The makers are not disclosing the budget but I think it will be around Rs 65 to 70 crores. When the film is ready for release, a few more crores will be pumped in for promotions," Abhijit adds.
Despite speculation, Abhijit claims that Salman will not be out of action for long, and that there is nothing to panic about. The next schedule for Ek Tha Tiger is in mid-September, which gives Salman time to rest.
"Plus, every filmmaker considers a month delay for any film," Abhijit adds. "If there is a delay of two months, there will be a loss of around Rs 4 to 5 crores, as the schedule will go haywire."
The other films in Salman's kitty is Sohail Khan's Sher Khan, Arbaaz Khan's Dabangg 2 and Shirish Kunder's Kick. None of these films have gone on the floors yet so there aren't major losses on that front. Salman had also committed to Kurbaan director Rensil D'Silva's new film, to be produced by Dharma Productions.
"The approximate budget of Kick is Rs 70 crores, Sher Khan is Rs 60 crores and Dabangg 2 is around Rs 50 to 60 crores," he says.
Huge losses will be incurred by his endorsements -- Rotomac Pen, Dixcy Scott Inner Wear, Mountain Dew, SF Sonic Batteries -- because if the brand ambassador is missing for a long time, it will affect the product because the face of the product would be missing. The losses would be approximately Rs 10 crores.
Reality show Bigg Boss will not be affected because Salman has only shot a promo. The show will mostly go on air in October, and the shooting will start around then.
"It all depends on how much time Salman will take. First of all, there is no reason to panic because it is just a nerve condition which will not take a lot of time," says trade analyst Indu Mirani. "Even if it takes time, the producers and directors will wait, as they know his box office value. Anyway, every producer and director who works with Salman knows that the film will get delayed, as he keeps cancelling shoots. So I don't think anyone will mind this delay."
Ek Tha Tiger director Kabir Khan, however, claimed that his film will not be affected by Salman's medical condition. "Salman's trip to the US was planned way in advance. It's not an emergency. We have finished our first schedule. The doctors know what surgery needs to be done and the time needed for recouperation. So while we were preparing our schedule, we took everything into consideration."
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