Salman-Sonu fight it out for Dabangg

By Subhash K. Jha

First it was Ranbir Kapoor who had his torso/abs contoured and hand-painted during Saawariya by his ever-helpful co-star Salman Khan.

Now it is Sonu Sood who got the same personal attention from Salman .While shooting the tricky bare-bodied climactic combat scene in Wai for Dabangg, Salman personally supervised his screen-adversary Sonu Sood's torso tanning.

Says Sonu, "Everyone knows when two guys do an action scene especially if they're bare-chested, they work out harder before the sequence to make sure each one's body is in the best shape."

Salman has not only exercised rigorously for the climactic fight but he has also made sure Sonu Sood looks his best on camera.

Says Sonu, "We've been shooting the hand-to-hand combat for a fortnight now, every day Salman has been making sure I'm as comfortable with the action director S Vijayan's instruction as he is."

He continues, "We've been shooting in the heat on a set depicting a warehouse and our fight is a free-for-all. We first combat with fists and then any weapon, instrument, hard object we can lay our hands on. .It's the most dangerous fight Salman and I have done. Salman made sure I was comfortable and as protected and safe as possible."

Best of all, the star gave Sonu Sood a lotion to highlight and contour his torso muscles.

Says Sood, "It's a suntan lotion which makes the abs glisten on camera so that your muscles look more contoured. Salman told me to apply it and my body looks better on camera than ever before."

Interestingly, Salman did the same to Ranbir Kapoor when the debutant shot the 'Jab Se Tere Naina' number in a towel for Saawariya. In fact Salman was not even required for the Saawariya song. He had nonetheless come on the sets and personally painted Ranbir's torso with the lotion before the song was shot.

That explains Ranbir's contoured torso muscles in the towel song when in fact he has a wiry physique.

Says Sonu Sood, "Unlike Ranbir who was in a towel the audience will see me and Salman like two rustic Biharis in Pyjama -kurtas. Salman plays a cop who thinks he's the unchallenged law of the region. I challenge him to a fight. We both slip off our kurtas and fight in full public view. As the fight gets more vicious the crowds are scared away .Only me and Salman are left, fighting. It's the most realistic climactic fight we've ever shot."