Scripted Differences

Salman Khan recently made a surprising admission—he said he has never read a script in his three-decade-long career. “I’ve written them, but I’ve never read them,” the actor said and shared that he prefers narration to reading.

Revealing that his focus is on trying to understand the feel, treatment and commercial appeal of a film rather than reading it from start to finish, he added that he likes adding his own perspective too.

A few fans said it was understandable, considering that he might be receiving several narrations a day. “A narration is far better, since reading and executing are two different things,” said one. “Salman wrote Dabangg 3, he understands what his fans like,” another posted.

A few fans, however, advised the actor that regarding reading scripts, it was better to start late than never, especially after the underperformance of films like Sikandar. One user remarked that Salman was “still stuck in the 90s” and that it was time he reinvented himself by reading stories instead of writing them.

However, a writer reveals that actors not reading scripts is nothing unusual; the real challenge is the tendency to constantly alter scripts to fit the visions of the actor, producer and studio. “Many actors prefer narrations while others prefer reading. But very often, the writer’s vision gets lost. What finally comes through on screen is usually a mix of what the actor wants, what the producers demand and the director’s vision. Perhaps that reflects in the current situation.”