Actress Daisy Shah has opened up about her co-star Salman Khan’s distinctive approach to women’s attire on film sets, describing how the Bollywood superstar prioritizes modesty and creates what she calls a “safe environment” for female colleagues.
A Philosophy of Respectful Representation
In a recent interview with Hauterrfly, Shah, who worked with Khan in Race 3 and Jai Ho, explained that the actor holds strong beliefs about how women should be portrayed in cinema. According to Shah, Khan doesn’t view women as mere “showpieces” in his films and follows the principle that “ladki ko jitna dhakoge, utni hi zyada sundar dikhegi” (a woman looks more beautiful when she is covered up).
The Blanket Incident
Shah recalled a specific incident from her debut film Jai Ho that illustrates Khan’s protective nature. During filming of a morning scene where her character had just woken up, Khan felt her nightdress was inappropriate for the sequence.
“There was this one outfit that I was supposed to wear for a scene in the morning when I had just woken up,” Shah explained. “He found my dress to be a little weird, so he said, ‘cover her in a blanket.’ According to him, that night dress was a little too short.”
The actress clarified that while the outfit was originally intended for a song sequence, Khan’s intervention led to a more modest presentation in the final scene.
Industry Observations
Shah’s revelations align with previous accounts from other industry professionals. Those who have worked with Khan report that he maintains strict guidelines about modest dressing that apply to both female crew members and actresses on his sets.
This approach was also noted by Palak Tiwari in 2023, when she served as an assistant director on Khan’s film Antim. Speaking with Sidharth Kannan, Tiwari described Khan as a “traditionalist” who implements specific dress code rules.
“When I was AD-ing with Salman sir on Antim, he had a rule: ‘every girl on my set, the neckline should be here, all the girls should be covered, like good proper girls,'” Tiwari had shared.
Balancing Tradition and Protection
Tiwari further explained that Khan’s approach stems from a desire to protect the women working with him, particularly in environments where he doesn’t personally know everyone present. She noted that while he respects personal choice (“jo pehenna hai pehno” – wear what you want), he prioritizes creating a secure working environment.
“He’s like, ‘my girls should always be protected.’ If there are men around who he doesn’t personally know, it’s not his personal space where he doesn’t trust everyone, he’s like, ‘the girl should be safe, always,'” Tiwari had observed.
A Caring Approach
Shah emphasized that Khan’s behavior comes from a place of genuine care and concern for his female colleagues’ well-being, viewing his protective stance as creating a more comfortable and respectful working atmosphere on his film sets.
This insight into Khan’s working methods provides a glimpse into how one of Bollywood’s biggest stars approaches the treatment of women in his professional environment, reflecting his personal values and traditional outlook on respect and protection.
