14 years of Dabangg: Know the charm of Chulbul Pandey
The character of Chulbul Pandey played by Salman Khan in Dabangg released in 2010 was a game changer and left a lasting impression despite the flaws of the character. As Dabangg completes 14 years, let’s find out how he achieved it.
In 2010, a Salman Khan film was a box office bomb. This was just a year after he ended a string of box office failures with Wanted, but films like Veer, London Dreams and Main Aur Mrs Khanna did not resonate with the audience. And then came Dabangg, which proved to be a game changer for Khan. Khan played Chulbul Pandey, who in no way falls into the category of a ‘hero’. It was the quintessential problematic male character from 14 years ago, whose revival we saw in South films like KGF and Pushpa.
And yet, Pandey ji remained. Despite being called ‘corrupt’, he managed to leave a mark on the audience. So, why did this character gain so much popularity among the audience, despite having so much toxicity and flaws?
For starters, Chulbul Pandey is a very corrupt police officer. He doesn’t hide his corrupt behavior under anything. He is no hero, and doesn’t even try to be one. It was a refreshing take on the lead character, considering that it was released 14 years ago. Even his idea of romance would involve violence, which is ‘‘I am not afraid of slaps sahab, I am afraid of love’ (Slaps don’t scare me, love does) With the strong screen presence of debutant Sonakshi Sinha opposite a superstar like Salman Khan, this film will definitely be loved by everyone. Applause And Cetis which it received.
All credit goes to the writing team who have given Pandeyji the best dialogues. How else can you paraphrase that super popular dialogue – ‘Chhedi Singh, we will make so many holes in you that you will get confused as to where to breathe and where to drink from’And not just the dialogues, the entire script highlights corruption, which is often seen but never talked about in small towns. It is told in a humorous way that won’t hurt anyone but puts the issue across clearly.
And then, there was Khan’s unprecedented avatar in Dabangg. with that mustache and glasses on the back (so that picha can be seen), his antics screamed Bollywood. The hero of the heartland would dance with his hands on his belt – a step so effortless to be performed by a superstar that it became very popular among the audience. Khan added the right amount of humour to his character, with his expressions, his dialogue delivery and of course, the insane hooksteps in all the songs, which became very popular at the time.
Salman Khan is trying to recreate that magic and mix it up Whistle-Hit Many of his subsequent films used dialogues with humour and seriousness. However, the magic that this kitschy film created is unmatched, especially because of how well the film balanced all the elements. Thanks to director Abhinav Singh Kashyap, who also co-wrote the film, the madness did not become too much, the toxicity did not become distasteful and the self-parody kept itself limited to the right amount. The film walked a thin line, never falling off the rope.
Pandey ji became an icon, the film was an overall hit value for money Post release, it has remained a cult film that audiences continue to enjoy even today, despite all of Chulbul’s flaws! Pandeyji, in fact, is still very much a chubbula for the audience!