By:
Taran
Adarsh,
IndiaFM
Tuesday,
January
16,
2007
At
a
time
when
most
film-makers
want
to
play
safe
by
making
short
films
[two
hours
or
less
than
two
hours
duration],
Nikhil
Advani's
Salaam-E-Ishq
has
a
running
time
of
3.30
hours.
Whew!
"I
look
at
it
this
way.
Had
there
been
one
or
two
pairs/tracks
in
the
film,
this
length
would've
been
unjustified
then.
But
Salaam-E-Ishq
has
six
different
tracks
which
merge
into
one
story.
The
length,
therefore,
is
just
right," Nikhil
informs
me.
Please
continue.
"Four
out
of
six
stories
meet
at
one
place
in
the
pre-climax.
In
fact,
John-Vidya's
track
triggers
off
the
climax.
The
penultimate
twenty
minutes
are
the
highpoint
of
my
film.
And
I
couldn't
have
made
the
version
shorter
by
any
chance," Nikhil
enlightens.
A
few
days
ago,
Nikhil
screened
the
rough
cut
of
the
film
for
his
friends
in
the
industry,
directors
all.
"I
was
apprehensive
that
they
might
raise
the
same
issue
[length].
But
they
were
unanimous
that
Salaam-E-Ishq
moves
at
a
blistering
pace.
Not
once
does
the
pacing
get
lethargic,
they
felt.
In
fact,
I
have
decided
to
add
a
few
songs
and
scenes
to
the
film
if
it
works
with
the
audiences.
The
length
would
almost
touch
4
hours
then,"
Nikhil
says.
Nikhil
had
also
promised
actor
Salman
Khan
that
he
would
first
screen
the
film
to
his
father,
veteran
writer
Salim
Khan,
before
anyone
else
and
take
his
invaluable
opinion
on
the
film.
"Salim-saab
loved
Salaam-E-Ishq.
I
asked
him
if
anything
needs
to
be
cut
or
trimmed
and
he
replied
instantly,
'It's
a
brilliant
film.
Don't
cut
even
one
frame'.
That
gave
me
the
confidence
to
go
ahead
with
the
length,"
Nikhil
states.
Nikhil
also
makes
a
valid
observation
as
far
as
the
length
is
concerned.
"A
bad
film
with
a
shorter
duration
of
1.30
hours
won't
work.
Conversely,
a
good
film
that
holds
viewers' interest
with
a
running
time
of
even
4
hours
might
still
work,"
he
opines.
I
agree!
Meanwhile,
Nikhil
and
Priyanka
Chopra
[paired
opposite
Salman]
visited
Jaipur
on
Sunday,
14th
January
to
address
the
local
media.
All
hell
broke
loose
when
they
arrived
at
Jaipur's
INOX
multiplex.
A
frenzied
crowd
attempted
to
get
a
glimpse
of
them,
as
they
walked
into
the
multiplex.
Nikhil
and
Priyanka
floored
the
media
with
their
witty
and
crisp
answers.
Later,
Nikhil
and
Priyanka
went
to
Dargah
Sharif,
Ajmer
to
offer
prayers.