'Mardaani 3' director Abhiraj Minawala explains why Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan still dominate: 'They think for the masses'

Filmmaker Abhiraj Minawala, who recently directed the Rani Mukerji starrer ' Mardaani 3', also had the rare opportunity to work closely with both Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. He believes their enduring superstardom isn’t accidental. Having contributed to big-ticket projects like ‘Jawan’ and ‘Tiger 3’, he has witnessed firsthand how the two icons approach cinema with a mass mindset that keeps them relevant decades after their debut.According to Minawala, the biggest common thread between the superstars is how they evaluate every creative choice through the lens of viewers. He shared with Mid-Day, “Their passion and dedication [are unmatched]. Their conversations are ‘Yeh karte hain, audience ko maza aayega!’ (Let's do this, the audience will love it) The thought is not that we should do this, but that the audience will love it.”Minawala added that both actors instinctively operate on scale, always considering the broader impact of their decisions. “One thing common between them is that they think from a larger perspective of the audience. [It probably stems from] the fact that they started their journey as an audience, and then ended up here.”Minawala’s recent directorial outing, ‘Mardaani 3’, gave him the chance to team up with Rani Mukerji, another star with remarkable longevity. Observing her work ethic up close left a strong impression on the director.Despite a celebrated career spanning 30 years, Mukerji continues to approach sets with humility and curiosity. Minawala noted, “She has achieved a lot, but I’ve seen that she still comes on set with the openness that she is here to perform. She is willing to learn things and collaborate with the team.” Abhiraj Minawala has steadily risen through the ranks, assisting on major productions before moving into direction. He has been associated with large-scale entertainers, including work on ‘Sultan’ and ‘Bharat’, both headlined by Salman Khan. With ‘Mardaani 3’, he steps further into the spotlight as a director handling a high-profile franchise project.