Salman connects well with the police

The 44-year-old Bollywood hunk will be seen as a police officer all over again in Dabangg. “I think because my grandfather was deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Indore, I have this special thing for the cops. I have also shared a very long relationship...!” said Salman Khanwith a laugh. Some of his earlier movies in a similar avatar have been Wanted, Garv and Auzaar.

The actor also had some run-ins with the law and spent time in jail in 2002 after his car allegedly ran over four people sleeping on a footpath. He once again went behind bars in 2007 in Jodhpur on charges of hunting an endangered deer.

Talking about his being so down to earth, he says, “When you think that you are a normal person, you are not a star; then you don't get impressed by your image that 150, 200 or 500 people have created and crores of people have appreciated that image; if you don't believe in that image of yours and you know for a fact that is not you but a created thing, you will be fine. If you start believing in that image of yours, then you are done with."

Getting to the Dabangg image wasn’t that easy. "I lost a lot of weight and then it looked weird. You are playing a cop who is totally ribbed. I really wanted to look ribbed in the film," said Salman.

"I had just finished Veer and I had to cut my hair very short... I didn't want to. The long hair was looking good. It took so long to grow them; so I didn't want anyone to cut them off."

About sporting his moustache, Salman said: "Five-six months before the film, Arbaaz used to come with different kinds of moustaches every week. I said I'm shooting for a film, can I grow a moustache...Somewhere Sonakshi also had this thing for her dad's moustache. If you see my moustache, it's somewhat like his only," he laughed.

Funnily, Salman is seen doing some really weird dance steps in the songs of Dabangg. Why is that? “Actually in this film, I copied everyone who can't dance. There is a nightclub-dancing style, there is one dancing style when you are in a function, and one dance is when you are drunk and enjoying yourself. This film is dedicated especially to those people who can't dance," he answered humorously.