Despite persistent romance rumours with Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, Romanian singer-actress Iulia Vantur recently revealed that she declined an offer to sing a song for his upcoming war epic, “Battle of Galwan”.
While Vantur had fuelled fan excitement last December by sharing a teaser video of “Battle of Galwan” for Salman Khan’s 60th birthday, the actress clarified that her decision to skip the Himesh Reshammiya-composed soundtrack was a conscious move to step out of Salman’s shadow and build an independent career.
Vantur and Himesh previously collaborated on “Aap Se Mausiiquii”.
“I was offered a song by the composer. But it’s just that I want to build my own path in the industry and the musical world. I’m trying to build my own identity. It’s only right and fair to do that. It’s better if I do my own projects,” she said in a latest interview.
While acknowledging the challenges of stepping out from under Salman’s massive “aura,” the actress termed him her primary support system.
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She shared, “It feels like a blessing to have Salman’s support. He has always been a good support [system]. It was very encouraging. I feel grateful to have the chance to be around him so much. I got to learn so much about the world, music, films and entertainment. Now, when I look back, I realise that I’ve learnt so much about Bollywood from him.”
“One will always be overshadowed by someone with that kind of an aura,” Iulia said, adding, “But I feel it’s only right that I get to show who I am without my connections. Having said that, it’s difficult to come out of his aura. But I also know that I’m capable.”
The singer-actress further expressed pride in building her career in Romania without any links or support. She first lent her voice to songs in the film “O Teri” in 2014. Following this, she worked on several Salman-starrer films, including “Sultan”, “Radhe”, “Race 3” and “Sikandar”.