Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 30, 2017)

From endorsements to hanging out together during the international schedule of their upcoming spy adventure Tiger Zinda Hai in Abu Dhabi, former couple and current co-stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif couldn’t be happier in each other’s company. In July, while in New York for an award ceremony, Sallu had sung the birthday song in front of a packed house for his leading lady’s 34th.

“Sallu wouldn’t take his eyes off Kat,” a source had told Mirror at the time, adding that the two made quite a radiant pair with the 51-year-old actor planting a kiss on the birthday girl’s cheek. At an event in Mumbai last month, they turned heads while posing together, while Salman gushed over Katrina’s wisecracks. “Salman and Kat had agreed to attend the event knowing that they’d have each other for company,” the source added.

More recently, when the two met at Mehboob Studio, Salman waited for Kat to wrap up a promotional shoot, after which he walked her to her car as they chatted. Later that month, they also took off to the Middle East for back-to-back schedules of their film, glimpses of which found their way on the social media routinely. Katrina, who made her Instagram debut earlier this year, offered up treats for their fans with pics of Salman blushing to things she said and videos of them filming together. “No caption required,” she had remarked. We couldn’t agree more.

The duo, who first teamed up on screen for Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya in 2005, has nurtured a solid friendship over 12 years. Their camaraderie has grown stronger with time. And while their personal lives have been a feeding frenzy for the media for years, Salman and Kat, who dated in the mid-2000s, have always maintained a stoic silence on the affairs of the heart, only letting on that they share great respect and fondness for each other. A friend of the 34-year-old actress had once shared, “Salman always has Kat’s back.”