Actor Akshay Kumar came out in support of longtime friend, actor Salman Khan at a screening of his upcoming film Kesari Chapter 2 in Delhi. Salman’s latest release Sikandar underperformed at the box office, adding more fuel to the growing narrative around the decline of star-led films.

When we asked Akshay about this chatter, given how many of Salman’s films are being panned, the 57-year-old said, “Yeh galat baat hai. Aisa hai, aisa ho nahin sakta. Tiger zinda hai aur hamesha rahega. Salman aisi nasal ka tiger hai jo kabhi marr nahin sakta. Mera dost hai — he’ll always be there.”

Besides Sikandar, many of the 59-year-old actor’s films have been criticised by critics and audience alike due to their content and poor box-office collections.

The two actors started their careers around the same time — Akshay with Saugandh (1991) and Salman in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi (1988). They also share a great camaraderie off- and on-screen, featuring together in hits such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and Jaan-E-Mann (2006).