Salman Khan cycling through the streets of Bandra was once a familiar and cherished sight. The Bollywood superstar has always preferred this eco-friendly and healthy mode of travel for short distances around his home. It wasn’t uncommon to spot him riding from Galaxy Apartments to Mehboob Studios. However, ever since the attack on his house last year, Salman has been under heavy security, which has brought his cycling routines in the city to a halt. When asked if he misses riding around Bandra, Salman admitted, “Of course! I do miss it, but I still manage it at the farm (in Panvel).”

Speaking to us at the unveiling of Season 2 of the Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL), where he serves as the brand ambassador, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor reminisced about learning to ride from his father, Salim Khan – a memory that clearly holds sentimental value. It’s a skill he has proudly passed on to the next generation.

“I taught my nephews Arhaan (Arbaaz Khan’s son) and Nirvaan (Sohail Khan’s son) to bike at our farm. They used to take turns and do wheelies at a young age. Their turns were such that they would grind the footrest on the ground,” shared the actor.

Salman also raised concerns about the growing trend of reckless biking stunts on Mumbai’s streets, particularly those done without safety measures. “I have lost a friend of mine, Timmy, when this Bandra Reclamation was under construction. They used to have these races, and he won the race, but his helmet got stuck and he couldn’t apply the brakes in time. This resulted in a crash, and he passed away.”

He also spoke about one of the best bikers he knows, saying, “You know (Zaheer) Iqbal’s father Iqbal Ratansi, he was one of the most amazing riders I have ever seen,” he said.

Last year, Salman had shared a picture on Instagram, where he was seen posing with a vintage bike alongside his father. He captioned it: ‘Dad’s 1st bike, Triumph Tiger 100, 1956.’ Getting nostalgic, he told us, “He bought this bike when he was 16 years old for Rs. 4800.”

The legendary writer later parted with the bike, but he would often recall it in conversations with Sohail Khan. Salman shared, “Sohail sourced this bike. It was lying in a junkyard in Hyderabad. So, we got this bike from Hyderabad, sourced all the parts (that were missing) and restored it for him.”

Eid has been a special moment for Salman and his fans, who gather in huge numbers to catch a glimpse of him waving from his balcony. However, this year the moment came with a stark change as the actor was seen behind a bulletproof glass barrier.

Reacting to this, he said, “It is not because of any other reason, but we had to do something about the security because sometimes we would find some fan sleeping in the balcony. They used to climb up and sleep on the balcony, so we had to cover that place.”

One hundred paps, a select guest list, the venue and the filmi lead-up — here’s all there is to know

Actor-couple Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal are getting married today, and glimpses from their pre-wedding festivities have surfaced online over the past few days. Initially, there was an apparent disapproval from Sonakshi’s family, but a picture of her father, actor-MP Shatrughan Sinha, with son-in-law Zaheer, silenced the rumours. Mum Poonam Sinha, too, joined the family get-together at Zaheer’s house on Thursday. Here’s all that we know:

Shatrughan Sinha’s close friend Shashi Ranjan confirmed in an interview that the couple will opt for a registered marriage to take place at the groom’s family home. He also revealed that Sona’s paternal uncles are flying down from the US. “Everybody’s participating. It is a very happy moment for me and the family,” he was quoted as saying by an entertainment portal.

A flurry of pics from the couple’s mehendi ceremony surfaced online on Friday. While Sonakshi opted for a minimalist look — a red and gold outfit — Zaheer wore a floral-printed kurta in white and red. They chose subtle decor with yellow and orange marigold flowers.

Zaheer’s father, Iqbal Ratansi, told Free Press Journal that Sonakshi will not convert to Islam after the wedding. “She is not converting and that is for sure. Theirs is a union of hearts and religion has no role to play whatsoever. I believe in humanity. God is called Bhagwan by Hindus and Allah by Muslims. But at the end of the day, we are all human beings. My blessings are with Zaheer and Sonakshi.”

As their wedding invitation confirmed, the couple will get married today at the Shilpa Shetty Kundra-owned Bastian - At The Top. The decor will mainly be in ivory and white. In keeping with never shying away from getting papped together, Sonakshi and Zaheer have invited 100 paparazzi, to be stationed in the lobby for capturing the guests arriving for the celebration. The celeb guest list — which, we’ve learnt has been kept very exclusive — includes names such as filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, actors Huma Qureshi, Varun Sharma, Poonam Dhillon, Daisy Shah and Aayush Sharma, with wife Arpita Khan Sharma.