MUMBAI MIRROR (May 20, 2020)

Salman Khan was at his farmhouse in Panvel, working on the script and the pre-production of his upcoming film, which also features Aayush Sharma, when the nationwide Coronavirus lockdown was announced. His sister Arpita, with husband Aayush and their children, brother Sohail’s son, along with some friends, including Jacqueline Fernandez, Waluscha De Sousa, Iulia Vantur and other members of the crew, were also present at the farm. The actor decided to stay put with the rest, working closely with his team to help over 32,000 daily wage workers of the industry, as well as some of those in need in Bandra, Kalyan, Madh Island and even Malegaon, besides 1000-plus local families around Panvel. All through the lockdown, Salman has also been working on scripts, recording songs, shooting music videos and tele-conferencing with producers and directors.

On Tuesday, after 60 days, the actor made a flying visit to the city after taking all the requisite permissions, adhering to the social distancing guidelines. He dropped by his Galaxy Apartments residence in Bandra to meet his elderly parents Salim and Salma Khan, with whom he has constantly been in touch through video calls. According to a source, Salman made the visit to the city urgently to ensure that the relief work his father has been overseeing in the Maximum City continues uninterrupted.

He was at home only for a few hours during the day, driving back to Panvel before nightfall. We reached out to the actor’s father and his team, but they did not revert.

Salman will next be seen in the Prabhudheva-directed action-thriller, Radhe, which was earlier scheduled to release on Eid. While a major portion of the film has been shot, eight-10 days of shooting remains.

Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 20, 2019)

It was celebration time for Salim Khan and the Khan-daan as the veteran writer and his wife Salma brought in their 55th wedding anniversary on Monday. It was also son-in-law Aayush Sharma and daughter Arpita’s fifth anniversary and the terrace party was at their Bandra residence. Among the guests were Salman’s close friends from B-town, Katrina Kaif, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonakshi Sinha, Riteish Deshmukh and wife, Genelia, Shilpa Shetty, Randeep Hooda, Huma Qureshi and politician Aaditya Thackeray.

“The house was decorated with balloons, lights and heart bouquets. The cake was cut at 10 pm after which Salim saab went on the stage to croon, 'Baar Baar Dekho', followed by another Mohd. Rafi song, 'Ramaiya Vastavaiya' making the karaoke set-up a hit,” informed a guest from the party, adding that Salman and his siblings—Arbaaz, Sohail, Arpita and Alvira cheered for their parents, and later, the Bharat actor regaled guests with his own songs like “Hangover”, “Main Hoon Hero Tera”, and “Dil Diya Gallan”. While the older couple danced together to romantic classics, Aayush and Arpita shook a leg to “Tera Hua” from his debut, LoveYatri.

North Indian and Mughlai delicacies were on the buffet, including the Khan family’s famous biryani and gajar halwa, which is also Aayush and Arpita’s favourite dessert.

The party went on till morning. Katrina Kaif was the last to arrive, post-midnight. “She danced on Bollywood songs with Salman,” the source added.

Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 3, 2019)

Salman Khan may have made several appearances on Kapil Sharma’s comedy variety show, which airs on Sony TV, but the latest one was special for a different reason. The 53-year-old actor was accompanied by not only his brothers—Arbaaz and Sohail—but also their father, the legendary screenwriter Salim Khan. And the Khan patriarch held centerstage with tales from his youth and early days in Maximum City.

One member of the Khan-daan figured prominently in the conversation. Gangaram, who, according to Khan Sr, had come into the household with Salma Khan “as a part of her dahej (dowry), is much-loved within the family and the three brothers call him ‘Mamaram’. “Salim saab recalled that he once raised his voice at Gangaram, and his wife didn’t talk to him for almost six months,” revealed a source from the show’s set.

Salman chimed in, saying that his Mamaram is “like an alien” as his face is always devoid of expression. In the end, Mamaram made an appearance on the show and to everyone’s surprise, he didn’t know who Kapil Sharma was. How’s that for comedy… 

Surrounded by old friends and new, the actor makes resolutions with mummy Salma Khan in view and cuts a cake festooned with blockbusters and bracelets
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 28, 2018)

It’s celebration time for the Khan-Daan. Following a Christmas party at their Mumbai residence, the family drove to their Panvel farmhouse to bring in Salman Khan’s 53rd birthday on Thursday. After some R&R at the ranch, Salman went e-cycling with his buddies after a brief interaction with the paparazzi patiently waiting outside the gates. Known to be a trendsetter when it comes to bodybuilding, Mamma’s boy has made a rather interesting birthday resolution. “Mummy (Salma Khan) ne kaha six-pack abs laake dikha do, ab fourpack se kaam nai chalega,” the actor admitted with a smile saying he was working towards making mummy happy.

At midnight on December 27, the actor, with nephew Ahil, cut a made-to-order cake garnished with his iconic firoza bracelet and posters of his blockbusters released over the last decade. This was followed by a surprise performance by his protégé, choreographer Mudassar Khan’s team of dancers, to the recreated version of “O O Jaane Jaana”, the popular hit from Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya. The birthday boy was in high spirits, stepping on the stage at regular intervals to croon “Hangover”, “Selfish” and “Main Hoon Hero” among others.

Salman and Jacqueline Fernandez danced to their hit Kick song, “Jumme Ki Raat”. It was a reunion of sorts with Sushmita Sen. The birthday boy couldn’t stop hugging his Biwi No. 1 co-star, dragging her to the dance floor to shake a leg.

Katrina Kaif was also present all through the party which continued till day break, as was Iulia Vantur. Sonakshi Sinha who will be back as Chulbul Panday’s Rajjo in the third instalment of the Dabangg franchise, drove up with his protégé, Zaheer Iqbal who is gearing up for his big launch in Notebook in March. Zaheer’s leading lady, Pranutan, was there too. While Warina Hussain, who debuted opposite Aayush Sharma in LoveYatri made a brief appearance, Pandeyji also reunited with Chhedi Singh, Sonu Sood.

Salman’s close friend Mahesh Manjrekar was one of the early guests, arriving with son Satya and daughter Ashwami, both of whom are being mentored by Salman. Team Race 3 — Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Freddy Daruwala and producer Ramesh Taurani were among the guests, as was the Gold-struck Mouni Roy who describes herself as Salman’s fangirl for life. Sanjay Leela Bhansali who usually keeps away from parties was one of the surprises, his appearance reinforcing rumours of him teaming up with Salman in a film soon. Buzz is, he wants both the Khans, Shah Rukh and Salman, together. In a recent interview, SRK confirmed that they are in talks.

Brother Arbaaz came with model-actress girlfriend Giorgia Andriani. Among the other guests was Kriti Sanon, Jimmy Sheirgill, Satish Kaushik, Dia Mirza and Dino Morea.

Like it is in Mumbai, outside his Bandra apartment, which has a crowd of fans waiting to wish their idol, when villagers in Panvel heard that it was Bhai’s saalgirah, they too turned up in droves to wish him. Here’s to another year of Salmania! 

Madhureeta Mukherjee (BOMBAY TIMES; September 22, 2018)

He comes from a family that’s deeply rooted in politics, and he’s married into a khandaan that is a mighty force in Bollywood. The moment Aayush Sharma tied the knot with Salman Khan’s sister Arpita, he came into the filmi fold. But he confesses that filmdom is something that he is still warming up to. Yes, he has bhai’s muscle power backing him, but the young and restless actor knows that it comes with hefty expectations and he will be pitted against nothing but the best. With his dream debut Loveyatri, directed by Abhiraj Minawala, inching closer to release, garba boy (that’s what he is lovingly called by many now) Aayush, is all fired up and ready to take the leap. In an interview with BT, he talks about his childhood days of growing up in a political family, his relationship with the ‘Khan’daan, and how he hopes that when he’s finally on the big screen, all that will matter is the performance he puts out there. Read on…

You hail from a family with a political background (son of politician Anil Sharma) and at some point, you were handling the family business, too. When were you bitten by the acting bug?
I was always a huge movie buff; I liked watching Bollywood movies over Hollywood movies. I bunked classes to watch movies. I loved watching Govinda sir’s and Shah Rukh bhai’s films. When I moved to Mumbai, the thought of being an actor was just an amateurish idea. I gave a few auditions, after which I felt that this isn’t my cup of tea. The idea came back to me because of Sohail bhai (Arpita’s brother). We would train at the same gym, where he noticed me and said that he has a film (My Punjabi Nikaah) in mind, which he wanted to direct and that I would be a good fit for it. That day, when I came home, I said to myself that this is more than I could ask for. After that conversation, nothing really happened. Then I met Arpita and we grew close, and much later, when we decided to get married, the topic came up again. Arpita had planned a meeting between Salman, Sohail, Arbaaz and me, and when Sohail saw me, he turned to Salman and told him that I was the same boy that he had met at the gym. They went into a room, discussed something and when they came out, Salman bhai laughed and said, ‘Arpita, you have ruined his career. Sohail wanted to make a film with him and now that he is getting married to you, he has to train to be an actor’.

But at that stage, Salman didn’t have any plans of launching you, right?
Bhai said he won’t launch me, but he will train me to step into the industry. He always told me, ‘I should feel that you are ready to be an actor. If you aren’t, then I won’t work towards it’. Even when I started working as an AD, he told me that if I didn’t feel connected with the world of movies, I should go back to whatever I was doing. So, for four years, I did the drill. I trained every day (dancing, acting and horse riding) and was on set to understand the workings of the film industry. It is funny that I have the pressure of being from the industry, but actually, I am not from the industry. My director Abhiraj Minawala nurtured the idea of making Loveyatri while he was an AD on Sultan (2016). I was also assisting on that film, and he discussed it with Salman bhai and me. But back then, bhai told him that I needed time and I wasn’t ready. Only when we felt that we are ready to take it on, bhai heard the script, loved it and gave us a go ahead.

You have been married for over 3.5 years to Arpita. Was it intimidating marrying into the big Khan family?
Yes, at first it was intimidating, as I was trying to understand the whole family and get familiar with them. Now, I tell my father that I am blessed to have such a strong family in Mumbai. In Arpita’s family, everyone stays close by and they celebrate everything together. When we decided to get married, it wasn’t just the approval of Salim uncle or Salman bhai that mattered. The whole family’s approval was important. They were so warm and welcoming. I am closest to my mother-in-law (Salma Khan); she’s like my own mom. If she knows that I am shooting in the city, she never forgets to ask me if she should send me khaana. Loveyatri is not just my film; everyone in the family is involved in some way or the other. The film is like a family project, it’s like a home video that we have created together.

You come from a family that is deeply rooted in politics, but with your keen interest in movies, were you the odd one out?
While growing up, we didn’t discuss Bollywood at home. Our dinner conversations were mostly about politics. We were fairly reserved when it came to watching movies. In fact, if we went for a movie, it had to be for a special occasion, like a birthday treat, where dad took us for dinner and then to a movie theatre. It was a family tradition. I never thought I would be able to tell him that I wanted to be an actor, as I knew that he would be shocked by it. Being a politician, he never interacted with actors and he didn’t know anyone from the film industry. He wondered how this idea even occurred to me. When I actually told him about it, he was silent for a few minutes and then said, ‘This industry is not for us, we are very simple people. To be an actor, you have to be tall, extremely good-looking and well built, and you are nothing like that’ (laughs!). Well, he has not watched too, many movies, and his knowledge of cinema comes mostly from the films that he’s seen in the past. He even went ahead and told me, ‘In our times, Dharam ji (Dharmendra) was an actor. You are nothing like Dharam ji, so you shouldn’t try your luck in acting’.

In a way, you grew up in the public eye. You probably didn’t have the paparazzi following you everywhere, but political families also draw a fair amount of public and media attention.
The people of Mandi are very close to us. If you go to our house there, you will see that it’s always full of people. We have very little privacy and we have literally grown up with the people of Mandi. It’s a small town, and politics is a very big thing there, so everyone follows us closely and feels involved. I have fond memories of the time my dad and grandfather would contest for elections. As kids, we would go around carrying posters and paste them on walls. We would even carry badges in our backpack and hand them out to people.

Cut to Bollywood, life in showbiz is very different. After Arpita came into your life, you probably got a whiff of what it is like being in full media glare. And now that you are making your debut as an actor, people’s interest in you will only get stronger. Are you warming up to all the attention?
Politics and movies are very different worlds. In politics, you don’t live a flamboyant life. Even if you are like that, you can’t live like that. As a kid, my dad would tell me, ‘Don’t talk too much, listen more’. In Bollywood, it is important to talk. It took me a lot of time to get used to it. Initially, when I would go to parties with Arpita, I would tell her not to leave my hand, as I felt out of place. On seeing actors at parties, I would ask myself… Should I say hello? If I do, will I come across as a fan? I had so many such thoughts running through my head. Till date, I can’t hang around at a Bollywood party for more than 45 minutes. I have a timer, I quickly do my round of hellos, and then I am out of there.

Has marriage and fatherhood brought about a change in you?
When you are a bachelor, your responsibilities are different. You can take risks and also take life slightly easy. Marriage has made me very responsible. I am extremely lucky that I have a huge support system in Arpita. Being from the industry, she understands the profession and she is fully aware of the hard work that goes into it. She never tells me to skip my training so that we can go out for dinner, instead, she pushes me to work harder. We have a kid, Ahil, so I have to work hard for all of us. It will be a proud moment for me when Ahil will go to school and be known not just as Salman Khan’s nephew, but also as Aayush Sharma’s son. I will be happy to achieve that status in my life.

Talking about all the blood and sweat that goes into becoming an actor, in an interview with BT, Salman had voiced his opinion on the same subject. He had said, ‘Actor banna halwa nahin hai, it’s a lot of hard work. Today, they have to get trained for it and understand what it takes to make a movie. The journey is long... one or two years go by as an assistant director’. In spite of having Salman Khan as your mentor, you waited for long to reach this point; did you ever have second thoughts?
There were days when I thought that I wasn’t good at it. The first day when I was on set, I called Arpita and said, ‘I don’t think that I can be an actor’. Look at the number of people who are dependent on me to do my job well. It’s not just about my career, but so many people’s careers that are riding along with mine. Arpita was supportive and so was Salman bhai. He told me that I will be compared to the best, and that I won’t get any leeway. I know it and I fully understand that. I wasn’t born into a film family, but I know that I will be considered a filmi kid, and I will have to work harder than the others. Bhai clearly explained, ‘I lucked out, that doesn’t mean you will, too. Your hard work will take you places. You have to be grateful for every day that you are on set. I can launch you and give you the first film, but I can’t act and dance for you. If that was the case, everyone who I launched would have become a superstar. It is your destiny, after all’. I am glad that I got a reality check so early on in my career.

When a superstar like Salman Khan takes you under his wing, it is a privilege, but it also comes with immense pressure, doesn’t it?
Yes, there is huge pressure, and I also know that there are a lot of people who are wondering whether I deserve to be an actor. There are conversations around it, but I don’t look at it that way, else it will break my spirit. Today, I have a platform like Loveyatri, I don’t know if I deserve a film like this, but I feel so fortunate to be a part of it. I am lucky that people are keen to see me on screen. In a year, there are many movies that release, but don’t get the kind of attention and traction they deserve. The moment I am on the big screen, I’ll be on my own. Then, it will be about how good or bad I am. People will forget who I am related to.

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 30, 2018)

Salman Khan, who has been juggling the shoot of his reality game-show Dus Ka Dum with a dance tour and film commitments, has taken to sharing nuggets from his life within the Khan household and his growing up years.

While shooting for the latest episode of the game show, the 52-year-old actor reminisced about love in the pre social media age and revealed that quite unlike the current generation, that has moved on to instant messaging, he enjoys exchanging good old letters with his loved ones even now.

When the topic inevitably veered towards first love, Salman admitted that he’d found his childhood sweetheart while frantically looking for a washroom.

A source from the sets reveals, “During his school days in Gwalior, Salman and his friends had planned a trip to Dehradun. While roaming around and taking in the sights, the group drank multiple glasses of jaljeera paani, which was soon followed by a desperate hunt for a toilet.” And quite like a Bollywood meet-cute, Salman happened to stumble across one and met a local girl at its entrance. “He returned to Gwalior soon after that, but they kept in touch by writing letters to each other. The correspondence lasted for almost a year. Salman revealed that he put an end to it when he realised that she had brotherly feelings towards him,” the source added.

At another point, Sallu revealed that his father, veteran scriptwriter Salim Khan, calls his mother ‘Oye’ lovingly while she, Salma, addresses him as ‘Miyan’.

“He went on to clarify that he never lets anyone touch his feet because he believes that genuine respect is better than such gestures,” the source informed. Next up, as Dus ka Dum nears its finale, Salman is gearing up to start work on the new season of Bigg Boss.

With Salman Khan busy shooting in the UAE, Arpita Khan Sharma and Khan-daan take little Ahil's birthday bash to Abu Dhabi
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 26, 2018)

Much like Salman Khan, his sister Arpita Khan Sharma too knows how to party in style. mid-day has learnt that she is pulling all stops to celebrate her son Ahil's second birthday — the entire Khan-daan will be heading to Abu Dhabi this week for a destination birthday celebration. Since Salman was too busy with Race 3 shoot in the UAE capital to fly down to Mumbai, his sister decided to take the party to Abu Dhabi so that Ahil's favourite mamujaan could be a part of the bash.

A source reveals that the three-day celebration will kickstart on March 29 with the Khans and Aayush Sharma's family arriving in the city. "Arpita and Aayush want it to be an intimate affair. So the guest list includes only family members — Salma and Salim Khan, Helen, Arbaaz, his son Arhaan, Sohail and his family, Alvira and Atul Agnihotri, and Aayush's parents Anil and Sunita Sharma. The welcome lunch on the first day will be followed by a fancy dinner to bring in Ahil's birthday. The next day will see the family head out to an island nearby. The birthday party is saved for the last day where the families will enjoy a desert safari and a farewell dinner," says the source. He adds that Salman Khan's friends from Race 3 team, including producer Ramesh Taurani, director Remo D'Souza, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem will join in the revelry.

The affair is being planned by event planner Dhaval Chandarana and his company, WED Gurus. Interestingly, Chandarana had handled Ahil Sharma's last birthday bash in Maldives too. Considering Ahil is an avid fan of the series, Paw Patrol and Tayo The Little Bus, his cake will be designed keeping these themes in mind. "The cake is being made by Wow Sweets, one of the best cake designers in Dubai. Arpita has also ordered for a large macaroon tower done by French luxury bakery Laduree."

When contacted, Chandarana confirmed the news.


The Khan family in Maldives last year

Salman Khan talks success, relationships, and babies...
Jitesh Pillaai (TIMES LIFE; September 23, 2017)

You Khans have lasted for more than 30 years. What would you attribute that to?
Today, there's so much awareness ­ physical awareness, mental awareness. There are people to guide you. You keep on reinventing yourself. You keep on increasing your level from your previous film. You have personal trainers and dieticians. Earlier, you ate parathas and you did baithaks (sit-ups). So, no matter what the actors did, they could not get to this level (of fitness). This is the advantage we have over our seniors; they didn't have the right people around them. Akki (Akshay Kumar) and I have learnt it the hard way. When I was new, Jackie (Shroff) and Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) were much bigger stars than we could ever imagine. So was Sunny (Deol). Each time I felt my films were not working, I piggybacked on Sunny and Sanju. That's how Jeet and Saajan happened.

You've stood by a lot of people...
Yeah like Zareen Khan ­ - you guys killed her by calling her Katrina Kaif.

What's the equation like between your brothers Sohail and Arbaaz (Khan) and you?
(Chuckles) We are all of the same age. Now, between dad (Salim Khan) and us, there's hardly a difference of a year and a half.

Salim saab's sense of humour is fabulous...
Yeah it is. Most of the time, it's directed at us.

If you had to rewrite your life... what would you want to change?
When you come to this planet, you're given a package. That package holds the good and the bad. And when you start flying there has to be something to hold you back, ki bhai zyada maat udo. This anchor God has been put to remind me 'don't think you are...' The bad things that happen are like the anchors that ground you. It's the way you take it. Most of the heroes believe they have become larger-than-life in real life. But that's not so. That's the silver screen. Celluloid ki image.

Has it ever happened with you?
(Laughs) No, no... I have enough people to ground me.

Who grounds you the most?
My father when we were growing up. But when you grow up, you understand yourself better too ­ kahan galat jaa rahe ho, kahan sahi jaa rahe ho.

How do you view relationships today? Do you deal with things differently?
(Smiles) I used to deal with relationships then, I don't deal with it now.

Was there more drama earlier?
(Grins) Yeah. I was like what is this drama man? For what? I never spoke about any of my relationships but they all spoke about me. So there was one side that was coming out, which I didn't mind. Because if I had said anything, it would amount to disrespecting the person with whom I had spent an 'x' amount of time, and had a great time too. I just kept quiet about everything. Today, most of them are still in touch with me, we're still friends. It's like the best relationship now.

You're saying you are single right now?
Uh? No I'm not saying anything. I am what I am. Only I need to know what I am. Yeh single hone aur double hone se aapka toh kuch fayda hai nahi.

A lot of celebrities are having kids through surrogacy. If you don't get married...
If I don't get married that would be in consideration.

Do you fear time is running out?
No, not yet. (Laughs) But I'm sure when I'm 70 and my child is about 20, then I'd feel it. The only reason I'd want to have a child right now or in the near future, say in two to three years, is because I'd want mom (Salma Khan) and dad to see my child. They will be here for the longest time. Insha Allah! They're both healthy. Touchwood! We kids will have to worry about ourselves if we reach that age.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 25, 2017)

For many years now, Arpita Khan Sharma has been bringing the Ganesha idol to her parents Salma and Salim Khan’s house. Last year, even after she got married, she brought the elephant God to brother Salman Khan’s house on the ground floor of Galaxy Apartments. However, this year the Ganpati celebrations have moved to Arpita and Aayush’s new house, which they’ve bought recently. In an exclusive chat with After Hrs, the couple discuss their plans this year....

New place
While the Ganpati festival has always been an annual affair at Galaxy Apartment, there is a reason why the couple decided to move it to their new home. Aayush explains, “Actually, it becomes a little difficult for dad (Salim Khan) and mom (Salma Khan) because there are so many people coming in and they don’t get their space. For two days, there are people constantly in and out, and it’s a bit much for them. Last year, too, we talked about moving it out of Galaxy. This year we got this new house and so we decided to do the celebrations at our place.”

A family affair
Arpita adds, “When I’d decided to start keeping Ganpati, we didn’t know how long we would do so. It all just happened. Now after 14 years of celebrating it, it’s become a family function. We all look forward to celebrating it. I feel truly blessed to have Ganpati Bappa grace our new home with his presence first and then we will be moving in. Galaxy will always be blessed by Ganpati and the visarjan will be at Galaxy garden.” Although the celebrations are shifting to their new abode, everything else remains unchanged. It is still the family’s Ganpati. It’s still very much the entire family’s festival. Everyone’s going to be here. It’s just that it’s at a new destination. Salman bhai will also be coming for a day to be there with us,” smiles Aayush.

Totally involved
Arpita was in New York, but she overlooked all the preparations. Aayush lets on, “She has always been gung-ho about Ganpati. The whole family considers it her festival. It’s Arpita’s Ganpati and it’s been that way forever.” Arpita adds, “It would not have been possible without my parents’ permission. My mom is equally involved with the celebrations, but she leaves the arrangements to me. We have a fixed person from whom we get our eco-friendly Ganpati idol from.” Arpita FaceTimed with Ayush from New York and made all the arrangements — from the flowers to the decorations.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 26, 2017)

Eid in 2013 was marked by superstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan calling time on their decade-long cold war with a hug at politician-mutual friend Baba Siddiqui’s iftar party. Bollywood lore has it that Salman tapped a pony-tailed SRK on the shoulder, while the latter turned his attention away from a plate of assorted delicacies to give his friend-turned-foe and former co-star a warm hug. The picture that captured the moment fuelled headlines over the next few weeks, elevating all forthcoming iftar parties hosted by Baba to the status of must-watch events on the city’s social calendar.

But this year, on Saturday evening, Salman and SRK, who have shared a decidedly warmer equation ever since, arrived and exited separately at their first iftar appearance of the year. Khan patriarch Salim, along with wives Salma and Helen, son Sohail Khan, daughters Alvira with husband Atul Agnihotri, and Arpita with son Ahil, had already arrived when Sallu walked into the Bandra five-star at around 9pm. “Salman was at his jovial best, clicking selfies with fans and posing for the photographers. When he ribbed the paparazzi, announcing that they should have dinner now, they quipped that they were waiting for SRK to arrive and recreate the duo’s annual hug. Sallu responded with a cheeky smile and entered the venue with Baba where he was joined by the host’s son, Zeeshan,” a guest told Mirror, adding that a kid rushed to him with a bowl of sheer kurma and though he wasn’t supposed to be eating it, he obliged the young fan by taking a spoonful.

The 51-year-old actor then mingled with actor-composer Himesh Reshammiya, filmmakers Sajid Nadiadwala and Bhushan Kumar, father-son duo Aditya and Sooraj Pancholi, among others. Politicians Sushil Kumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chauhan and Ashok Chauhan were also present at the bash.

SRK, who had spent the entire day shooting for Aanand L Rai’s yetuntitled romance-drama at Film City, entered quietly from the hotel’s back entrance around 11:30pm. However, Salman had already made an exit by then. “SRK looked tired after a busy week and didn’t stay for too long but at Zeeshan’s behest, ate a kebab,” the guest informed.

While everyone thought SRK was headed home, the actor actually made a pit-stop at his neighbourturned- bestie’s residence for a quiet, post-iftar meeting.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; March 31, 2017)

The Salman Khan-daan has flown to Maldives for the first birthday of Arpita Khan’s son, Ahil. While the party crew mostly includes family — the star’s parents, Salim Khan, Salma, Helen, sister Alvira, brothers Arbaaz, Sohail and their kids — Sallu’s rumoured girlfriend, Iulia Vantur is also part of the overseas revelry. The superstar, who has wrapped up the shoot of Ali Abbas Zafar’s Tiger Zinda Hai in Austria, hopped on a long flight to be by his littlest nephew’s side on his big day.

The actor often shares photographs with Ahil on social media and there have also been days when the little one accompanied him to film sets. Surely, the tot’s first birthday party would have been incomplete without his doting mamujaan.

Who is Salman Khan? The boy from Indore who loved the dirt track or the Mumbai superstar who’s as famous for his roles as his romantic life? New book looks to actor's family and friends for answers
MID-DAY (December 27, 2015)

In an excerpt from Being Salman, by Jasim Khan, Salman’s aunt Sufiya Khan speaks of his fondness for good food.

Salman has always liked good food. He would often say, ‘Aunt, make kheer for me, make kebabs for me.’ Earlier the house had a huge compound with many trees. He loved to pluck the fruits and eat them. He would never let a bottle of sherbet last for long in the house.

A whole bunch of children used to gather at our home. They would eat and play together. The children would eat fruits, climb the trees and ride bicycles in the compound.


Little Salman takes a bath. Photograph courtesy: Naeem Khan and PENGUIN BOOKS INDIA

Sufiya Khan swears by the goodness of Salman’s heart. ‘He has the unblemished heart of a child. Salman is very simple and gullible. He loves children. He cannot see tears in the eyes of any child. Every child is a darling to him.’

Salman’s uncle Naeem Khan says that Salman was different from the other kids — naughty and stubborn. "He never listened to anyone once he had decided to do something. He had developed an early interest in stunts. At the age of twelve, he could jump up to three metres on wheels. Sometimes he took his bicycle to stony paths, and he could balance it even on stairs".

Cousin Mubin Khan was his playmate. Mubin says he cannot count the number of times they had fallen while attempting the stunts. It would often break the bicycle altogether. But the bruises could never deter them from taking risks.

Mubin also reminisces about Salman’s love for nature. "He loved to walk in the woods. Nights spent outdoors were special to him. Salman was the only one in the group who loved to drive his jeep on dirt roads. Life in the wild has always enchanted Salman. He loves remote villages, relishing bullock-cart rides and milking cows and buffaloes; he would then gulp down the raw milk."


Salim Khan with wife Susheela Charak and their two eldest kids, Salman and Alvira

Matin Khan, another cousin of Salman’s, recalls an adventure: "Our childhood was full of fun. We roamed the villages and fields in the jeep and performed all sorts of bike stunts on those dirt roads. We would climb trees and eat fresh fruits. Once Salman broke his hand while performing a stunt; we were in a neighbouring place called Bardari - we have our land there - we were racing and his bike slipped.

Bardari village is situated a few kilometres away from Salman’s ancestral house. This was the place where all his cousins and friends would meet to play. Mubin Khan remembers:

We would go to faraway places on jeeps and motorcycles. We often chose mud roads. Sometimes the vehicles would be stuck in the mud. We enjoyed pulling them out of it. The whole gang would jump into the well and swim together. This was the kind of family enjoyment we had.



Salman (left, standing) with his brothers Arbaz (right, standing) and Sohail (middle), sister Alvira, and two cousins

All of Salman’s relatives recount that Salman liked playing more than academics. This was one of the reasons why Salim Khan sent him away to Scindia Boarding School in Gwalior. Counted among the top four schools in the country, it was originally built for the education of royal pupils.

But even such a high-profile campus could not motivate Salman’s heart and soul towards studies. At last, Salim Khan had to take him back to Mumbai, to study at St. Stanislaus Convent High School.

He usually avoids questions on his personal life. From Sangeeta Bijlani to Katrina Kaif, there have been women galore in his life. But few are aware of his first love.

Here is what Salman Khan’s mother Salma Khan said in an interview to Filmfare magazine in 1990: ‘My children never hide anything from me. I am more like a friend to them. They share every secret with me. Salman has had girlfriends since the age of thirteen. I have always encouraged him to bring them home.’

Salman’s Bollywood affairs have been much talked about.

However, one of his love stories has remained hidden from the limelight. That too a love which was on the verge of culminating in marriage. But destiny had something else in store.

Many of Salman’s friends confess it was a time of great emotional upheaval for him. Many other beauties passed through his life after that. But none of them could turn into a life partner. Salman has been questioned umpteen times about his marriage. His standard answer has been: ‘My marriage was averted many times. Perhaps God was kind to me. You can see from the married ones what I mean.’

He has admitted on India TV’s show Aap Ki Adalat that he has had five girlfriends in his life. He was rather slyly asked by the interviewer, ‘People associate you with two things: boozing and womanizing, which of these are true?’ ‘Both are true,’ answered Salman. ‘I have a very poor ratio in terms of girlfriends. I have had five girlfriends in forty-eight years. It is a very poor ratio.’

Four out of these five girlfriends are well known to the world. However, the fifth has always remained a mystery. Salman has always remained tight-lipped about this episode of his life.

This story dates back to the time when Salman was a student of St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai. He was in his second year, but was mainly focused on his Bollywood career. As the grapevine has it, one Shaheen Jaffrey entered his life during this time. Shaheen is the maternal granddaughter of the famous star Ashok Kumar. His daughter Bharti was remarried to actor Saeed Jaffrey’s brother, Hamid Jaffrey. The couple had two daughters, Jeniv Advani and Shaheen Jaffrey. So Shaheen is also Saeed Jaffrey’s niece.

Shaheen has been a model by profession. She has strong connections with Bollywood. Her niece Kiara Advani has corroborated that Shaheen indeed was the first one to steal Salman’s heart. Kiara, who entered Bollywood with the movie Fugly in 2014, said this during an interview to the Times of India:

Salman used to date Shaheen long ago. It is very much possible that she was his first love. My mother knows Salman for a long time as he has grown up in Bandra. He would always say to my mother that one day I will be a big star. Shaheen and Salman had been together for a long time. They used to go cycling together. My mother introduced Salman to Shaheen. She had been to Salman’s home on a number of occasions.

According to some accounts, Salman was nineteen when he was smitten by Shaheen. Salman’s red sports car was frequently spotted at the gate of St. Xavier’s College where Shaheen studied.

It is said that the two were just about to tie the knot. Then Sangeeta Bijlani, the famous model, entered the plot. People say Sangeeta was a regular visitor to the same health club at Hotel Sea Rock where Salman and Shaheen used to go. Sangeeta was smarting from the pain of her break-up with her boyfriend Binju Ali at that time.

The real story of Salman’s and Shaheen’s parting of ways is still a mystery. However, we do know that Shaheen Jaffrey joined Cathay Pacific airlines after Salman bid adieu to her.

Sangeeta Bijlani saw a chaste and sensitive human being in Salman Khan and soon they became close. It was a casual relationship in the beginning, but soon flames of passion ignited between the two. Sangeeta was older than Salman, and Salman was taken by her emotional maturity. He was at a crossroads and had no idea where to go.

According to gossip at that time, the Salman-Sangeeta affair lasted for six years, ending in 1994. Sangeeta admitted that she had parted ways with Salman. She had become close to Salman’s family. She explicitly said, ‘I regret the break-up because I had to distance myself from Salman’s family. They treated me as one of their own. I cannot repay the affection I got from that family. The moments spent in that home, on its balcony, are unforgettable. How can I ever forget those moments?’

The media was rife with speculation about Salman’s and Sangeeta’s marriage. Stardust even announced the couple was going to tie the knot on 27 May 1994. Sangeeta Bijlani was prompt in her denial. ‘I know you will not trust me. But wait for the date. You will find me unmarried the next day,’ she said. Instead, she went a step ahead and parted ways with Salman.

Salman’s aunt Sufiya delves more on this break-up without mentioning names:

:All the relatives were awaiting the marriage. Even the month of marriage had been decided. I do not want to take names, though I can confirm that she was not Somy Ali. We were just waiting for the announcement of the date of marriage. It was almost final. Then suddenly the circumstances changed.:

It was left for others to conclude that the one who wrecked the relationship was Somy Ali. Somy Ali was just sixteen when she entered Bollywood in 1992. She had come with her mother from Pakistan to become an actress in Mumbai. Dharmendra signed her for Jaan opposite Bobby Deol.

...The moment she quit Dharmendra’s movie, she became Salman’s heroine in the movie Buland. Friendship led to love, and undoubtedly this was what led to Salman’s break-up with Sangeeta Bijlani. Somy Ali confessed to the New York Times in 2012: ‘I was so ambitious that I forgot Salman was with somebody else. This was morally wrong.’


With actress Somy Ali. Photograph courtesy: Varinder Chawla

Sangeeta Bijlani and Somy Ali remained in Salman Khan’s life for the longest period of time. Both enjoyed a close relationship with his family. This author tried to inquire of Salim Khan why Salman’s marriage had to be cancelled at the last minute. ‘Every romantic relationship starts with the promise of marriage. Sometimes, it comes out later that the two are not cut out for each other. They have different ambitions. The guy may want a woman who can manage the home, but the girl may have different ambitions,’ said Salim Khan. This author asked Salman’s aunt Sufiya if she had ever prodded him for marriage. This is what she had to say: ‘My husband’s brother was a bachelor for life. He stayed with us. “At least one person in the family must be like the elder uncle,” he would say.’

— Excerpted with permission from Penguin Books India from Being Salman by Jasim Khan


Salman’s cousin Mubin Khan posing in front of the jeep that Salman used to learn driving on

Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; November 5, 2015)

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 6, 2015)

Early on Tuesday evening, Salman Khan arrived in Mumbai from Kashmir - where he was shooting for Kabir Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan - to appear for the court verdict today in the 2002 hit-and-run case. If found guilty of the most grievous charges against him, the actor could get up to 10 years in jail.

At the Khan residence in Bandra Bandstand, the entire family, including brothers Sohail and Arbaaz, sister Arpita and Alvira and their families, and mother Salma, gathered at the dinner table. The mood was sombre.

"I'd be lying if I said I'm not anxious," Salman's father, Salim Khan, told Mirror. "But I need to maintain a brave front. If I lose it, the whole family will..."

Asked if they're prepared for the verdict going against Salman, the veteran scriptwriter said: "We're ready to fight it out. We'll face it, like we've in the past."

"We aren't going to run away or abscond, right," the father quipped, his laughter betraying a hint of nervousness.

Salman spent most of the evening in his house, and the family ensured that things were as "normal as possible." The actor responded to messages from friends, and didn't have any plans of venturing out in the evening.

"The fear of danger is worse than the danger itself," Salim Khan said. "His mother, Salma, has been visiting all sorts of temples across the city. She is the most worried. But I'm hopeful that it will go well, when something like this happens with your children, it's the parents who suffer... Sadly, we can only pray that it ends well for all of us."

MID-DAY (April 30, 2015)

Salman Khan pleaded innocence before a Jodhpur sessions court yesterday in connection with a case related to the violation of the Arms Act. The case is an offshoot of the 1998 blackbuck poaching controversy. The star has been charged with the alleged poaching of two black bucks during the shoot of his film Hum Saath Saath Hain ( 1999) in Rajasthan.

Before recording his statement, he was asked his father’s name, profession and other details required in the court’s form. The actor answered everything, but appeared puzzled when asked about his caste. He paused, looked at his counsel and bodyguard as someone from the crowd prompted ‘Muslim’. But he told the court: “Muslim and Hindu.” Salman said that his father, writer Salim Khan, is a Muslim while his mother Salma (whose maiden name is Susheela Charak) is a Hindu.

Salman was accompanied by his sister Alvira Agnihotri to the court.