Happy Birthday Salman Khan

Salman Khan is among the biggest stars Indian cinema has seen in the last 25 years. His fans will brook no negative comment against him. He remains one of the most bankable stars (never mind if his film Race 3 failed to get audience’s vote this year) and has been delivering hits consistently for the last several years. Salman is also a mentor to many youngsters, both star kids and otherwise, who want to make a break in Bollywood. He wears multiple hats as a film personality — he is an actor and producer and, sometimes, he also makes special appearances like he recently did in Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero. On Salman Khan’s birthday, we bring you lesser known facts about the star. Salman, in many ways, remains a bit of a paradox too. There is no doubt that he is genuinely loved by industry folks but he also remains controversial as he is battling a number of court cases. His romantic life too has had bit of a history. However, there is no disputing that his cinematic legacy is a mix bag with the star in him reigning supreme. On Salman’s 53rd birthday, here are some of the lesser known things about Bollywood’s favourite ‘Bhai’. 1) Salman Khan’s real name is Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan. 2) Salman hails from the Alakozai Pathan tribe of Afghanistan from his dad’s side, who came to India in mid 1800s. They were employed in the service of the Holkars of Indore. From his mother, Sushila Charak’s side (now renamed as Salma Khan) he is a part Maharashtrian and part Dogra Rajput. 3) Salman made his debut, not with Maine Pyar Kiya, but with Biwi Ho Toh Aisi, where he appeared in a supporting role. 4) Salman’s second film, Maine Pyar Kiya has interesting names in the languages it was dubbed in — When Love Calls (English), Te Amo (Spanish), Prema Paavuraalu (Telugu), Kaadhal Oru Kavithai (Tamil) and Ina Praavukal (Malayalam). 5) In not less than 15 films, Salman’s character is called Prem. These include Maine Pyar Kiya, 1989 (Prem Choudhary); Andaz Apna Apna, 1994 (Prem Bhopali); Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! 1994 (Prem); Judwaa, 1997 (Raja/Prem Malhotra); Deewana Mastana, 1997 (Prem Kumar); Biwi No.1, 1999 (Prem); Sirf Tum, 1999 (Prem); Hum Saath-Saath Hain, 1999 (Prem); Chal Mere Bhai, 2000 (Prem Oberoi); Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye, 2000 (Prem Kapoor); No Entry, 2005 (Prem); Partner, 2007 (Prem Love Guru); Marigold, 2007 (Prem); Ready, 2011 (Prem Kapoor) and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, 2015 (Prem/Vijay). 6) The actress with whom Salman has worked the most is Katrina Kaif. Salman and Katrina will be seen in Bharat next. 7) A bunch of actors have been launched (or are set to be launched) by Salman. Those to be launched include Nutan’s granddaughter Pranutan Bahl, Zaheer Iqbal and Mahesh Manjreker’s daughter Ashwami. Those whom he has already launched include Aayush Sharma, Daisy Shah, Sonakshi Sinha, Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty, Zareen Khan, Sneha Ullal and Bhoomika Chawla. 8) Salman Khan is known to have been in relationships with many actresses including Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif, Sangeeta Bijlani and Pakistani actor Somi Ali. He is rumoured to be dating Romanian singer-actor Iulia Vantur. 9) He is known to be suffering from a disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia, a facial nerve disorder also called the ‘suicide disease’. 10) His Panvel farmhouse is spread across 150 acres and boasts of three bungalows, a swimming pool and a gymnasium.