Salman Khan

This article is about the Indian film actor. For other people named Salman Khan, see Salman Khan (disambiguation).

Salman Khan
Khan in 2015
Born	Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (1965-12-27) 27 December 1965 Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Residence	Bandra, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Occupation	Actor, Film Producer, Television Personality, Model, Philanthropist, Singer
Years active	1988–present
Relatives	See Khan family
Signature
100px

Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (born 27 December 1965) better known as Salman Khan (pronunciation : [səlˈmaːn ˈxaːn];) is an Indian film actor, producer and television personality. He has a significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide, and is cited in the media as one of the most popular and commercially successful actors of Hindi cinema.

The son of screenwriter Salim, Khan began his acting career with a supporting role in Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988) and achieved breakthrough with a leading role in his next release — Sooraj Barjatya's romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). Khan went on to establish himself in Bollywood in the 1990s with roles in several top-grossing productions, including the romantic drama Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), the action thriller Karan Arjun (1995), the comedy Biwi No.1 (1999), and the family drama Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999). For his role in Karan Johar's romantic drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Khan was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. After a brief period of decline in the 2000s, Khan achieved greater stardom in the 2010s by playing the lead role in several successful action films, including Dabangg (2010), Bodyguard (2011), Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Kick (2014) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015). Nine of the films he has acted in, have accumulated gross earnings of over ₹1 billion (US$15 million), also khan become only actor to give three back to back movies which collect more than ₹200 crore (US$30 million) nett domestically. and he has starred in the highest-grossing Bollywood films of nine separate years which is a Bollywood record. For his contributions to film, the Government of India honoured him with the 2008 - Rajiv Gandhi Award for Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment.

In addition to his acting career, Khan is a stage performer and an active humanitarian through his charity organisation Being Human with his Brother Sooban Ahmad Khan. Khan's off-screen life is marred by controversy and legal troubles. His tumultuous relationship with Aishwarya Rai, hunting of endangered species, and a negligent driving case in which he ran over five people with his car, killing one, have been extensively covered by the Indian media. For the last of these, Khan was sentenced to a five-year imprisonment in 2015. Later on Salman was acquitted of all charges in hit-and-run case by Bombay High Court.

Salman Khan was ranked 7th in Forbes's first global list of highest-paid actor in the world with USD 33.5 million, earning more than Hollywood actors like Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio. He regularly features in listings of the most influential people in Indian culture, and in 2015 Khan whizzed ahead of the US President Barack Obama in the list of The Most Admired Personalities of India. In September 2015, a leading magazine declared him "The Most Attractive Personality" in India. He also became the only actor to collect over ₹5.00 billion (US$74 million) domestic nett in a single year in India. Salman Khan was ranked 2nd "Most Googled Indian of 2015" and 1st among Bollywood actors.

Early life and background

Khan with brothers Arbaaz Khan (left) and Sohail Khan (right)

Khan is the eldest son of screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Sushila Charak (later adopted the name Salma Khan). His paternal ancestors were Pathan from present Afghanistan who immigrated to Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Khan's mother is a Maharashtrian, whose father Baldev Singh Charak comes from Jammu-Kashmir and mother comes from Maharashtra. Salman has stated that he is both Hindu and Muslim.

Khan's stepmother is Helen, a former actress, who co-starred with him in a few films. He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan who is married to actress and VJ Malaika Arora Khan, and Sohail Khan; and two sisters, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, who is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri and an adopted sister Arpita.

Salman finished his schooling at St. Stanislaus High School in Bandra, Mumbai, as did his younger brothers Arbaaz and Sohail. Earlier, he studied at The Scindia School, Gwalior for a few years along with younger brother Arbaaz. He attended Elphinstone College and dropped out after the second year.

Career

1989–93: Debut and breakthrough

Salman Khan made his acting debut with a supporting role in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi in which his voice was dubbed by someone else. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya's romantic family drama Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), one of India's highest grossing films. It earned him his first nomination for a Best Actor at Filmfare, but the much expected Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut was awarded to Sooraj Barjatya.
Later Filmfare rectified their mistake by presenting the same award after 15 long years. Maine Pyar Kiya was later dubbed in English as When Love Calls, a 125-minute version, was the biggest hit in the Caribbean market at Guyana and also dominated the box-office collections in Trinidad and Tobago. Maine Pyar Kiya had also been dubbed in Spanish as Te Amo, the first experiment of its kind. This 125-minute film also proved its universal appeal with a glorious 10-week premiere run at Lima, capital of Peru. In Telugu as Prema Paavuraalu, it crossed 25 weeks at Visakhapatnam and had 100 plus day run at six centres in Andhra Pradesh. It was also dubbed in Tamil as Kaadhal Oru Kavithai and in Malayalam as Ina Praavukal.

1990 saw one film release starring Khan, Baaghi: A Rebel for Love, a box office success, followed by three moderately successful films in 1991, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa, and Kurbaan. In the same year, Khan co-starred with Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit in the Romance drama film Saajan. The movie was a critical and financial success. Despite these early successes, nearly all of his 1992–1993 releases resulted in box office failures.

1994–2009: Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!! and other films

Khan returned to success in 1994 with his second collaboration with director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! co-starring Madhuri Dixit. During the 1995 awards season, the film won 3 Filmfare Awards for the Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress. It also won the National Award for being the most popular film of the year. Earning over ₹1.35 billion (US$20 million) worldwide, the film became the biggest Bollywood hit of the year, as well as one of the biggest Bollywood hits ever. It is one of the films on Box Office India's list of "Biggest Blockbusters Ever in Hindi Cinema". This film was the biggest hit of that year, and turned out to be one of Bollywood's highest-grossing films ever, becoming the fourth-highest earner of all time. The film broke all the previous records and maintained itself as the highest-grossing Bollywood film throughout history for 7 years. In 1995 he starred in Rakesh Roshan's Karan Arjun alongside Shahrukh Khan, Karan Arjun is a mix of an upbeat Bollywood musical, religious overtones and an action movie. The film was released on 13 January 1995. The two played brothers who are reincarnated after being killed by family enemies. The film was the second biggest hit of the year, and his role of Karan once again put his name among the nominees for the Best Actor award for Filmfare Awards.

In 1996, Khan performed in two movies, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical, a box office failure but critically acclaimed and Raj Kanwar's action hit Jeet. He had two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan where he played a dual role of twins separated at birth was a commercial success while later, an action thriller was "below average".

Khan worked in five different films in 1998, his first release being the romantic comedy film Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya opposite Kajol, one of the biggest commercial successes of that year. This was followed by the moderately successful drama Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai where Khan played a young man who has to take a child who claims to be his son, under his custody. Khan's performance in the film earned him several positive notices and favourable reviews from critics. He rounded of the year with an extended cameo in Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai for which he earned a second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category.

In 1999, Khan starred in three films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United and Biwi No.1, both were the highest grossing films that year and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam alongside Aishwarya Rai and Ajay Devgan, which earned another him Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare awards. The film was a critical and commercial success along with its music.

In 2000, Khan acted in films including Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, which addressed the issue of surrogate childbirth; Khan played the role of a rich industrialist, who hires a surrogate mother after his wife becomes infertile. Critics noted his turn towards a more serious role, which reportedly had more substance in comparison to his previous roles. In 2002 he starred in the delayed release Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam.

For Tere Naam, (2003) Taran Adarsh said of him, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid..." Tere Naam is to date considered Salman Khan's best film with critically acclaimed performance. He subsequently continued his success at the box office, with comedies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005). Khan's work in 2006 included Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul, however neither of these films were successful in the box office.

Khan started 2007 with the ensemble film Salaam E Ishq. His next release Partner did very well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster verdict. He next appeared in the Hollywood movie, Marigold: An Adventure in India which told the love story of an Indian man and an American woman. Khan starred in three films throughout 2008, all of which underperformed.

Khan hosted the second season of 10 Ka Dum in year 2009 which turned out to be even more successful than his first season as host of the game show in year 2008. The show got very high TRPs for Sony Entertainment Television and according to reports, the show helped Sony TV regain its third position in the Indian television ratings.

2009–present: commercial success

2009 marked a significant turning point in Khan's career. Starting with Wanted, directed by choreographer turned director Prabhu Deva became a box office success and earned superhit status. In the same year, he appeared in two other films, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna and London Dreams. London Dreams did average business due to the uninspiring music, but Main Aurr Mrs Khanna was a commercial failure. Khan's first release of 2010 was Anil Sharma's commercially and critically unsuccessful film Veer.

Khan in 2011

His next release, Dabangg was released on Eid, 10 September 2010. Khan played the role of a fearless cop with comic effect in the film. It opened to generally positive reviews and broke several box-office records upon release. The film set another box office record, grossing ₹808.7 million in its first week, thus becoming the highest opening week grossing Bollywood film, overtaking the previous record of 3 Idiots. Dabangg went on to gross ₹2.15 billion worldwide and Box office India declared it an all-time blockbuster in the second week of its release. It is the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2010 and, as of 2012, the fourth highest–grossing Bollywood film of all time. Dabangg went on to win several awards, including the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. It was later remade in Tamil and Telugu, The film was produced by his brother Arbaaz Khan, and released on 10 September 2010. It made a record opening at the box office and Box Office India declared it an all-time blockbuster. Dabangg at that time was the second and now the fourth highest-grossing Bollywood film and for his performance, Khan received a Star Screen Award for Best Actor and a Stardust Award for Star of the Year – Male and was nominated for his sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Anupama Chopra from NDTV wrote about his performance, "It's the role of a lifetime and Salman Khan bites into it like a starving man devours a feast. He inhabits it fully, strutting and swaggering and even, spoofing himself."

Khan's first release of 2011 was Ready. Upon release, Ready became the second highest opening day grosser, as well as the second highest weekend grossing Bollywood film at that time, after Dabangg. It also held records for being the second highest grossing Bollywood film of 2011. He next appeared in Bodyguard, a remake of the 2010 Malayalam film of the same name. The film was not well received by critics, though became a financial success, with a domestic total of 1,409.5 million (US$26 million)—India's highest-earning film of the year.

Khan with Katrina Kaif at the launch of Ek Tha Tiger's first song 'Mashallah'.

Khan's first release of 2012 was Ek Tha Tiger where he starred opposite Katrina Kaif and act as Indian Spy. The film garnered positive to mixed reactions from critics whilst opening to extremely strong box office collections. The film went on to break the opening day box office record with a collection of ₹312.3 million (US$4.6 million) and became the second Bollywood film to gross over ₹3 billion (US$45 million) worldwide behind only 3 Idiots with an eventual gross of ₹3.1 billion (US$46 million). It marks his first association with Yash Raj Films. The film also broke the record of Opening weekend net gross (First 3 Days of Release), Opening week net gross (First 7 Days of Release) and entered 100 crore club in just 5 days of release breaking Salman Khan's own record set by Bodyguard in 7 Days.

Salman Khan's second release of 2012 is Dabangg 2 which is a sequel of his blockbuster Dabangg under production of Arbaaz Khan. Upon release, the film netted an excellent ₹192.1 million (US$2.9 million) on its opening day and became the biggest opener for a non-holiday Friday in India, beating the previous record held by Don 2. and collected ₹582.6 million (US$8.7 million), beating the previous three-day record set by Ek Tha Tiger. Dabangg 2 eventually emerged as a huge financial success with revenues of ₹2.5 billion (US$37 million) globally.

After year gap Khan's first release of 2014 was Jai Ho which he starred opposite Daisy Shah. After five consecutive blockbuster, his first film performed average at box office despite making over 100 crore in India. His second release Kick remake of Telugu film has entered the club of Rs. 200 crore in India on Eid . He also sang the "Hangover" song from the movie.

Khan's first film of 2015, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, released on Eid received positive reviews from critics and public and broke several box-office record upon release. The film set an all time weekend record to collect ₹1.02 billion (US$15 million) on its first weekend at domestic box office and became the eighth consecutive film of Salman Khan to gross over 100 crores. The film grossing ₹1.84 billion (US$27 million) on its first week beat previous record of PK. Khan's first and become a second Bollywood film after PK to enter 300 club. The film is currently second second highest-grossing Bollywood films in India and worldwide with collection of over 600 crore. Bajrangi Bhaijaan crossed 300 crore in 20 days of its release and became the second highest grosser till date in India

As of October 2015, Khan has completed work on Sooraj Barjatya's Prem Ratan Dhan Payo in which he plays dual role. He has signed on for director Ali Abbas Zafar's next film, entitled Sultan, produced by Yash Raj Films to be released on Eid 2016. Khan's second film of 2015, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, released on Diwali received mixed reviews from critics and public and broke several box-office record upon release. The film became the ninth consecutive film of Salman Khan to gross over 100 crores. The film grossed ₹1.73 billion (US$27 million) on its first week. As of 25 November, the film collected ₹2.01 billion.with this, khan become only actor to give three back to back movies which collect more than ₹200 crore (US$30 million) nett domestically.

Mentor

Salman Khan has mentored a number of aspiring Bollywood actors. He has also been an inspiration for some Bollywood actors like Hrithik Roshan and Arjun Kapoor to get into perfect shape. Saawan Kumar Tak, the director of Sanam Bewafa was helped by Khan as he worked Saawan... The Love Season for free.

Salman has recommended composers like Himesh Reshammiya and Sajid–Wajid. He supported Sanjay Leela Bhansali to make Khamoshi: The Musical and then Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Actor Govinda' s career was rescued by Khan as he offered parallel role in Partner. Similarly it was Salman Khan who suggested Mohnish Bahl to Sooraj Barjatya for Maine Pyar Kiya and later in Baaghi: A Rebel for Love after his stinct as hero failed. Bahl has also done important roles in Salman's Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Hum Saath-Saath Hain and recently Jai Ho. Similarly he was instrumental in getting Ravi Kishan, the role in Tere Naam.

Salman is now reportedly mentoring Rinzing, son of Danny Denzongpa, Ali, son of Raza Murad and Vaibhav Anand, the son of late Vijay Anand for their Bollywood launch. Similarly Aditya Pancholi’ s son Sooraj Pancholi and Suneil Shetty’ s daughter Athiya Shetty was launched by Salman in his production Hero. He has also decided to offer Sonu Sood his role in the Hindi remake of Mahesh Manjrekar’s 2010 hit Marathi movie Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho who has lost many offers due to injury happened in CCL while playing. Salman has decided to mentor his longtime loyal bodyguard Shera’s son as well. Armaan Kohli, who had a failed Bollywood career is now playing a major role with Khan in Sooraj Barjatya' s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

Production

In 2011, he launched his own production company called SKBH Productions (Salman Khan Being Human Productions). Money which will be generated from film productions will be donated to Being Human. First film made under the banner was kids entertainer Chillar Party, which went on to win 3 National Awards, for Best Children's film, Best Original Screenplay and Child Artist's Award . SKBH Productions next film will be Shikshanachya Aaicha Gho remake directed by Mahesh Manjrekar.

In 2014, he launched another production house called SKF (Salman Khan Film). First film released under this banner was Canadian film Dr. Cabbie. The film earned $350,452 on its opening day at the box office and Dr. Cabbie became the second highest-grossing film in Canada. The next films under this banner are Hero where he also sang title song hero by Nikhil Advani which starring newcomers Suraj Pancholi & Athiya Shetty and Bajrangi Bhaijaan by Kabir Khan starring Salman Khan himself with Kareena Kapoor & Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Other work

Television

In 2008 Khan hosted 10 Ka Dum. The show was extremely popular and was at number one spot in ratings in India. It garnered an average TVR of 2.81 and a peak rating of 4.5, leaving behind Shahrukh Khan's Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tej hai? with an average rating of 1.37 TVR and a peak rating of 2.3 and Hrithik Roshan's Junoon — Kuch Kar Dikhane Ka on NDTV Imagine with an average TVR of 0.76 and a peak rating of 1.1 According to reports, the show helped Sony TV regain its third position in the Indian television ratings. He again hosted the show in 2009 and thus won the Best Anchor Award for 10 Ka Dum in 2008 and 2009. In 2010 Khan hosted Bigg Boss 4. The show was widely accepted and appreciated due to Khan's hosting and surpassing the famous hosting of Amitabh Bachchan. According to data available with aMap, a television viewership monitoring agency, the opening episode of Bigg Boss 4 on Colors got a rating of 3.6. Season 3 had average rating of 2.43 while Bigg Boss 1 and Bigg Boss 2 had average ratings of 1.96 and 2.03. While Bigg Boss 1 was anchored by Arshad Warsi, Shilpa Shetty hosted Bigg Boss 2 and Amitabh Bachchan for Bigg Boss 3. The Grand Finale episode on 8 January 2011, received a TRP of 6.7, which was the highest among the finale of other Indian reality shows such as Kaun Banega Crorepati, Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega, MasterChef and DID –Li’l Masters. Due to high TRP Salman Khan again hosted Bigg Boss 5 along with Sanjay Dutt in 2011 and because of huge acceptance also hosted Bigg Boss 6 and Bigg Boss 7 in 2012 and 2013 respectively. In 2013 Khan hosted the Star Guild Award for the first time. Khan also hosted Bigg Boss 8.

Brand endorsements

Salman Khan was associated as a brand when he had done the advertisements for Limca Soft drink, Hero Honda bikes and Double Bull shirts, much before he entered film Industry. Even after he became a superstar, he never showed interest in promoting himself as a brand, but he was signed for Thums Up in 2002 and continued until its contract was over. Later Akshay Kumar replaced Khan. Later he was the brand ambassador of soft drink Mountain Dew with whom he ended the contract in December 2010. and now he is once again promoting Thums Up. He has also become the brand ambassador for the travel website, Yatra.com, which also made him a shareholder. He is also the face of the History Channel and the new brand for Suzuki motorcycles, Previously he endorsed Red Tape Shoes and now he is endorsing Relaxo Hawaii Salman Khan is also the brand ambassador of the detergent brand, Wheel He has also appeared for Chlormint, a brand of gum with his brother Sohail Khan. The actor has also done a jewellery brand, Sangini with Kareena Kapoor apart from innerwear brand Dixcy Scott and tablet BlackBerry Playbook. Britannia' s Tiger biscuits is the latest endorsement of Salman. He is also the face of Ranbaxy' s Revital replacing Yuvraj Singh Apart from these brands, he also has Rotomac Pen and SF Sonic Batteries endorsements Now Khan has been roped in as the brand ambassador of Dubai-based fashion label Splash Khan has been signed as the brand ambassador for Astral Poly Technik Ltd, the leading manufacturers of plumbing and drainage systems in the country.

Singing

Salman Khan has also sung few songs like:

• Chaandhi Ki Daal Par Sone Ka Mor - Hello Brother (1999)
• Hangover - Kick (2014)
• Jumme Ki Raat - Kick (2014)
• Tu Hi Tu Har Jagah - Kick (2014)
• Main Hoon Hero Tera - Hero (2015)

Philanthropy

Khan at his Being Human show with actresses, (l-r) Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, Preity Zinta, Katrina Kaif, Karishma Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Khan has been involved in several charities during his career. He has started an NGO called Being Human which sells T-shirts and other products online and in stores. A portion of the sales go to a worthy cause supporting the underprivileged. Being Human Foundation is a registered charitable trust set up by Salman Khan for helping the cause of the underprivileged. In its early days, Salman Khan set up and funded the Foundation using his own money. The Foundation has two focus areas: Education and Healthcare. To increase the reach and corpus of the Foundation, Salman Khan has undertaken initiatives such as Being Human Art; Being Human merchandise; and Being Human Gitanjali Gold Coins.

In 2011, he launched his own production company called SKBH Productions (Salman Khan Being Human Productions). Money which will be generated from film productions will be donated to Being Human. First film made under the banner was kids entertainer Chillar Party, which went on to win 3 National Awards, for Best Children's film, Best Original Screenplay and Child Artist's Award .

In January 2012, Khan offered to pay ₹4 million (US$59,000) for releasing around 400 prisoners from around 63 prisons in the state of Uttar Pradesh via his NGO. The prisoners had completed their term but due to economical reasons, they were unable to pay a legal fine for their charges.

In July 2015, Khan offered to donate the profits of his most successful film Bajrangi Bhaijaan among the poor farmers all over India. Film’s producers Salman Khan and Rockline Venkatesh both have mutually decided to donate the profits of their film to them. Film's director Kabir Khan and Salman’s sister Alvira Agnihotri met Mahrashtra’s Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse to discuss the same.

Personal life

Khan lives in Galaxy Apartments, Bandra, Mumbai. He also has a 150-acre plot in Panvel, which has 3 bungalows, swimming pool and gym. Khan is a dedicated bodybuilder. He has a 42-inch chest, 17-inch biceps and a 30-inch waist.

Khan has never married and his relationships have been of keen interest to the media and his fans. In 1999, he began dating Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai; their relationship was often reported in the media until the couple separated in 2001. Khan started dating actress Katrina Kaif but after years of speculations, Kaif admitted in an interview in 2011 that she was in a serious relationship with Salman Khan for several years, which ended in 2010. Sangeeta Bijlani and Somy Ali were also in serious relationship with Khan.

In August 2011, Khan admitted he suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, a facial nerve disorder commonly known as the "suicide disease". In an interview, he said that he has been quietly suffering it for the past seven years, but now the pain has become unbearable. It has even affected his voice, making it much harsher.

In popular media

Salman Khan promoting his production venture Chillar Party.

In 2004 Khan was ranked as 7th Best looking man in world - People Magazine, USA. In 2008 his lifelike wax statue was installed in London's Madame Tussauds Museum and so in 2012 once again his another wax statue was installed in New York's Madame Tussauds Museum. In 2010 People Magazine, India declared him the Sexiest Man Alive. In 2011, 2012 and 2013 he was declared Times of India's Most Desirable Man of #2, #1 and #3 respectivelty. In August 2013 he was declared as India's Most Searched Celebrity Online. Khan topped Forbes India charts for 2014, in terms of both fame and revenues. According to the Forbes 2015 list of 'Celebrity 100 : The World's Top-Paid Entertainers 2015', Khan was the highest ranked Indian in 71st rank with earnings of $33.5 million.

Acting style and analysis

He is one of the most commercially successful movie stars of India. While reviewing his performance in Tere Naam, Taran Adarsh wrote, "Salman Khan is exceptional in a role that fits him to the T. He breathes fire in sequences that demand uneasiness. But beneath the tough exterior lies a vulnerable person and this facet in particular comes to the fore in the latter reels. His emotional outbursts are splendid...". Adarsh also remarked that "Wanted that it will run only on Salman's star power." Filmfare commenting about him says that "When it comes to a Salman Khan or a Rajnikant film, their performance is not important. It’s the audience performance that counts." He also received rave reviews for his portrayal of colorful cop Chulbul Pandey a.k.a. Robinhood Pandey in Dabangg. Anupama Chopra of NDTV said, "It's the role of a lifetime and Salman Khan bites into it like a starving man devours a feast. He inhabits it fully, strutting and swaggering and even, spoofing himself." He has thus established himself as one of the leading actors in Hindi cinema. In August 2012, he was voted no.3 "India's Greatest Actor" in NDTV poll.

Controversies

Khan has been the subject of several controversies, including certain legal troubles.

Hit-and-run case

On 28 September 2002, Khan was arrested for rash and negligent driving after his car ran into a bakery in Mumbai; one person who was sleeping on the pavement outside the bakery died and three others were injured in the mishap. Charges of culpable homicide were laid against him, but later dropped. On 24 July 2013, he was formally charged with culpable homicide in the case, to which he pleaded not guilty.

On 6 May 2015, Khan was found guilty of all charges in the case. The Bombay Sessions Court concluded that Salman Khan was driving the car under the influence of alcohol causing the death of one and serious injury to four homeless persons. Sessions judge DW Deshpande convicted the actor for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced him to five years in prison. Later on same day, Salman Khan, being represented by Senior Counsel Amit Desai was granted bail by the Bombay High Court till 8 May 2015, on which the court suspended his prison sentence until the final appeal hearing in July. His driver Ashok Singh, who had given the testimony that it was him who was driving the car at the time of accident, was charged with perjury for misguiding the Court with false testimony and was arrested. The kidnapping and eventual death of prime witness Police Constable Ravindra Patil remains a mystery, with some suspecting the involvement of organised crime. In December 2015, Khan was acquitted of all charges from this case, due to lack of evidence.

Relationship with Aishwarya Rai

His relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicized topic in the Indian media. After their break-up in March 2002, Rai accused him of harassing her. She claimed that Khan had not been able to come to terms with their break-up and was hounding her; her parents lodged a complaint against him. In 2005, news outlets released what was said to be an illicit copy of a mobile phone call recorded in 2001 by the Mumbai police. It appeared to be a call in which he threatened Rai, in an effort to force her to appear at social events held by Mumbai crime figures. The call featured boasts of connections to organised crime and derogatory comments about other actors. However, the alleged tape was tested in the government's Forensic lab in Chandigarh, which concluded that it was fake.

Blackbuck hunting case

On 17 February 2006, Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting the Chinkara, an endangered species. The sentence was stayed by a higher court during appeal. On 10 April 2006, he was handed a five-year jail term and remanded to Jodhpur jail until 13 April when he was granted bail. On 24 July 2012, Rajasthan High Court finalized charges against Salman Khan and his other colleagues in the endangered blackbuck killing case, paving way for start of the trial. On 9 July 2014, Supreme Court issued a notice to Salman on Rajasthan government's plea challenging the HC order suspending his conviction.

Remarks about 26/11 attacks

On September 2010, Khan was reported to have claimed during an interview to a Pakistani channel that the 26/11 attacks got a lot of attention because the "elite" were targeted. During the interview the actor had said: "It was the elite that was targeted this time. Five star hotels and stuff. So they panicked. Then they got up and spoke about it. My question is why not before. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much." Khan also said that Pakistan was not to be blamed for it, and that the Indian security forces had failed. Khan's comments had drawn strong reactions from Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Chagan Bhujbal, Shiv Sena, BJP and other political parties. The comments were also condemned by Ujwal Nikam, Special Prosecutor in the 26/11 trial. Khan later apologized for his comments.

Tweets on Yakub Memon

On 25 July, 2015, Khan made a number of tweets from his Twitter account in support of the 1993 Bombay bombings accuse Yakub Memon. Memon was scheduled to be executed, before which Khan made his tweets. Khan said that Yakub's brother, Tiger Memon should be hanged instead. He also asked the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif to confirm "whether the mob boss is in his country." The tweets sparked protests outside his house where police had to be deployed, and was criticised in the social media and from his father, Salim Khan. Following these incidents, Khan withdrew his tweets and apologised.

Filmography and awards

Main articles: Salman Khan filmography and List of awards and nominations received by Salman Khan

2

See also

• List of Indian film actors
• List of people from Madhya Pradesh

External links

• Salman Khan at the Internet Movie Database
• Salman Khan on Facebook