Salman Khan

Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (Hindi: सलमान ख़ान, Urdu: سلمان خان, pronounced [səlˈmɑːn ˈxɑːn]; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian film actor who appears in Bollywood films.

Khan, who made his acting debut with the film Biwi Ho To Aisi (1988), had his first commercial success with the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance. He went on to star in some of Bollywood’s most successful films, such as Saajan (1991), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994), Karan Arjun (1995), Biwi No.1 (1999), having appeared in the highest earning films of five separate years during his career.

In 1999, Khan won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his extended appearance in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), and since then has starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Tere Naam (2003), No Entry (2005) Partner (2007) and Wanted (2009). Khan has thus established himself as one of the most prominent leading actors of Hindi cinema.

Biography

Career

Late 1980s

Salman Khan made his acting debut in the 1988 film Biwi Ho To Aisi where he played a supporting role. His first leading role in a Bollywood movie was in Sooraj R. Barjatya’s romance Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). The film went on to become one of India’s highest grossing films. It also won him a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award, and a nomination for Filmfare Best Actor Award. Maine Pyar Kiya was the biggest hit of 1989 in India, one of the most successful Bollywood movies of the 1980s, and it established Salman Khan’s status in the industry.

1990s

1990 saw only one film release starring Khan, Baaghi, co-starring alongside southern actress Nagma. The film was a box office success, and was followed by another successful year in 1991 when he starred in three hit films, Patthar Ke Phool, Sanam Bewafa and Saajan. Despite these tremendous early box office successes, all of his 1992-1993 releases resulted in box office failures.

Khan clawed back his previous success in 1994 with his second collaboration with director Sooraj Barjatya in the romance Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, co-starring Madhuri Dixit. 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. Apart from being a commercial success, the film was widely acclaimed and Khan was praised for his performance, earning his second nomination for Best Actor at the Filmfare. Three more films released that year featured Khan, none of which making a significant impact on the box-office as was the case with the previously mentioned title. He did however win praise for his performance in Andaz Apna Apna, alongside co-star Aamir Khan, which has gained a cult status since its release. In 1995 he cemented his success with Rakesh Roshan’s blockbuster Karan Arjun, co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan. 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 at the Filmfare, which was eventually won by his Karan Arjun co-star Shahrukh Khan.

1996 was followed by two successes. The first one being Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directional debut Khamoshi: The Musical, co-starring Manisha Koirala, Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas. Though a box office failure, the film was critically acclaimed. He next starred alongside Sunny Deol and Karisma Kapoor in Raj Kanwar’s action hit Jeet.

He had only two releases in 1997: Judwaa and Auzaar. The former was a comedy directed by David Dhawan co-starring Karisma Kapoor, where he played a dual role of twins separated at birth. The film was a box office hit. The latter, co-starring Shilpa Shetty failed to do well, but developed a cult following after its video release.

Khan worked in five different films in 1998, his first release being the comedy 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. 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 Karan Johar’s directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Co-starring alongside Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, he had only an extended cameo playing the role of Aman. However, it eventually turned out beneficial to him, as his performance earned him his second Filmfare Award under the Best Supporting Actor category.

In 1999, Khan starred in three hit films: Hum Saath-Saath Hain: We Stand United, which reunited him with Sooraj Barjatya for the third time; Biwi No.1, which became the top grossing film that year; and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, which was a major critical success, and earned him another Best Actor nomination at the Filmfare.

2000s

In 2000, Khan acted in six films, most of which failed critically and commercially, except for the two moderately successful films, Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega and Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, both of which co-starred Rani Mukerji and Preity Zinta. His performance in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, the release of which was delayed until 2001, was received well. The film was one of the first Bollywood movies to handle 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 which was semi-hit at the box office.

Khan’s following releases failed at the box office until he made a comeback in 2003 with Tere Naam. The film was a major earner and his performance was praised by critics, with film critic Taran Adarsh noting, “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…” He subsequently continued his success at the box office, with comedies like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004) and No Entry (2005). 2006 was an unsuccessful year for him when Jaan-E-Mann and Baabul both failed to do well at the box office.

Khan started 2007 with the ensemble film Salaam E Ishq which failed to do well at the box office. His next release Partner did very well at the box office, receiving a blockbuster verdict. He next appeared in his first Hollywood movie, Marigold: An Adventure in India opposite American actress Ali Larter. Telling the love story of an Indian man and an American woman, the film was a major failure, both commercially and critically.

Khan starred in three films throughout 2008, all of which underperformed, though his second film of the year, Heroes, met with praise from critics.

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

Khan’s first film of 2009, Wanted directed by choreographer turned director Prabhu Deva was declared a smash hit in its first weekend of release itself. The action film turned out to be a huge success. The movie got more recognition for its slick action sequences performed by the actor himself.

Personal life

Khan is the eldest son of celebrated screenwriter Salim Khan and his first wife Salma Khan (maiden name Sushila Charak). His stepmother is Helen, a famous former Bollywood actress, who has co-starred with him in Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). He has two brothers, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan, and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita. Alvira is married to actor/director Atul Agnihotri.

Khan is a dedicated bodybuilder, and is famous for taking off his shirt in movies and stage shows alike. In 2004, he was voted seventh best-looking man in the world and the best looking man in India by People magazine, U.S. Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.

On 11 October 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was finally installed there on 15 January 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

Controversies

Legal troubles

On 28 September 2002, Salman was arrested for rash and negligent driving. His car had run 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, and he was found not guilty. However, he will still have to stand trial for a series of lesser charges pertaining to the incident.

On 17 February 2006, Khan was sentenced to one year in prison for hunting an endangered species, the Chinkara. The sentence was stayed by a higher court during appeal. On 10 April 2006, Salman was handed a five year jail term for hunting the endangered Chinkara. He was remanded to Jodhpur jail, and remained there until 13 April when he was granted bail. On 24 August 2007, the Jodhpur sessions court, upheld the 5 year jail term for Khan in the Chinkara poaching case by turning down his appeal against the 2006 judgement. At the time of the hearing, he was busy with a shooting elsewhere, while his sister attended the proceedings. Day after, he was placed under police arrest in Jodhpur after a Rajasthan court upheld a prison sentence passed upon him for poaching. On 31 August 2007, Khan was released on bail from the Jodhpur Central jail where he has spent six days.

Relationship troubles

His turbulent relationship with actress Aishwarya Rai was a well publicised topic in the Indian media, and had constantly filled gossip columns. 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 his ex-girlfriend, Aishwarya Rai, in an effort to force her to appear at social events held by Mumbai crime figures. The call featured boasts of connections to organized 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.

Fatwas

In September 2007, a Muslim organisation issued a fatwa against Khan for attending a Ganesh puja. Stating that Islam prohibits idol worship, the organisation stated that unless Khan reads the kalmas – the declaration of faith, all over again, he will not be considered a Muslim. In addition to that, Khan celebrated the Ganesh Mahostav with his family in Bandra; they brought a Ganesh idol for one day for the sake of his stepmother, Helen. Khan was among the group who danced in the procession. His father responded by criticising the fatwa, and stated that Salman had done nothing wrong.

Another fatwa was raised against Khan by a Muslim cleric in India, mufti Salim Ahmad Qasmi, for allowing Madame Tussauds in London to make a wax model of himself. The mufti said the statue is illegal and the Sharia forbids depictions of all living creatures. This created speculation in the press, as no fatwa was released against fellow Muslim, Shahrukh Khan who also has a wax model in the museum. Salman responded by saying, “These fatwas are becoming a joke”.

The fatwa was raised upon Khan again in September 2008, for celebrating the Ganeshotsav Hindu ceremony at his home with the family. The fatwa was raised by the member of the Advisory Council, Jama Masjid, in New Delhi. On this occasion, his father, Salim, again questioned the fatwa and criticised those who raise it.

Awards and nominations

Filmfare Awards

Winner

• 1990: Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for Maine Pyar Kiya
• 1999: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Nominated

• 1990: Filmfare Best Actor Award for Maine Pyar Kiya
• 1996: Filmfare Best Actor Award for Karan Arjun
• 1997: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Jeet
• 1999: Filmfare Best Actor Award for Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya
• 2000: Filmfare Best Actor Award for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• 2000: Filmfare Best Comedian Award for Biwi No.1
• 2004: Filmfare Best Actor Award for Tere Naam
• 2004: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Baghban
• 2006: Filmfare Best Comedian Award for No Entry

Star Screen Awards

Nominated

• 2004: Star Screen Award Best Actor for Tere Naam
• 2005: Star Screen Award Best Actor for Garv: Pride and Honour

Zee Cine Awards

Nominated

• 2004: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Male for Tere Naam
• 2005: Zee Cine Award Best Actor- Male for Mujhse Shaadi Karogi
• 2006: Zee Cine Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Male for No Entry

Bollywood Movie Awards

Winner

• 2002: Bollywood Movie Award – Most Sensational Actor, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke

National Honour

• 2007: Rajiv Gandhi Award for his Outstanding achievement in entertainment.

Indian Telly Awards

• 2008: Best Anchor, Dus Ka Dum
• 2009: The Second Season of The Popular Game Show Dus Ka Dum Sony Entertainment Television Big Synergy and for the second time Salman Khan he is Won Best Anchor, Dus Ka Dum

Filmography

See also

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan (Hindi: आमिर ख़ान, Urdu: عامر خان, pronounced [ˈaːmɪr ˈxaːn]; born Aamir Hussain Khan on 14 March 1965) is an Indian film actor, director and producer. Khan has worked in a number of critically and commercially successful films and has established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema. He is also the founder-owner of Aamir Khan Productions.

Starting his career as a child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Khan began his professional career eleven years later with the film, Holi (1984). He had his first commercial success with his cousin Mansoor Khan’s film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988), for which he won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award. After seven previous nominations during the 1980s and 1990s, Khan received his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in the major grosser Raja Hindustani (1996).

In 2001, he made his debut as a film producer with the Academy Award-nominated Lagaan. Khan played the lead role in the film and earned his second Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance. After a four-year break from acting, Khan made his comeback with Ketan Mehta’s Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), and later won a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance for his role in Rang De Basanti (2006). In 2007, he made his directorial debut with Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars On Earth), for which he received a Filmfare Best Director Award. This was followed by Ghajini (2008), which became the highest grossing film of that year. In 2009 Khan appeared in a commercially and critically acclaimed film 3 Idiots, which became the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all-time, unadjusted for inflation.

Early life

Khan was born in Bandra’s Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, India, to a Muslim family that has been actively involved in the Indian motion picture industry for several decades. His father, Tahir Hussain, was a film producer while his uncle, Nasir Hussain, was a film producer as well as a director and a actor.

He is a descendant of the Muslim scholar and politician Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and a second cousin to former Chairperson of Rajya Sabha Dr Najma Heptullah.

Film career

Actor

Khan began his film career as a child actor in a home production, made by Nasir Hussain, titled Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973) and Madhosh (1974). Eleven years later, he made his adult acting debut in a role that went quite unnoticed in Ketan Mehta’s Holi (1984).

Khan’s first notable leading role came in 1988 in the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was directed by his cousin and Nasir Hussain’s son Mansoor Khan. This film was a breakthrough commercial success, effectively launching Khan’s career as a leading actor. Having the typical ‘chocolate hero’ looks, he was publicised as a teen idol. He also starred in critically acclaimed film Raakh, for which Khan got his first National Award for Special Jury Award. After that, he went on to appear in several other films in the late ’80s and early ’90s: Dil (1990), which became the highest grossing film of the year, Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993) (for which he also wrote the screenplay), and Rangeela (1995). Most of these films were successful critically and commercially. Other successes include Andaz Apna Apna, co-starring Salman Khan. At the time of its release the movie was reviewed unfavorably by critics, but over the years has gained a cult status.

Khan continued to act in just one or two films a year, an unusual trait for a mainstream Hindi cinema actor. His only release in 1996 was the Dharmesh Darshan directed commercial blockbuster Raja Hindustani in which he was paired opposite Karisma Kapoor. The film earned him his first Filmfare Best Actor Award, after seven previous nominations, and went on to become the biggest hit of the year, as well as the third highest grossing Indian film of the 1990s. Khan’s career had seemed to hit a plateau at this point of time, and most of the films to follow for the next few years were only partially successful. In 1997, he co-starred with Ajay Devgan and was paired opposite Juhi Chawla in the film Ishq, which performed well at the box office. In 1998, Khan appeared in the moderately successful Ghulam, for which he also did playback singing. John Mathew Matthan’s Sarfarosh (1999), Khan’s first release in 1999, was also moderately successful, gaining an above average box office verdict. The film was highly appreciated amongst the critics and Khan’s role as a dedicated, honest and uncorrupted cop engaged in fighting border terrorism, was well received, as was his role in Deepa Mehta’s art house film Earth. His first release for the new millennium, Mela, in which he acted alongside his real-life brother Faisal Khan, was both a box-office and critical bomb.

In 2001 he appeared in Lagaan. The film was a major critical and commercial success, and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th Academy Awards. Additionally, the film gathered critical acclaim at several international film festivals, in addition to winning numerous Indian awards, including the National Film Awards. Khan himself won his second Filmfare Best Actor Award. The film continues to be one of the most popular Hindi films in the west.

The success of Lagaan was followed by Dil Chahta Hai later that year, in which Khan co-starred with Akshaye Khanna and Saif Ali Khan, with Preity Zinta playing his love interest. The film was written and directed by the then newcomer Farhan Akhtar. According to critics, the film broke new grounds by showing Indian urban youth as they really are today. The characters depicted were modern, suave and cosmopolitan. The film did moderately well and was a success mostly in urban cities.

Khan then took a four year break citing personal problems, and returned in 2005 with Ketan Mehta’s Mangal Pandey: The Rising playing the title role of a real-life sepoy and a martyr who helped spark the Indian Rebellion of 1857 or the ‘First War of Indian Independence’.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s award-winning, Rang De Basanti, was Khan’s first release in 2006. His role was critically acclaimed, earning him a Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance and various nominations for Best Actor. The film went on to become one of the highest grossing films of the year, and was selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Although the film was not shortlisted as a nominee, it received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the BAFTA Awards in England. Khan’s work in his next movie, Fanaa (2006) was also appreciated, and the film went on to become one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2006.

His 2007 film, Taare Zameen Par, was also produced by him and marked his directorial debut. The film, which was the second offering from Aamir Khan Productions, starred Khan in a supporting role as a teacher who befriends and helps a dyslexic child. It opened to excellent responses from critics and audiences alike. Khan’s performance was well-received, although he was particularly applauded for his directing.

In 2008, Khan appeared in the movie Ghajini. The film was a major commercial success and became the highest grossing Bollywood movie of that year. For his performance in the film, Khan received several Best Actor nominations at various award ceremonies as well as his fifteenth Filmfare Best Actor nomination.

In 2009 Khan appeared in the commercially and critically acclaimed film 3 Idiots. Khan’s role of Ranchodas Chanchar was well appreciated by the audience. The film became the highest grossing Bollywood film ever.

Producer

In 2001 Khan set up a production company known as Aamir Khan Productions. Its first film was Lagaan. The movie was released in 2001, starring Khan as the lead actor. The film was selected as India’s official entry to the 74th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category. It was eventually chosen and nominated in that category but lost to No Man’s Land. The film won numerous awards at several Indian award functions such as Filmfare and IIFA, and won the National Film Award for Most Popular Film, an award shared between Khan and the film’s director, Ashutosh Gowarikar. Khan later commented on the loss of Lagaan at the Oscars: “Certainly we were disappointed. But the thing that really kept us in our spirits was that the entire country was behind us”.

In 2007 he produced the drama Taare Zameen Par which marked his directorial debut. Khan also played a supporting role in the film, sharing the screen with the debut of child actor Darsheel Safary. The film was initially conceived of and developed by the husband and wife team, Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia. It was a story of a young child who suffers in school until a teacher identifies him as dyslexic. The movie was critically acclaimed, as well as a box office success. Taare Zameen Par won the 2008 Filmfare Best Movie Award as well as a number of other Filmfare and Star Screen Awards. Khan’s work won him two awards at the Filmfare, the Best Movie and the Best Director awards, which established his status as a competent filmmaker in Bollywood.

In 2008, Khan launched his nephew Imran Khan’s debut in the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na under his production house. The film was a big hit in India, and eventually earned Khan another nomination for Best Movie at the Filmfare.

Personal life

Aamir with United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2009.

During the years of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Khan married Reena Dutta. They had two children, a son named Junaid and a daughter, Ira. Reena was involved, briefly, in Khan’s career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan. In December 2002, Khan filed for divorce, ending the 15-year marriage, with Reena taking the custody of both their children. On 28 December 2005, he married Kiran Rao who had been an assistant director to Ashutosh Gowariker during the filming of Lagaan.

Though nominated many times, Khan does not attend any Indian film award ceremony as he feels “Indian film awards lack credibility”. In 2007, Khan was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London. However, Khan declined stating that, “It’s not important to me… people will see my films if they want to. Also, I cannot deal with so many things, I have bandwidth only for that much.”

In 2007, Khan lost a custody battle for his younger brother Faisal to their father, Tahir Hussain. His father passed away on February 2, 2010.

In a 2009 interview, Khan states that he tends to take an independent approach to the world of filmmaking, noting that he does not “do different things; I try to do it in a different manner. I think every person should follow his/her dream and try and make it possible to create an ability to achieve it backed by its practicality.” He has also indicated that he is more interested in the process of filmmaking than in the end result: “For me, the process is more important, more joyful. I would like to have my entire concentration on the process right from the first step.” When asked about his role model, he stated that, “Gandhiji is one person who inspires me!.”

Filmography

Actor

Playback singing

Producer

Writer/Director