Salman Khan clocks 33 'Dabangg' years in Bollywood

Actor debuted with 'Biwi Ho To Aisi' back in 1988 and the film's director had said Salman would never become a star

It’s been over three decades since Bollywood superstar Salman Khan ventured into Bollywood with his debut film Biwi Ho To Aisi. The film introduced Salman with the late Farooq Shaikh and Rekha in the lead. And while not a whole lot of people have seen the flick, many are still unaware of how Salman was cast in the JK Bihari directorial.

During an episode of Salman-hosted Sony TV show Dus Ka Dum, the Bhai of Bollywood revealed his first impression on the industry with an anecdote from his first film, reported the Indian Express. He claimed that his casting was all courtesy of good timing and fate. He recalled, “I will tell you a story of Biwi Ho To Aisi. I met Bihari sahab (the filmmaker) about two, three years ago. I asked, ‘Sir, aapne mereko uss picture pe sign kaise kiya (Why did you sign me for your film)? He told me he approached many stars who refused to work in his film.”

He went on to quote the director as saying, “He (Bihari) told me, ‘Ab jo bhi next idiot iss garage me aayega, main usko sign karunga (Whichever next idiot walks into this garage now I will have to cast him)’. I knew at that time that I would have to make a high-speed entry into the garage.”

However, the producer of Biwi Ho To Aisi Suresh Bhagat had complete faith in the star. In an earlier interview, Suresh had told an Indian outlet that upon overseeing Salman’s work, he knew there was something about his personality which grabbed eye balls. However, according to him, JK Bihari was so unimpressed by Salman that he said if the Dabangg actor ever became a star, he would leave the industry. “Aaj wo (JK Bihari) industry chorr diya hai (That filmmaker has left the industry as promised),” the producer quipped.

Salman had reportedly acted in Biwi Ho To Aisi for INR 11,000 at the time. In fact, much of the wardrobe that Salman utilised during the film belonged to him.

On the work front, Salman is currently shooting Tiger 3 in Russia with Katrina Kaif. Directed by Maneesh Sharma, the release date of the action sequel is yet to be announced.

Biggest block busters

Salman may have debuted with Biwi Ho To Aisi but it was his romantic saga Maine Pyar Kiya, that released in 1989, which put him on the map. 33 years later, Salman is still one of the most sought-after actors in Bollywood.

Despite his brush-ins with the law, he has a reputation for delivering blockbusters on the go. “I have seen so much and met so many brilliant people along the way who have taught me so much and carved me into the person that I am,” Salman told PTI recently in an interview about his journey.

“My motivation to work has always been the fans who give me unconditional love and it is because of them that I am always striving to deliver my best to them,” he added.

Nevertheless, here are some of his highest grossing films, according to Times of India:

Tiger Zinda Hai (INR339 crore)

The sequel to 2012 action-thriller Ek Tha Tiger witnessed Salman and Katrina Kaif reprising their roles in Tiger Zinda Hai. The film turned out to be a blockbuster and collected a massive amount of INR339 crore in the domestic circuit.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (INR315.49 crore)

The Kabir Khan directorial which even featured Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in pivotal roles, went on to earn a stupendous total of INR315.49 crore at the box office.

Sultan (INR300.67 crore)

The birthday boy left everyone amazed when he portrayed the character of a wrestler in Ali Abbas Zafar's 'Sultan'. While Anushka Sharma and Salman's crackling chemistry was a pure delight, Bhaijaan left no stone unturned as the film minted a whooping INR300.67 crore.

Kick (INR211.63 crore)

Salman teamed up with Jacqueline Fernandez, Randeep Hooda and Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Kick and left everyone on the edge of their seats, with a total collection of INR211.63 crore in the domestic circuit.

Bharat (INR197.34 crore)

Despite mixed reviews, Salman Khan starrer Bharat which released in 2019, managed to rake in an astounding total of INR197.34 crore at the box office.

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