'Boys Do Cry': A Teary Salman Khan’s Farewell to Legend Dharmendra Breaks the Myth of Masculinity

Salman Khan is known as the poster boy of Bollywood’s rugged, muscular, larger-than-life masculinity. For over three decades, he has carried an image of strength, of the tough guy who rarely breaks, never

bends and almost never lets his emotions spill in public view. But during the Bigg Boss 19 finale last night, the country witnessed a different side of him. A vulnerable side. A human side. A side that revealed a truth society often refuses to admit: boys do cry and there is nothing weak about it.As BB broadcast a moving tribute to the late Dharmendra, Salman’s idol, mentor and emotional anchor, the 58-year-old actor tried with all his might to hold himself together. He kept his head down, blinked rapidly, pressed his lips tightly, attempting to control his feelings. But the moment he began speaking about Dharmendra, his voice cracked, his eyes welled up and the tears he had been fighting finally rolled down. And India paused. This wasn’t just a superstar crying, it was a man openly mourning someone he deeply loved and missed.What made the moment unforgettable was the way Salman spoke of Dharmendra, not as the industry legend, not as the He-Man of Bollywood, but as the man who gave him affection, guidance and a sense of belonging. For someone known for concealing pain behind humour, bravado or silence, this was an act of extraordinary emotional courage.

The cameras didn’t capture a macho hero breaking down. They captured masculine strength in its truest, most unfiltered form. The strength to be soft. The strength to feel. The strength to cry. And this is where the moment becomes much larger than television or celebrity. It becomes cultural.

Why 'Boys Don’t Cry' Is One of the Most Toxic Lessons We Teach

For generations, boys in India and even across the world have been raised to believe that crying is shameful. That tears make them weak. That real men swallow their pain, hide their fear, bury their grief. This conditioning starts early when little boys are told to 'stop crying like a girl,' teenagers are told to 'man up,' and adult men are expected to carry the weight of their emotions in silence.This toxic script doesn’t make boys stronger. It makes them wounded. It teaches them to disconnect from their feelings, leading to emotional repression, difficulty communicating, stunted vulnerability and mental-health struggles that often go unspoken and untreated. When boys are not allowed to cry, they learn to mask every ache behind anger or withdrawal. They internalise the idea that emotional expression is a threat to their masculinity.Moments like Salman Khan’s on Bigg Boss matter because they break this narrative at its root. When a figure known for strength allows himself to be seen in grief, he sends a powerful message to millions of men and boys watching- your tears are valid. Your feelings are real. Crying doesn’t make you less of a man, if anything, it makes you more human.Last night, Salman Khan didn’t just pay tribute to Dharmendra. He paid tribute to emotional honesty. He reminded the world that vulnerability is not the opposite of strength, it is the purest expression of it.