Long before Maine Pyar Kiya made him a star, Salman Khan landed his very first film — Biwi Ho Toh Aisi (1988) — in the most unexpected way. Director JK Bihari has now revealed that he cast Salman the moment
he saw him walk towards his office, without an audition or even asking his name.
“I was sitting in my garage and saw a boy walking across the road towards me with a file in his hand. I decided just by looking at his walk that I am going to sign him,” Bihari shared in a chat with Siddharth Kannan. The film, starring Rekha and Farooq Sheikh in lead roles, featured Salman as Farooq’s younger brother — a small but meaningful part that marked the actor’s big-screen debut.
Bihari recalled that Salman never used his father’s name to get the role. “He came and talked to me and I said yes. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t take his father’s name. Had he done that, I might have not cast him,” he said. At the time, Salim Khan was already one of Bollywood’s most respected writers, and for his son to take on such a minor role spoke volumes about Salman’s humility and hunger to learn.
Later, when Bihari found out that Salman was Salim Khan’s son, he worried the young actor might back out — but that never happened. “Salim Khan said, you are a new director, he is also new,” Bihari recalled, adding that the film happened purely because of destiny.
The filmmaker also revealed that Salman signed a strict three-film contract with the producer for a small amount, only because he wanted to start working. “Salman wanted a break so he was ready to sign anything. So my producer did a three-film contract with him at a very low amount,” he said.
Just a year later, Salman was launched as a leading man in Maine Pyar Kiya — and the young man who once walked into a garage became one of India’s biggest stars.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan is currently shooting for Battle of Galwan. He is also seen as the host of Bigg Boss 19. Recently, he also made a cameo on Aryan Khan’s show, The Ba***ds of Bollywood.
