Be it the ‘sanskaari’ Prem of Rajshri Films, the ill-fated lover of ‘Tere Naam’ or the action hero of movies like ‘Dabangg’, ‘Kick’ and ‘Ready’, Salman Khan is one phenomenon that every cinegoer can reckon and relate to.
Having started his career with a miniscule role in the Farooque Sheikh-Rekha starrer ‘Biwi Ho Toh Aisi’, Salman Khan has built his career from being known as Salim Khan’s eldest son to the superstar that he is today. An all time blockbuster as his second movie ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, Salman Khan started trends that none else could dare to even think of.
Think of shirtless, Salman comes to the mind. Think of adolescent romance, the Prem of ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ would be your first choice. He is and will always be the metaphor for trendsetting in Bollywood.
But things have not always been hunky dory for the ‘Handsome Hunk’. There have been troughs in his career and not just once but many. After mesmerizing audiences with his ‘Prem’ avatar, he gave hits with movies like ‘Sanam Bewafa’ and ‘Saajan’. With Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ (1994) with Aamir Khan, he displayed his exceptional comic timing and showed he can actually act.
Then came the first lull in his career. He gave as many as six flops in a row, calling to critics to number him out from the rat race.
But Salman Khan out numbered everybody with the 1994 release – Rajshri Films’ ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’ opposite Madhuri Dixit, which catapulted him back to the stardom. Then with movies like ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’, ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Chori Chori Chupke Chupke’, Salman kept the audiences reminding about himself, about his presence.
But that was the phase of a kind of renovation of the B-Town lanes. New faces, newer talents were making in-roads to the film industry. And just making your presence felt with a semi-hit, or a hit wasn’t enough for an actor like Salman to sustain the stardom.
Come year 2003, and came the second lease of life for Salman in the Industry – ‘Tere Naam’. He played Radhe, the star crossed, jilted and ill-fated lover, with utmost sincerity. And yet again set the trend of the ‘Radhe Cut’ – the loose mop of hair, mid-parted and falling over the forehead.
With Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, he formed the famous Khan Trinity ruling the box office.
