Salim Khan (actor)
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Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 24 November 1935) is an Indian actor, film producer and screenwriter. He wrote the screenplays, stories and scripts for numerous
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
films. He is one half of the prolific screenwriting duo of Salim–Javed, along with
Javed Akhtar Javed Akhtar (born 1945) is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist and poet. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, two of India's highest civili ...
. The duo were among the first Indian screenwriters to achieve star status in
Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
,Ramesh Dawar (2003),
Encyclopaedia of Hindi cinema
'', Encyclopædia Britannica (India) Pvt. Ltd.
and became one of the most successful Indian screenwriters of all time. While working together, Salim Khan was largely responsible for developing the stories and characters, whereas Javed Akhtar was largely responsible for developing the script. Salim-Javed revolutionised
Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
in the 1970s, transforming and reinventing the Bollywood formula, pioneering the Bollywood blockbuster format, and pioneering genres such as the masala film and the Dacoit Western. Salim Khan was also one of the responsible person for creating the "angry young man" character archetype of
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
. Their films are among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time, including '' Sholay'' (1975), the highest-grossing Indian film ever at the time, as well as films such as '' Seeta Aur Geeta'' (1972), '' Zanjeer'' (1973), '' Deewaar'' (1975), '' Trishul'' (1978), ''
Kranti ''Kranti'' () is a 1981 Indian historical drama film, produced, edited, dialogue and directed by Manoj Kumar, with the story and screenplay written by Salim–Javed. It stars an ensemble cast, consisting of Dilip Kumar in the title role along ...
'' (1981), and the '' Don'' franchise. ''Sholay'' is also considered to be one of the greatest Indian films of all time. Khan is also known as the founder of the Salim Khan family, as the father of three
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
actors, Salman Khan (one of the big three Khans of Bollywood),
Sohail Khan Sohail Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 20 December 1969) is an Indian actor and producer who works mainly in Hindi cinema. He is the younger brother of actors Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan. He has an elder sister, Alvira Khan Agnihotri. He produ ...
, and
Arbaaz Khan Arbaaz Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 4 August 1967) is an Indian actor and film producer who primarily works in Bollywood, Hindi cinema, in addition to Telugu cinema, Telugu, Urdu and Malayalam, Malayalam cinema. Since his debut in 1996, he ha ...
, and film producer Alvira Khan Agnihotri. He is married to Sushila Charak ( a.k.a. Salma Khan) and to actress Helen Richardson Khan. Salim Khan won six
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
as part of Salim-Javed, and he was later awarded the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
in 2014. In 2024,
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released a three-part documentary series about the Salim-Javed screenwriting duo, ''Angry Young Men''.


Early life

Salim Khan was born in the city of
Indore Indore (; ISO 15919, ISO: , ) is the largest and most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The commercial capital of the state, it has been declared as the List of cleanest cities in India, cleanest city of In ...
in Indore State a princely state in
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
(modern day
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
, India) into an affluent family. Khan's grandparents, are believed to be Alakozai
Pashtuns Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghan (ethnon ...
who migrated from
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
to India in the mid-1800s and served in the cavalry of the
British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...
. According to Jasim Khan in the biography of Salman Khan, his ancestors belonged to the Akuzai sub-tribe of the Yusufzai Pashtuns from Malakand in the Swat Valley of North-West Frontier Province,
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
(present-day
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Northern Pakistan, northwestern region of the country, Khyber ...
, Pakistan). Khan's family tended to look for employment in government service, and eventually settled in Indore. Salim Khan was the youngest child of his parents, both of whom died by the time he was 14 years old. His father, Abdul Rashid Khan, had joined the Indian Imperial Police and had risen to the rank of DIG-Indore, which was the highest police rank open to an Indian in British India. Salim's mother, whose name was Siddiqa Bano Khan, died when he was only nine years old. She had suffered from
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
for four years before her death, and therefore it was forbidden for the younger children come close to her or hug her; Salim therefore had little contact with his mother even before her early death. His father also died in January 1950, when Salim was only fourteen years old. Two months later, in March 1950, Salim (who attended St. Raphaels' School in Indore) appeared for his matriculation examination. He did moderately well, and enrolled in Holkar College, Indore, and completed his BA. His elder brothers supported him with funds drawn from the family's substantial wealth, to the extent that he was given a car of his own while he was a college student. He excelled in sports, especially cricket, and it was for being a star cricketer that he was allowed by the college to enroll for a master's degree at the end of his bachelors. He was also a trained pilot. During these years, he also became enamored of films, and received encouragement from classmates, who told him that with his exceptional good looks, he should try to become a film star.


Career


Acting phase (1960–1969)

He worked as a supporting role in film ''Baraat'' directed by K. Amarnath. He would be paid Rs.1000/-(₹88,356.56 rupees in 2023) as a signing amount and a monthly salary of Rs.400/-(₹35,342.64 rupees in 2023) for the period of shooting. Salim accepted and moved to Mumbai, living in a rented apartment in Mahim. His brother owned transport trucks in indore and helped him with money. While ''Baraat'' was duly made and released in 1960, it did not do too well. Working under the name Prince Salim, he got into the usual 'struggle' situation of wannabe actors, working in minor roles, being typecast as a good-looking supporting actor, and gradually descending into B-grade films. Over the next decade, he acted in what he calls “indifferent roles," playing minor characters in about two dozen films, but so minor were his appearances that his name does not appear on the credits of several of these films; his credits amount to a total of 14 films until 1970, and one final appearance in 1977. These included '' Teesri Manzil'' (1966), ''Sarhaadi Lootera'' (1966) and ''Diwaana'' (1967). His most substantial role, for which he did receive some notice, was in ''Teesri Manzil'', where his role as the hero's friend was a meaty one, and his entry scene got a very good build-up.


Screenwriting transition (1969–1971)

After working in 25 films, he eventually understood that he "was not cut out to be an actor because I lacked the art of projection. But by then it was too late — how could I have gone back to Indore?" In the late 1960s, Salim Khan decided to start shifting his focus away from acting and towards writing scripts, and continued to use the name Prince Salim. One of his more notable film scripts was '' Do Bhai'' (1969). He also began working with
Abrar Alvi Abrar Alvi (1 July 1927 – 18 November 2009) was an Indian film writer, director and actor. Most of his notable work was done in the 1950s and 1960s with Guru Dutt. He wrote some of the most respected works of Indian cinema, including '' Sah ...
as a writing assistant.


Salim-Javed phase (1971–1982)

Salim met Javed Akhthar for first time during the making of the film ''Sarhadi Lootera,'' which was fated to be Salim's last acting appearance. Javed, who served as a clapper boy when shooting began, was later made the dialogue writer for the film by director S.M. Sagar. The friendship with Javed began while both were working in this film, and developed further because their bosses were neighbours to each other. Salim Khan got a job assisting writer/director
Abrar Alvi Abrar Alvi (1 July 1927 – 18 November 2009) was an Indian film writer, director and actor. Most of his notable work was done in the 1950s and 1960s with Guru Dutt. He wrote some of the most respected works of Indian cinema, including '' Sah ...
in finalising screenplays and dialogues, while Javed Akhtar began assisting Kaifi Azmi in a similar capacity, with focus on honing poetry. Abrar Alvi and Kaifi Azmi were neighbours, and therefore Salim Khan and
Javed Akhtar Javed Akhtar (born 1945) is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist and poet. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, two of India's highest civili ...
used to see a lot of each other. The duo hit it off well and formed a script-writing team that came to be known as Salim–Javed. Salim used to form stories and plots, whereas Javed used to develop the dialogues and occasionally the song-lyrics for those films. They used to brainstorm and come to conclusions regarding the final draft of the film.
Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
is credited with giving them their first break as script writers. Javed Akhtar accepted in an interview that "One day, he (Rajesh Khanna) went to Salimsaab and said that Mr. Devar had given him a huge signing amount with which he could complete the payment for his bungalow Aashirwad. But the film was a remake f ''Deiva Cheyal''">Deiva_Cheyal.html" ;"title="f ''Deiva Cheyal">f ''Deiva Cheyal''and the script of the original was far from being satisfactory. He told us that if we could set right the script, he would make sure we got both money and credit." This was their first break as script-writers, and the film, '' Haathi Mere Saathi,'' went on to become a big hit. The Salim–Javed duo were hired by G. P. Sippy to work for Sippy Films as resident screenwriters. They produced the screenplays for several successful films like Andaz, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay and Don. Their first big success was the script for '' Andaz'', followed by Adhikar (1971), ''Haathi Mere Saathi (1971 film)">Haathi Mere Saathi'' and '' Seeta Aur Geeta'' (1972). They also had hits in ''Yaadon Ki Baaraat'' (1973), '' Zanjeer'' (1973), Haath Ki Safai (1974), '' Deewaar'' (1975), '' Sholay'' (1975), Chacha Bhatija (1977), Don (1978), '' Trishul'' (1978), Dostana (1980), ''
Kranti ''Kranti'' () is a 1981 Indian historical drama film, produced, edited, dialogue and directed by Manoj Kumar, with the story and screenplay written by Salim–Javed. It stars an ensemble cast, consisting of Dilip Kumar in the title role along ...
'' (1981), '' Zamana'' (1985) and '' Mr. India'' (1987). They have worked together in 24 films including two Kannada films – Premada Kanike and Raja Nanna Raja. Of the 24 films they wrote 20 were hits. The scripts they wrote but which were not successful at box office include Aakhri Dao (1975), Immaan Dharam (1977), Kaala Patthar (1979) and Shaan (1980). Though they split in 1982, due to ego issues, some of the scripts they wrote were made into films later like ''Zamana'' and ''Mr. India'' which became successful. Salim-Javed, many a time described as "the most successful scriptwriters of all-time", are also noted to be the first scriptwriters in
Indian cinema The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
to achieve star status. The Salim-Javed duo were also notable for causing several changes to be made in the way scriptwriters were perceived and treated within the Hindi film industry. Until the 1970s, there was no concept of having the same people write screenplay, story and dialogue. Nor were writers usually named in the credits of the film; junior, struggling writers in particular were simply paid and sent away. Salim-Javed changed this situation. Since their scripts were so successful, they had the power to make demands on film-makers. They not only insisted on being paid much more than what had been the norm until then, but also ensured that their name was on the film credits, and also that they were involved at many stages of the process, including screenplay and dialogues. While credited under the name "Salim-Javed", the screenplay of ''Zanjeer'' was almost entirely written by Salim Khan alone, before bringing Javed Akhtar on board and crediting it under the name "Salim-Javed". Salim Khan was also instrumental in launching the career of
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
, who was a struggling actor before being discovered by Salim-Javed, who were impressed by his acting abilities and insisted on casting him in the lead roles for their films. Salim Khan was also personally responsible for introducing Bachchan to directors such as Prakash Mehra and
Manmohan Desai Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmakers of the 70s and 80s. Desai was an influential and sought-after film director of Bollywood and a pioneer of ...
.


Later years (1983–2003)

Salim Khan, after splitting, from Javed wrote script and dialogues for successful movies like '' Angaaray'' (1986), '' Naam'' (1986), '' Kabzaa'' (1988) and '' Jurm'' (1990). For ''Angaaray'', Rajesh Khanna asked director Rajesh Sethi to go to Salim Khan and rework on the script he had. Salim was not very active in films from 1996 as the fold he wrote like Akayla, Toofan and others between 1988 and 1996 flopped. He wrote scripts for thirteen films from 1983 to 1996, after his split with Javed Akhthar. These included ''Majdhaar'' and the hit film '' Patthar Ke Phool'' which starred his son Salman Khan. Other notable hits were the scripts for '' Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya'' and '' Auzaar,'' both of which were produced by his youngest son
Sohail Khan Sohail Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 20 December 1969) is an Indian actor and producer who works mainly in Hindi cinema. He is the younger brother of actors Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan. He has an elder sister, Alvira Khan Agnihotri. He produ ...
and starred Salman. His last unofficial partnership with Javed Akhtar was for the film '' Baghban'' (2003). Amitabh Bachchan requested to Javed Akhtar to write his final speech. Salman Khan, for his speech prior to that, requested to his father Salim Khan to write his speech. However, neither Salim Khan nor Javed Akhtar were credited.


Personal life

Khan has been married twice. His first marriage was to Salma Khan (born Sushila Charak), a Hindu, on 18 November 1964. Both of Charak's parents were Hindu: while her father, Baldev Singh Charak, hailed from Jammu, her mother was Maharashtrian. Khan and Salma have four children together; three sons, Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail, and one daughter, Alvira. In 1981, Khan married actress Helen Richardson, a Christian whose father was
Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indian people are a distinct minority group, minority community of mixed-race British and Indian ancestry. During the colonial period, their ancestry was defined as British paternal and Indian maternal heritage; post-independence, "Angl ...
and mother was Burmese. Some years later, they adopted a girl named Arpita, daughter of a homeless woman who died on a
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
footpath. Khan's eldest son, Salman, is one of the most commercially successful actors of Indian cinema. His other two sons, Arbaaz and Sohail, are also actors and film producers. His elder daughter Alvira is married to former actor and film-maker
Atul Agnihotri Atul Agnihotri (born 8 July 1964) is an Indian actor, producer and director. He started his Bollywood career as an actor, went on to direct two films, and found success as a film producer. He is best known for his debut film ''Sir (1993 film), S ...
, while his younger daughter Arpita is married to Aayush Sharma, grandson of Sukh Ram, a former Minister of Himachal Pradesh and long-time member of the Congress party. The couple had their first child, a boy, on 30 March 2016. His son, Salman Khan, describes him as a big fan of
Kazi Nazrul Islam Kazi Nazrul Islam (24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengalis, Bengali poet, short story writer, journalist, lyricist and musician. He is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul produced a List of works by Kazi Nazrul Islam, large body of ...
and is said to have read most of his poems.


Filmography


Screenwriter (Salim-Javed)


Screenwriter (solo)

*'' Do Bhai'' (1969) *'' Naam'' (1986) *'' Angaaray'' (1986) *'' Kabzaa'' (1988) *'' Toofan'' (1989) *'' Jurm'' (1990) *'' Akayla'' (1991) *'' Mast Kalandar'' (1991) *'' Patthar Ke Phool'' (1991) *'' Aa Gale Lag Jaa'' (1994) *'' Majhdhaar'' (1996) *''Dil Tera Diwana'' (1996) *Falak (1988)


Actor

*''Baraat'' (1960) *''Police Detective'' (1960) *'' Ramu Dada'' (1961) *''
Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
'' (1962) *'' Kabli Khan'' (1963) *''Bachpan'' (1963) *'' Darasingh: Ironman'' (1964) *'' Aandhi Aur Toofan'' (1964) *'' Raaka'' (1965) *'' Sarhadi Lutera'' (1966) *'' Teesri Manzil'' (1966) *''Sarhaadi Lootera'' (1966) *'' Diwana'' (1967) *'' Chhaila Babu'' (1967) *'' Lahu Pukarega'' (1968) *'' Wafadar'' (1977) *'' Mahabharat''(1965)


Awards


Filmfare Awards


British Film Institute

'' Sholay'' (1975) was ranked first in the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's 2002 poll of " Top 10 Indian Films" of all time.


Honorary awards

* Lifetime Achievement Honour at Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Award in January 2014. * Was due to receive a
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
in 2014 but rejected it saying he deserved a Padma Bhushan at least.


References


External links

*
Salim Khan
at
Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is an Indian entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides n ...

Salim Khan
at
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

An interview with Salim Khan


{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Salim 1935 births Living people Indian Muslims Indian male screenwriters Male actors from Indore Male actors in Hindi cinema Indian male film actors Male actors from Mumbai Indian people of Pashtun descent 20th-century Indian male actors Hindi-language screenwriters 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights Writers from Indore Screenwriters from Madhya Pradesh Urdu-language writers * 20th-century Indian male writers Salim Male actors from British India