Chapter-5

CHAPTER 5 : THE SILVER LINING

All said and done, Biswadeep’s book presents a wonderful, comprehensive and almost disbelieving side of the actor-The actor with a heart of gold and tears in his eyes at the slightest exhibition of pain and sorrow in front of him. Whether it be silent charity, or helping the beggars on the Mumbai streets, or aiding terminally ill patients or propping up so many nobodies in the industry who now swear by him, Salman has been there and done it all. Govinda still recounts how Salman has always been a buddy and a true friend in need. "After a series of flops, a bad political career, when I was completely down and out from the film industry and had no work Salman bailed me out. There cannot be a better friend than Salman who is always there in your time of need. I am very happy that I will finally get a chance to work with him." Remembers Govinda when Salman lobbied for his inclusion in Nikhil Advani’s Salaam e Ishq when his career was going through a rough patch. He even included Govinda in his home production Partner which was a hit and catapulted the career of Govinda. When the latter refused to accept his pay check for the film, Salman presented him with a Mercedes Benz to show his love. In the rise of his career when once Govinda had proclaimed that he was way ahead than the Khans of the industry, Salman humbly accepted his views even when the industry people were hailing him as the next superstar. “Govinda is right. He is certainly much more talented than the rest of us.” Biswadeep feels that the actor was speaking straight from his heart as he always does. It was not an affirmation tinged with satire. Salman even went up to Ranbir kapoor the morning after he entered into a brawl with him in a nightclub and presented him gifts. He even apologized to Adam Bedi after a fracas with him, as said earlier. Mohnish behl who is Salman’s friend for almost 25 years, adores the actor. He says how they bonded right from the time they worked out together at the Hotel Sea rock in Bandra. That was before they joined the industry.He remembers, “Salman has a heart of Gold. He told me ‘I have signed a film with Rajshri productions (Maine Pyar Kiya) and I want you to play the villain. Go and meet them.” Salman even suggested Mohnish’s name to the makers of Baaghi and helped him to bag a role in the film. Bhagyashree was a new comer in the industry when he worked with Salman in her first film, Maine Pyaar Kiya. She says how Salman was a perfect gentleman in the sets of the film. He immediately backed away from doing an intimate scene with her when he saw that the lady was feeling uncomfortable being a part of it. “It was such a sweet gesture.” says Bhagyashree. At the time of her wedding she got a great deal of support from Salman. “He was very concerned and kept on asking me if everything was okay. It was almost like he was my elder brother….It felt very nice to know that there was someone who cared”. The actress had been exposed to the sensitive side of Salman and still relishes those memories. Sajid Nadiadwala recalls how one night while returning from a shooting they saw a couple of teenagers stuck in a car which met with an accident. The doors were jammed so Salman broke the glass and tried to bring out the boys. “He was bleeding and crying because he felt that he couldn’t help the boys.” When he rushed the kids to the hospital, they refused to treat them until a police case had been registered. Sajid narrates how Salman lost his cool and started screaming at the doctor. “ Salman was behaving as those boys were his family members” says Sajid. Says Biswadeep that whenever Salman had backed a person, he has done so completely and unconditionally. Nilofer Amrohi, an amateur fashion designer in the industry in the 1990s was a family friend of Salman. She rewinds as she remembers how Salman agreed to give her the assignment of designing his clothes at one go for his movie Baaghi. In The Hall of Fame, she is quoted as saying “I was quite astonished….Salman blindly trusted me.” Long after the episode occurred, Nilofer cant help talking about her friend’s helpful nature. She discloses how many it has happened that he’s seen someone waiting outside his gate and he has asked his sister or someone else to find out if he needs some help. “He just doesn’t like to talk about these things. Salman’s still a child at heart.” She also wishes that “her two sons turn out to be half the person that Salman is”. Friend Bunty Walia is all praises for the actor.” I asked Salman if he would help me set up a company to organize concerts and he agreed. Just like that. Without thinking.” Another friend of him who is all gung ho about him is top fashion designer Vikram Phadnis. He remembers how he had to struggle a lot to reach the position he is in now. He attributes his success to the actor. He narrates how Salman gave him the project of his movie Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge. “ When I was in the dumps, he picked me up and gave me a new lease of life in the industry.” He says how even after a misunderstanding with Salman, he did not approach a new designer and stuck to him.” He has helped me overcome the biggest emotional problems. He is always there for his family and friends.” “Salman’s been a brother to me”, says superstar Hrithik Roshan. He was advised by Salman to build a good physique while on the sets of Karan Arjun. The Muscle man has even given tips to actors like Aryan Vaid, Suneil Shetty, Ranbir kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Govinda, Saif Ali khan etc. to tone up their muscles. Salman’s contribution to the careers of Music composers like Himesh Reshammiya and Sajid-Wajid has been phenomenal. Salman gave the composer duo their first big break in Pyaar kiya to Darna kya. Repeatedly, he has given the music assignments of his films to the two, right from Mujhse Shaadi karogi to the forthcoming Main Aur Mrs. Khanna. Himesh also swears by the actor (though the two have fallen off now) who was his Godfather in the industry and who gave a great push to his career with hits like Tere Naam and Pyar kiya to darna kya. Biswadeep observes how the actor goes out of his way to work for social causes. He even went to the extent of donating his bone marrow to a needy child and was extremely disappointed to know that their groups did not match. Recently, he also adopted about 35 very old widows from three villages in the foothills of Matheran. He used to see them begging around his farmhouse in Panvel. Initially he started giving them money every month only to realize that their relatives would take away all the money from the women. He also contributes regularly to St. Agnelo’s Home for the Aged in Mumbai and does countless other charity work. Recently, he has constituted a new charity called ‘Being Human’. He is using his contacts to accumulate charity and also through selling his self made paintings.