Salman Khan - The New Macho Man

Often known as Bollywood's Bad boy, his knack of walking into trouble has overshadowed people's perception of him as an actor. He may have been featured as the bad guy of the industry several times over. But many-a-common-man claims that this macho hunk has a heart made of pure gold. Born as Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan on December 27, 1965, Salman Khan is the eldest son of screenwriter Salim Khan and his wife Salma Khan. His stepmother is Helen, a famous yesteryear Bollywood Dancer and actress. He has two brothers Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan and two sisters Alvira and Arpitha, Alvira is married to actor director Atul Agnihotri.

Salman Khan had a low profile after his first appearance in Biwi Ho To Aisi but successfully managed to get the attention of a few top class directors and got a big break through Sooraj Barjatya's blockbuster movie Maine Pyar Kiya which broke all records at the box office and transformed him from a low profile category to the high profile overnight. The movie Maine Pyar Kiya was given a lot of praise in the industry doing a whole lot of good things for everyone in the movie and to top it all, was given the consideration as Sholay - II.

So much so, many people believed it was Salman's pumped up body in the chart-topper "O, o jaane jaanaa" that helped brother Sohail's debut production Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998), set the box-office on fire. But when it comes to performing, he's been at his best with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Khamoshi(1996) brought Salman's acting abilities to the fore for the first time. As the sensitive music composer who loves Annie (Manisha Koirala), the daughter of deaf and dumb parents, he displayed a remarkable degree of maturity. Similarly, his Sameer Rosselini in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam was a thoroughly charming character. Some of his biggest hits are, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, Karan Arjun, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, 'Tere Naam and many more.

Salman Khan's work was appreciated internationally in the movie Phir Milenge where he played the role of an AIDS patient depicting their problems in today's world. The Bollywood hunk is set for yet another journey, to another world of glamour -Hollywood. He is scheduled to appear in his first Hollywood movie, 'Marigold: An Adventure in India' Salman is the brand ambassador of red Tape Shoes and has also endorsed Thumbs-Up.

Despite tumultuous relationships with ex-girlfriends Aishwarya Rai (Now Aishwarya Bachchan), Somy Ali and Sangeeta Bijlani, he is regarded as Bollywood's most eligible bachelor. Salman Khan has been romantically linked to actresses Sangeeta Bijlani, Somy Ali and Aishwarya Rai in the past. His turbulent relationship with Aishwarya Rai filled gossip columns. Her parents lodged a complaint against him and he was thrown off a movie set on which Ms. Rai was filming.

1998 marked the beginning of Salman's all legal problems. He was sentenced to one-year imprisonment for hunting Chinkara during the movie Hum Saath Saath Hai. However it was stayed by higher court during appeal. He was arrested for rash and negligent driving in 2002 but; even this case appears to be ongoing. In 2005 an illicit copy of mobile phone recording was released, which had threatening messages by him. This call was later tested in the Government's Forensic Lab, which concluded that it was fake.

In October 2007, Salman was said to have turned down an offer from Madame Tussads to have a wax replica made of himself. No particular reason was given by the star. Had he accepted, Salman would have been the 4th Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

The year-end of 2006 didn't promise much to Salman's success. His movies Jaan-E-Mann, Baabul and 2007 released Salaam E Ishq : A Tribute to Love failed to attract the audience. However his upcoming movies like Bajirao Mastani, God Tussi Great Ho, Saawariya, London Dreams, Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam, Mera Bharat Mahaa, Amar Akbar Anthony 2007, Hello and Hindi Version of Telugu hit Pokiri give much expectation to his fans. This romantic action hero will definitely rule the hearts of millions and Bollywood glamour world for a long time

Awards :

• 1990 - Filmfare Best Debut Award for Maine Pyar Kiya
• 1999 - Filmafare Best Supporting Actor Award For Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
• 2002 - Bollywood Movie Award – Most Sensational Actor, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke
• 2007 - 'Rajiv Gandhi Award' For Outstanding achievement in entertainment