Salman Khan


Biography

Since making his feature film debut in the late '80s, Bollywood action star Salman Khan has quickly established himself as the Tom Cruise of Hindi cinema. Off screen, Khan is just as well known for his numerous high-profile dalliances with Bollywood actresses, as well as his various troubles with the law. In addition to his acting, Khan is also a noted philanthropist, starting the Being ...

Biography

Since making his feature film debut in the late '80s, Bollywood action star Salman Khan has quickly established himself as the Tom Cruise of Hindi cinema. Off screen, Khan is just as well known for his numerous high-profile dalliances with Bollywood actresses, as well as his various troubles with the law. In addition to his acting, Khan is also a noted philanthropist, starting the Being Human charity in 2007 to assist the millions of underprivileged citizens throughout India. As a high-profile action star, noted philanthropist and millionaire playboy, Salman Khan has proven he can play a multitude of different roles both on screen and off, making him one of the most intriguing Indian entertainment figures of the last quarter century.

The son of noted Indian screenwriter Salim Khan, Salman always knew he wanted to be an actor. He first film role came in 1988's "Biwi Ho To Aisi," but it would be another year before Khan first made a splash on the Hindi screen. His role in the family drama, "Maine Pyar Kiya" (1989), proved to be Khan's breakout performance, earning him numerous awards and nominations, as well as national recognition. "Maine Pyar Kiya" became one of the highest-grossing films in Indian history, establishing Salman Khan as a rising young actor. Khan's career stalled for a brief period in the early '90s after a series of box office flops, but he returned to form in 1994 after appearing in the romantic drama, "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!" That film went on to become India's highest-grossing release of 1994, thus reestablishing Salman Khan as an audience favorite.

Khan's star continued to rise throughout the '90s, with appearances in such box office hits as "Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya" (1998) and "Biwi No.1" (1999), as well a high-profile romance with actress Aishwarya Rai (the couple eventually split in late 2001). However, Khan's career took a turn for the worse in September of 2002 when he ran his SUV over a group of homeless men sleeping on a Mumbai sidewalk, killing one, and then fled the scene. More troubles with the law came in 2006 when Khan was charged for illegally hunting an endangered species of gazelle known as the chinkara; he was sentenced to five years in prison, but the case was later appealed to a higher court.

Despite all the bad press in his personal life, Khan's fortunes began to change in 2009, when a string of hits once again propelled him him to the top of the box office. Beginning with the 2009 blockbuster "Wanted" (2009), Khan appeared in a series of blockbuster action films, including "Dabangg" (2010), "Ready" (2011), and "Ek Tha Tiger" (2012), which became some of the most financially successful Hindi films of the 2010s. In 2012 Khan appeared in "Dabangg 2," the follow-up to his 2010 smash. Although the film received mixed reviews, it quickly became the second-highest-grossing Hindi film of 2012, further cementing Khan's status as a bona-fide Hindi action star. Further films, including "Jai Ho" (2014), "Lai Bharri" (2014), and the action thriller "Kick" (2014), followed. However, in spring 2015, Khan went to trial for the 2002 hit-and-run. He was convicted of culpable homicide, negligent driving, and causing grievous harm to the victims, and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Life Events

1989

Breakout performance in "Maine Pyar Kiya"

1994

Scored a hit with "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!" after several box office flops

2012

Starred in "Ek Tha Tiger," which became the second highest grossing Bollywood film of all time

Bibliography