Happy Birthday Salman Khan: Young co stars talk about their experience working with him

Actor Salman Khan’s rapport with kids is common knowledge- they absolutely adore him and try to emulate his cool dude mannerisms as well. On the occasion of his 56th birthday, we talk to three of his then young co-stars about how was it like working with their ‘Salman uncle’:

ALI HAJI (Played Rohan in Partner, 2007)

To be honest, I had the best experience of my life with Salman uncle.. The shoot of Partner never felt like a shoot and more like a joyride. One was constantly surrounded with Salman Khan, Govinda and David Dhawan, who are legends. Salman uncle is a such a joyous person to be around, always so positive. Every one liner in the film of my character was because of him. Before the take, he would say ‘yel bolna’, and you trust him. Many months later, you see people on the big screen laughing at it, it was his touch. That relationship continued when he took me to his farmhouse, introduced me to his nephews and we became friends. He treated my family like his. He also made me sit on his boke during our film’s shoot, took me out on the streets of Mumbai to a toy store and bought me the bike you see me riding in Partner.

HARSHAALI MALHOTRA (Played Munni in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, 2015)

It was such a good experience working with Salman uncle, we had so much fun. I don’t remember the first time I met him but I do remember that I told him ‘I want to be a superstar like you’ in our first meeting. He used to give me a lot of gifts. Meri ek baar tabiyaar kharab ho gayi thi, so he gave me a tip ‘Ek actor ko nahi dikhana chahiye ki unki tabiyat kharab hai’ We all just used to keep laughing because he would keep being funny. He would take me to play table tennis and on ATV rides. Now he is very busy, so I am not able to talk to him that much. I would definitely want to work with him again. My mother told me that there might be Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2 being made, I would love to be a part of it with Salman uncle. I wish him every year on his birthday, sometimes he is able to talk, sometimes not. He asks me ‘padhaai kaisi chal rahi hai’. The reason I haven’t taken up more projects after Bajrangi Bhaijaan is because Salman uncle had said don’t do small roles, so I am waiting for good roles.

SANA SAEED (Played Anjali in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, 1998)

I remember having a lot of fun when I did my scenes with him in Kucb Kuch Hota Hai, playing little Anjali and he played Aman Mehra. He was always super kind and so playful., I enjoyed a lot. His energy was simply great. I did get a chance to briefly work with him again, on the set of Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega, but I haven’t met him up personal since then.