This is what Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, told him when he started his Bollywood career.
Salman recently joined his nephew Arhaan on his podcast, where he opened up about different parts of his life. Salman Khan may be a superstar today, but even he had doubts when he first entered Bollywood. His father, renowned screenwriter Salim Khan, mentored him but also challenged him with some tough questions. In a recent conversation on his nephew Arhaan Khan’s podcast, Salman opened up about his early struggles in the industry. He recalled how his father questioned whether he could convincingly play an action hero. Salim Khan asked him, “Can you do action? Can you fight off 10 people on screen and make it look real?” Salman admitted that he wasn’t sure. His father then continued, asking, “Can you play a lawyer? A policeman? A gangster?” Each time, Salman replied with a “no.” Finally, Salim Khan concluded, “Then the only thing you’ll be offered is love stories.” These words stayed with Salman and motivated him to work even harder to prove himself. During the podcast, Salman turned the conversation to Arhaan’s future in Bollywood, asking him, “Who are the actors from your generation that you’ll be competing with?” He named Tiger Shroff, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and Sidharth Malhotra, and then asked, “Do you see yourself as better than them right now?” Arhaan honestly responded, “Absolutely not.” Salman then gave his nephew some advice, encouraging him to learn from the best actors of his time if he wants to become a true Bollywood hero.