Actor Salman Khan recently opened up about his parents’ marriage, revealing that religion was never the barrier people assumed it to be. The superstar shared that the real challenge in their union wasn’t the Hindu-Muslim difference but his father Salim Khan’s profession in the film industry.
During a media interaction promoting his upcoming film Sikandar, Salman said, “It was never about the difference in Hindu and Muslim culture and practices. The bigger and more concerning thing at that time was, ‘Ye toh film line se hain’ (He comes from the profession of filmmaking).” He explained that society in the 1960s viewed the movie industry with suspicion, and that became a greater obstacle than religion itself.
Salim Khan and Salma Khan (born Sushila Charak) married in 1964 and have been together for over six decades. Their marriage, which began at a time when interfaith unions were rare and often controversial, faced strong opposition from Salma’s family. Salma later changed her name after marriage, and as Salman revealed, her father didn’t meet her for nearly ten years after the wedding.
Salim Khan had earlier spoken about the same in an interview with his son Arbaaz Khan. He recalled, “He (Salma’s father) came for the first time after Sohail was born. He just saw us and went away.” Despite the emotional distance, Salim remembered the moment without bitterness, acknowledging the social realities of that time.
Salim also shared that religion had initially been a concern for Salma’s father. “My father-in-law told me that I was a nice guy, but religion was the problem. I was 24 at that time. I then told him, ‘Doctor sahib, meri aur aapki beti ke 1760 problems ho sakte hain (Doctor, I may have 1760 problems with your daughter), but religion will never be one of them.’”
Over the years, the Khan family has come to symbolize religious harmony in Bollywood. Salim Khan himself later married Helen, a Christian, in 1981, a union that also raised eyebrows but eventually found acceptance. Salman mentioned that it was his mother, Salma Khan, who was the first to welcome Helen into their family, helping everyone settle into a peaceful coexistence.
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