Salim Khan would lecture Sonakshi Sinha to become an actor and quit fashion designing, actress said, “I was 16, overweight, but he would..."

Salim Khan would lecture Sonakshi Sinha to become an actor and quit fashion designing, actress said, “I was 16, overweight, but he would..."

• Writer Salim Khan hospitalized in Mumbai, family visits
• Sonakshi Sinha recalls Salim Khan encouraging her to act
• Salim Khan's influence on Bollywood and careers highlighted

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Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan was admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital on Monday, prompting an outpouring of concern from fans and members of the film fraternity. Soon after the news broke, his sons Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan were spotted arriving at the hospital to be by his side.

Other family members and close associates also visited, underlining the towering presence Salim Khan continues to hold both within his family and the industry.

While details about his health remain private, the moment has led many to revisit the remarkable journey of the man who helped shape mainstream Hindi cinema.

Amid the concern around his health, an old interview of Sonakshi Sinha has resurfaced, bringing back memories of how Salim Khan once nudged her towards acting long before she imagined herself on the big screen.

Sonakshi, who made her debut opposite Salman Khan in Dabangg (2010), had once revealed that films were never part of her original plan.

Speaking on a podcast, she had confessed, “I was never inclined. Salim Khan Saab and my father are very close friends. We would go to Galaxy Apartments for Ganpati, Diwali and all. At the age of 16, Salim Saab would say, ‘Why are you doing fashion designing? Stop wasting your time. Just become an actor.’ I was overweight then. He used to keep lecturing me.”

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At the time, Sonakshi admitted she brushed off the advice. Acting seemed distant, almost unrealistic. She was focused on fashion designing and carving out her own path. Yet life, as she described it, had other plans.

She further recalled volunteering at a fashion week event during her college days, where she earned Rs 3,000. “Salman, Arbaaz and family came there, and they saw me. They were like, ‘What are you doing here?’ Salman even asked me to take him out for dinner with my first salary. I was like it is impossible,” she shared with a laugh.

Her transformation eventually became the turning point. “I lost weight and attended Amrita Arora’s wedding. Arbaaz Bhai saw me there and offered me a film. I didn't take him seriously at that time. But he reached my home with Abhinav Kashyap and Dilip Shukla. They narrated the film to me. They shook hands, smiled and left. Nobody asked me if I want to do this film or not,” she said.

Reflecting on how quickly things changed, Sonakshi added, “The next thing I know, I am on set. I really believe in destiny. After reaching the set, I understood that this is where I belong.”

As Salim Khan recovers, stories like these serve as reminders of his quiet yet powerful influence. Along with Javed Akhtar, he formed the iconic Salim-Javed duo, penning classics such as Sholay, Deewaar, and Don. Their storytelling redefined the angry young man era and reshaped commercial Hindi cinema. Decades later, Salim Khan remains not just a legendary writer, but a guiding force whose instincts have shaped careers and left an indelible mark on Bollywood.